By Jason Mosher Tactical News Online
Need some police grade pepper spray for self-defense? ASP is a leading manufacturer of law enforcement supplies and gear. If you're a cop, you are familiar with ASP handcuffs, batons, lights, and more. Because police around the country rely on ASP products, quality control and durability are a must. Now they have brought that same quality and reliability to every citizen with their Metro D2 Defender police-grade pepper spray.
As a Sheriff, I'll admit I am hesitant to recommend most pepper spray products for self-defense purposes. Small, personal-sized cans have flooded the market and are not effective. They give the owner a feeling of safety because they have a self-defense “weapon” on them. But that feeling can be deceiving when the low-grade spray fails to work. Many times, those cans are low powered and shoot a small stream that makes it hard to hit the attacker's face.
I've had too many people over the years try to use them only to find they didn't work. With ASP however, I can easily say I have faith in the product for one reason. I've used ASP products for more than a decade and they work. When you work in law enforcement, there's no room for equipment failure. I don't mind saving a buck on a cheaper item with some products, but not when a person's safety is involved.
If you're going to carry pepper spray, make sure it's police grade pepper spray.
What is ASP's police grade pepper spray Metro D2 Defender?
ASP isn't known for being cheap, they are known for their high-quality products. But here's what's cool about this specific self-defense item: it's not expensive. The Metro D2 Defender is a reusable device with refillable inserts. Basically, the D2 Defender is a metal tube-shaped device about the length of a pen. Using my trusty little miniature Milwaukee tape measurer, it appears to be 5.5-inches long and just over one-half inches in diameter.
The activation button on the top works like a flashlight. Push down and pepper spray shoots out the end of the Defender in a cone shape. The D2 Defender comes with a keychain attached for those who want to keep it with their keys. I took the keychain off mine but it's there for those who want it. Before you start to wonder what keeps it from going off on accident, the Defender has a manual safety. At the top of the Defender, just under the brass button is a half-circle ring shaped safety.
The safety sticks out just enough for your thumb to push against it, opening the safety (see photo below) so the activation button can be pushed. Because of the “flashlight” shaped design, your thumb naturally falls on the safety when gripping the Defender for use. It also has a pocket clip as another option for carrying it if you don't need the keychain. As I mentioned above, I took the keychain off and opted to use the pocket clip instead.
Does the Metro D2 Defender work? Yes, I sprayed myself on accident
In short yes, it works very well. Because it uses police grade pepper spray, the effects of exposure start almost immediately. I don't just say this because I'm a cop and have been exposed to pepper spray more times than I can count. I've been exposed to the ASP Defender spray as well. While a little embarrassing, I will admit I sprayed myself by accident when playing with the D2 Defender. Don't get too worried, it's not that easy to do, I'm just good at not reading instructions.
You know that voice built into guys' brains that tells them, “You don't need to read instructions?” Well, I have that voice and I like to figure things out on my own. The Metro D2 Defender has refillable cartridges (which I'll get more into shortly.) When I opened the Defender, I unscrewed the top to see how to get the cartridge out. I pulled out the cartridge, looked it over and stuck it back in. In my awesome ability to pay attention to detail, I stuck the cartridge in backwards.
As I screwed the cap back on, it activated the police grade pepper spray cartridge. Just before my eyes started to water from that sharp stinging sensation, I thought to myself, that smell is very familiar.
After a few coughs, tears, and a box of Kleenexes, I was fine. My eyes were puffy, red, and irritated, but I was fine. The cop in me wants to say, “I was testing that on purpose,” but I didn't actually plan to test it. It says right on their website that it's 10-percent Oleoresin Capsicum, which is the heat rating.
The Defender uses refillable police grade pepper spray
Because the Defender uses refillable police grade pepper inserts, you can also buy practice (inert) cartridges as well. This is the type of cartridge I should have used when playing with it (or read the instructions).
The Defender is not a one-time self-defense weapon; it will last for years. Keep some extra cartridges at home so it's ready to go any time. Just make sure you put the cartridge in correctly…
Most of the pepper spray police carry shoots out of the can in a stream. This is so we can direct it at someone's face when they are non-compliant. Police rarely use pepper spray for self-defense, however, because other tools are available to us. Because the Defender is designed for self-defense purposes, it shoots the pepper spray in a cone shape. This is ideal for someone fending off an attacker at close distances so there is less worry about hitting the face necessary.
There is enough power in the cartridge to shoot multiple times at an aggressor. If used, just replace the cartridge and it's ready to go again. You can replace the D2 heat cartridges for around $10 making it budget friendly for anyone. The test inserts also retail for the same price. Another good thing about the heat inserts is they can last for a while. Mine shows an expiration date of Oct 2026, giving it a 3-year shelf life.
Do you need the Defender with police grade pepper spray?
When you grab the Metro D2 Defender, you naturally want to hold it up next to your head. This is because the button is on the back, meaning you hold it horizontally. If you are being attacked, this is a great defensive place for your hands to already be. As a last resort, you have a metal item in your hand that is ironically similar to a Kubotan. This ASP Defender is made of machined aluminum so it can also double as a self-defense weapon even when it's empty.
If your life is in danger, you must be ready to protect it at all costs. Many of us carry a firearm for self-defense, but there are times when this is not an option. College students and people who work in areas where guns are prohibited must find other avenues for self-defense. Some states have laws making it hard to get a permit to carry a weapon. The Metro D2 Defender gives you police grade pepper spray at your fingertips, so you are not left helpless.
Find the original article in its entirety on Tactical News Online.
