Last week there was a story about a lady who lived in a small town in Kansas who used her pepper gun for self-defense while she was walking on her way to her car after work. She had to walk down an alley that wasn't very well lit in the first place and was approached by three nasty looking young men.

They started to question her and strike up a conversation but she wanted no part of it. She warned them to back off and leave her alone. When they wouldn't do that, she pulled out her Mace pepper gun from her purse and aimed it at the closest assailant. When she pressed the trigger two things happen. The touch on the trigger activates an LED light that helps in aiming and can temporarily disorient an assailant. But more importantly it shoots out a stream of 10 percent oleoresin capsicum-a powerful derivative of the cayenne pepper.

The stream can carry up to 25 feet away.

Her first shot was a little bit low and the bad guys started laughing at her. She warned them again and felt more confident with the second shot which hit the closest assailant right in the face. He started screaming from the pain which made his friends mad so they continued advancing. It only took her a split-second to hit the second closest assailant in the face. The poor bad guys decided that this wasn't their day and took off.

The pepper gun has enough 10% OC in its replaceable cartridges for seven 25 foot shots which makes it perfect for defense against multiple attackers.

Last month there was a story about a male jogger who used his Mace pepper gun as a defense against dog attacks. Over 5 million Americans every year are bitten by dogs with nearly 1,000,000 of them requiring hospitalization. That doesn't count the many millions more who are confronted by a charging and barking dog. That can be one of the most intimidating and frightening experiences in your life.

The Mace pepper gun has become one of the most popular self defense tools for walkers, joggers, cyclists or anybody who wants to be outdoors and recreate in confidence without fear of being attacked by a dog.

The pepper gun comes with a practice water cartridge so you can get used to the range which is the longest of any comparable product on the market.

Full strength 10% pepper spray has some restrictions in a few states so check with your local police department before you get one.