The author's first shot with the Pepper Blaster practice unit delivered the blue dye right where it should be.

Those of you who have carried and practiced with pepper spray canisters are familiar with the way the pepper spray is discharged from these canisters, coming out in a narrow stream and only effective for a few feet, depending on how much pressure the canister is charged with.

One disadvantage of these conventional pepper spray canisters is that over time they lose pressure until the spray has a far shorter range, or no range at all, rendering the unit useless.

But now there's a unique new device for discharging pepper spray that's effective for up to 13 feet and does not lose pressure over time, since the only pressure inside the unit is that which is generated upon discharge.

A second shot with a "live" unit filled with 10 percent OC was a little lower on the target's face but would also have had an incapacitating effect.

The firearms manufacturer Kimber is known for its high quality 1911-style pistols and accessories, but you may not be aware that Kimber also markets other products, including optics and non-firearm self defense items. Among these is the Kimber LifeAct Pepper Blaster Guardian Angel, a high-powered, high-quality, Swiss-made pepper spray device.

The Guardian Angel is capable of two separate bursts of 10 percent oleoresin capsicum (OC), a strong irritant and inflammatory agent made from cayenne peppers. It's capable of incapacitating an attacker for up to 45 minutes. OC is commonly referred to as pepper spray.

Once the unit's trigger is pulled, a high-speed burst (90 miles per hour) of liquid containing the OC is shot from the front of the unit, from the nozzle of one of the unit's two liquid cartridges housed inside it. This unit is not reusable. Once both shots are discharged, the unit should be properly disposed of.

On his third try the author missed the target's face completely, with most of the OC agent traveling over the target and a small amount hitting the very top of the target but missing the face entirely. Here you can see the pepper spray blast exiting the unit but not yet striking/missing the target. This impressed upon the author the importance of maintaining a firm, steady hold and accurate aim when using this device.

A piston-type power drive activated by pulling the trigger produces the necessary pressure to accelerate and expel the liquid agent. The power drive of the Pepper Blaster Guardian Angel ensures almost no loss of pressure at temperature extremes (-4 degrees F. to 176 degrees F., or -20 degrees C. to 80 degrees C.).

There is a distinct noise at the time of discharge. The blast is effective at up to 13 feet away. Due to the power of the blast, the manufacturer recommends a minimum safe distance from the target at discharge of two feet to avoid eye injury.

As stated, the Guardian Angel can release two separate discharges of pepper spray . Immediately after releasing the first discharge, the unit will automatically be capable of a second blast by releasing the trigger and pulling it firmly again. The trigger has a resistance of 6.6 pounds, providing a safety margin in releasing the OC agent, but also requiring steady aiming of the unit as the trigger is pulled. The Pepper Blaster Guardian Angel comes with a built-in trigger safety which can be quickly pushed aside as the trigger finger is inserted into the trigger guard.

The Pepper Blaster Guardian Angel is small and light but packs a punch, with two-shot capability and 90-mph discharge of OC.

These units come with a clothing clip and are small and light. Length is 4.3 inches and width is 2.7 inches. The Guardian Angel weighs just 4.2 ounces. It is about the size and weight of a cell phone or pager.

We were sent several of these units, including the training versions which are filled with blue dye and are bright orange in color, in contrast to the "live" OC units which are dark grey in color.

Setting up a man-sized silhouette target on cardboard backing in an open area, we set about testing both the live OC and blue dye practice units.

While there is a distinct noise generated upon squeezing the trigger and expelling the OC agent, we found it was not very loud, and is heard more like a slight clicking or snapping sound.

The practice unit is bright orange. Each Pepper Blaster Guardian Angel comes in a tin container and includes an instruction and safety manual.

Expelling the spray from about five to six feet away from the target, the pepper spray comes out in a narrow stream, like it does from most most canisters, but is traveling faster and spreads out quickly.

The instruction manual states the maximum effective range is about 13 feet, but we found in our limited testing, that we would not want to be more than about five or six feet from our target's face. As with OC spray canisters, it's easy to miss the small size of an attacker's face with the Pepper Blaster, especially given the 6.6-pounds of pressure required to discharge the liquid agent. Also, keep in mind that the .2 ounce (6 ml) of liquid OC agent will drop quickly as it travels from the nozzle, so the farther away you are from at attacker's face, the higher you have to aim to compensate for the drop of the liquid.

Another thing to keep in mind in discharging the liquid OC agent is that even a slight wind blowing toward you can cause the pepper spray to disperse and fall back upon you, potentially incapacitatingyou rather than an attacker. So if there's a breeze or wind blowing at you, don't try to use the Pepper Blaster.

A trigger safety can be quickly swung aside with the trigger finger.

The first time, I fired the Pepper Blaster practice unit, discharging a blast of blue dye. Holding the unit steady and vertically, as the instruction manual recommends, I was able to hit the silhouette's face from about six feet away.

Then using a live OC unit for my second try, I was only a little lower on the target's face.

Either of these discharges would have delivered a good volume of pepper spray to an attacker's face.

But on a third try, for some reason I did not hold as steady a grip and aim, and the spray missed the target's head entirely, most of it passing over the top of the target several inches above and to the left of the head. This made me realize how important it is to have a firm, steady hold and aim the Pepper Blaster accurately.

This is something that cannot be overemphasized. In a real-live self-defense situation, you will likely be nervous and sacred. And given the close proximity required for effective delivery, you can easily miss.

That's why I really like the second-shot capability of the Pepper Blaster Guardian Angel. Releasing the trigger and pulling steadily again, gives you a second chance at hitting your target.

One thing to keep in mind is that the trigger must be fully released before firing off the second blast of pepper spray.

Once again, practice and maintaining a firm, steady grip and aim is the only way to deliver the OC agent to the targets' face. Being able to do this with the speed required to surprise an assailant in a sudden attack is no easy task. That's why I recommend investing in a practice unit or two at least if you're going to carry the Pepper Blaster.

On the other hand, producing the Pepper Blaster and holding it aimed at the assailant, or at the ready, in one hand while you hold your other hand up to indicate you want the advancing assailant to stop can have a deterrent effect which may allow you to exit the area without even using the Pepper Blaster—the most desirable result of any potentially dangerous encounter with a would-be assailant, since misuse of pepper spray can be a felony in many jurisdictions.

Here two instruction and safety manuals for the Pepper Blaster are displayed, showing front and back of the manual. The instructions are very detailed and well illustrated. Some mention is also made of another Kimber product, the Jet Protector JPX, which can discharge OC at 270 miles per hour and is effective from five to 23 feet, but is also more expensive than the Pepper Blaster.

In the event of a sudden assault, however, and given the limitations of close proximity to your assailant and the speed and skill required to effectively deliver the agent to the face and eyes of an attacker, it will require some practice at least, and steady nerves on your part if you are the victim of such an attack.

But the power of the blast from the Pepper Blaster Guardian Angel and the follow-up shot capability, along with the quality construction of this device make it a good choice for a self-defense situation involving OC.

Retail price is $41.99 per unit. There are also the training units (containing the blue dye) available for $29.99, and a carry pouch for $9.99. These may be ordered from the Kimber Store at www.Kimberamerica.com. No mail order sales are allowed to New York, Massachusetts, Michigan and Washington, DC. States where pepper sprays may be restricted or regulated include California, Hawaii, Wisconsin and New Jersey. State regulations may be found at the LifeAct Website. Current federal regulations apply for transporting the Pepper Blaster in air travel. l