The Gun Counter

I was in an enclosed space once, after a chemical extinguisher went off, and found it hard to breathe.

How effective would spraying someone be with one? Lethal? Reliable disorientation? Nothing meaningful?

I realize they are hard, hefty objects, and have a certain benefit as bludgeons...

Aglifter wrote:I was in an enclosed space once, after a chemical extinguisher went off, and found it hard to breathe.

How effective would spraying someone be with one? Lethal? Reliable disorientation? Nothing meaningful?

I realize they are hard, hefty objects, and have a certain benefit as bludgeons...

More than effective enough to close distance and use it for percussive mentorship.

A slight note: make sure you can tolerate it. My partner almost died from using a chemical abc extinguisher. Got serious pneumonia.

Aglifter wrote:I was in an enclosed space once, after a chemical extinguisher went off, and found it hard to breathe.
How effective would spraying someone be with one? Lethal? Reliable disorientation? Nothing meaningful?
I realize they are hard, hefty objects, and have a certain benefit as bludgeons...

Depends on if it is a "dry" extinguisher(powder) or a Halon unit. Walking into a room where a Halon extinguisher went off will cause you to try and find oxygen. The powder ABC ones will(if sprayed in your face) screw you up. That powder gets everywhere. Even leaving the environment will not help. It gets into your sinuses and throat, causing nasty respiratory problems. If using one(dry chemical) to defend yourself, make sure your nose and mouth are covered first. The spray is directional, but the powder spreads through the air quickly.

CByrneIV wrote:Having used them on people as pranks, and hit someone with one for... social correction... I would say that a fire extinguisher can be a quite useful implement of self defense.

I'm guessing "bouncing"?

OK, so as a self-defense item in NYC, to be used by a slender young woman what would be suggested? (I'd probably go w. crow bars and hand sledges, but those require a bit more strength than she has)

I'm pretty sure if you sprayed someone with a CO2 extinguisher, you could probably give them frostbite, that and they can't breathe or see.

A Little League bat is a perfect sized bludgeon.

Aglifter wrote:OK, so as a self-defense item in NYC, to be used by a slender young woman

I'm a skinny little rat ( AKA 'Racing Snake' - don't ask ) but I'm a fair bit stronger and heavier than a young woman.

Last ( and first ) time I used a CO2 extinguisher - on a wasps nest in the tree outside my workshop- it just about took me off my feet. I didn't know what to expect, I wasn't leaning into it. Kind of a sobering thought, I can usually absorb recoil as well as people who weigh almost twice as much as me.

Which brings up another issue - how can you rely on a weapon if you don't train with it ?

No answers, just questions

skb12172 wrote:A Little League bat is a perfect sized bludgeon.

We call them 'rounders bats' in the UK. Pretty much useless in untrained hands, you also need a wide arc to swing them in to get any force behind the blow. If the threat has their back or side to you then no problemo.

If I had a dollar for every time I saw someone attempt to win a fight with one of those things and instead get it taken off them on the second or third missed swing....I'd have about 12 dollars

Highspeed wrote:

Aglifter wrote:OK, so as a self-defense item in NYC, to be used by a slender young woman

I'm a skinny little rat ( AKA 'Racing Snake' - don't ask ) but I'm a fair bit stronger and heavier than a young woman.

Last ( and first ) time I used a CO2 extinguisher - on a wasps nest in the tree outside my workshop- it just about took me off my feet. I didn't know what to expect, I wasn't leaning into it. Kind of a sobering thought, I can usually absorb recoil as well as people who weigh almost twice as much as me.

Which brings up another issue - how can you rely on a weapon if you don't train with it ?

No answers, just questions

This is one of the reasons when I had the ability, I trained our office personnel (using the fire department) in the PROPER use of fire extinguishers - such training involved the fire department and a little demonstration fire for them to put out as practice. I recommend EVERY COMPANY do the same for ALL their personnel. You might be surprised at the number of people who want to stand RIGHT ON TOP of the fire and try and blast it with dry-chem (and if it's an oil fire, be prepared to spread the flaming oil all over the place to AGAIN, be put out).