Pepper spray or stun gun?

Marll

You're gonna love my answer...
Dogs do not scare me. Grown men with nothing better to do than sit around and wait for me to run past scare the bee-jeegers out of me! We have a great deal of gang activity in our town and it is all but impossible to find a place to run that is not dangerous. My weapon of choice for running is a Kel-Tek 380. I just strap a holster around my ankle to hold the piece. For some reason, the sound of a round sliding into the chamber is enough to dissuade most idiots

And yes, I do have firearms training and a concealed carry permit.

If you carry a firearm, I would highly recommend you reconsider your position on racking a round scaring someone off. Most of the time, you will not have time to rack a round. You need the weapon to be ready as soon as you pull it out. There was a story of a man attacked at a gas station in Ohio. He said on a CCW forum that had he not had a round chambered, he would not have been able to do so and still fend his attacker off with his other hand while readying his firearm. It can be intimidating at first but it's something, in my opinion, you should get comfortable with.

Another great reason for revolvers for concealed weapons. No safety to fumble with, all round are already technically chambered, it's always at the ready.

And especially with something like a small .357, you're not going to need a large magazine of rounds, 5 rounds of .357 should be able to drop and kill any attacker. I'm of the mind also that if someone is attacking you, you better kill them if you have a firearm, none of this "shooting to disable" nonsense.

Love revolvers.

Shoot to kill might end you up in a jail cell. It should be more like "shoot to stop the threat", aiming for center mass of course. Once you're no longer in danger of bodily harm, it's best to stop shooting. If the attacker lives or dies because of his injuries, that's his problem.

Right, I did mean what you typed out of course, no reason to keep pumping rounds into someone after they've stopped their attack

That being said, if they keep coming forward, aim for the center of the chest and keep pulling the trigger until they stop.

Marll

I'm going to re-suggest the self defense classes. Not only is it great exercise, but being trained myself, I can verify that it takes very little to deter someone. Will it help you if they have a gun? No. But let's face it - that that point, you're probably already in trouble. Whether you decide to carry a stun gun, a regular gun, or pepper spray, a basic grounding in getting out of holds and painful places to put your fingers or feet will at least give you a chance to get away if they manage to get a hold of you anyway.

I think that self defense classes are great for everyone, especially children. That being said make sure the number one rule still applies for knowing self defense, carrying a gun or any other defensive weapon: If you wouldn't go there unarmed, alone, don't go there with a weapon.

Anyone interested in self defense should look into Krav Maga if there are any schools in your area. Probably more effective for practical self defense than most traditional martial arts (which of course are still great, just have other focus beyond defense and escape)

littlehedgy

Well, just make sure you wear more than your bra, like in your photo here. You don't want to draw unwanted attention... Don't jog alone, don't take the same route every time, wear a whistle, take your phone with you, don't go after dark and I'd get the pepper spray. They have some that unclips very easily.
Stay safe.

This reply is disgusting. What you wear won't influence an attack. This reply makes it sound like if god forbid you were to be attacked or raped it would be your fault. which is NOT true. Ugh my blood is boiling.

Running during the day is a good start, but not a guarantee. I was nearly raped in broad day light on a populated college campus. I carry pepper spray with me everywhere it is on my ket chain. Luckily I have had no use for it. That is what I would suggest carrying if you can find the gel kind that is your best bet. I don't want to be an alarmist and say NEVER LEAVE WITH OUT PEPPER SPRAY! but I do think it makes you feel better when you carry it. Have fun running don't be afraid, be protected and aware and I am sure you will be fine

RainHoward

The best answer to your question is the tool you are most comfortable with carrying and using. No weapon is entirely fool proof in an emergency situation, they all have there strengths and weaknesses. The best thing you can do for yourself is learn some form of self defense. Situation awareness is also very important.

Personally I usually carry a firearm with me, either a .380 or a .40 depending on what I'm wearing. That's not always practical. And you need to be licensed if you care about being legal. Mace or pepper spay is not always effective and if the wind is strong it can blow back in your face and incapacitate you instead of the attacker. Stun guns are great as long as you have it ready and are able to make contact with the assailant. Pretty much anything can be used as a weapon if you know how to use it.

That is another point worth making. Guns are not the only thing you should practice with if you want to use it as an effective self defense weapon. If you buy spray, buy two and practice with one. If you don't know how far it sprays or how accurate it is, what good is it? If you aren't comfortable with the activation of it and very familiar with it, you won't be able to use it effectively.

Find what you are comfortable with, practice with it and be safe.