CARE FOR SOME PEPPER?

ADD A LITTLE SPICE TO YOUR NONLETHAL DEFENSE PLAN.

- Jim Cobb

Not every threat requires a deadly response. Nevertheless, we might need something to help “even the odds,” so to speak, and give us some degree of control over the situation. Rather than going hands-on, if we can keep our distance, so much the better.

Pepper spray has been one of the go-to options in this regard for quite some time. It works well in many applications, especially if you opt for the streaming delivery model rather than a fog or mist. However, you might sometimes need an even more direct approach.

Thus, the PepperBall was born!

The PepperBall is a small sphere filled with PAVA pepper powder. When launched, it strikes an attacker with enough force to shatter the plastic coating, releasing the powder in a cloud that will hopefully envelop the person.

The company that manufactures PepperBall (PBLifeLite.com) sent me two devices to test and evaluate: the MOBILE Kit and the COMPACT launcher.

The MOBILE Kit

The larger of the two products is the MOBILE Kit. It comes with a launcher, a dozen practice rounds, six PepperBall rounds and three CO2 cartridges. The launcher can hold up to three rounds and fires them one at a time.

The package advertises that this device will launch projectiles upward of 40 feet. It also states that it will provide a 12-foot “pepper irritant cloud,” in addition to forceful-impact stopping power.

Unboxing

My first impression was that this is a fairly large piece of equipment. It weighs 1.4 pounds and runs 9 inches from end to end. The shape reminds me of a flashlight—albeit one with sort of a spotlight-shaped head. To be honest, I felt it was bulky and a bit cumbersome the first time I picked it up.