New Personal Defense Product Offers Increased Protection and Peace-of-Mind

BUFFALO GROVE, Ill., June 29 /PRNewswire/ -- We've all been there. Walking alone at night in an empty parking structure or exercising on a secluded recreation trail – and an uneasy feeling begins to settle in. There could be trouble lurking. Fortunately, anyone who finds themselves in these situations now has a new personal defense option that provides increased protection and peace-of-mind. HotShot® is a compact, easy-to-use, safe and effective personal defense product that shoots a disruptive cloud of hot pepper powder up to 12 feet. It creates an instant barrier of protection to impede would-be attackers and is an ideal product for college students, those who live alone, outdoor exercisers, or anyone looking for an increased level of personal security.

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HotShot is stronger and significantly more effective than traditional pepper sprays. The irritant utilized in HotShot pepper cartridges, PAVA (Capsaicin II), is the hottest pepper powder available to law-enforcement agencies. Plus, HotShot does not require the same level of accuracy as pepper sprays, which must be shot directly into an attacker's face and eyes. The HotShot powder cloud can be quickly deployed in the general direction of an attacker while maintaining its full effectiveness.

One of the most unique benefits of HotShot is that consumers can practice with the product to build their confidence and familiarity. Each HotShot is sold with a practice cartridge containing a non-irritating powder, which can quickly be inserted into the reloadable launcher. The powder is harmless, but shoots very similar to the pepper-based self defense cartridges. The two types of cartridges are color coded for easy identification – the practice rounds are blue and those containing the hot pepper powder are red. Extra cartridges can be purchased for future use or additional practice.

"Everyone appreciates the ability to test fire the HotShot," said Conrad Sun, CEO of PepperBall Technologies Inc., the manufacturer of HotShot. "It really helps to ensure you're ready to move quickly and accurately when the product is needed. That being said, HotShot is extremely easy to use. Just point the product at an attacker, move the sliding safety latch and depress the trigger – a cloud of intensely hot pepper bursts towards your target and immediately penetrates the attacker's eyes, nose and lungs – causing incapacitation."

As an added benefit, HotShot is very lightweight and compact. It weighs only 3.4 ounces and can easily be concealed in a pocket, purse, backpack, or glove compartment – making it possible to keep the product nearby at all times. Its rugged polymer and aluminum construction also makes HotShot resistant to both impact and water.

HotShot is now available at sporting goods retailers nationwide, including Sports Authority and Dunham's Sports. It can also be purchased at select independent paintball stores. The new product retails for $39.99 and comes with one practice cartridge, one hot pepper cartridge and an instructional DVD. For more product details, including a brief demonstrational video, please visit www.HotShotProtect.com. Those interested, may also connect with HotShot on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HotShotProtect.

HotShot is distributed by Tippmann Sports, Fort Wayne, Ind., a worldwide leader in paintball markers and related accessories.

About PepperBall Technologies Inc.:

PepperBall Technologies, Inc. is a publicly traded company with a long history in the development, manufacture and distribution of less-lethal weapons for military, government, law enforcement, corrections, private security and consumer markets. PepperBall Technologies supplies thousands of users and major agencies including the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the United States Border Patrol, thousands of police and sheriff departments in major United States cities, as well as private entities, security services and bail enforcement agencies around the world. It is the most widely recognized name brand and largest supplier of non-lethal PAVA-based launchers and projectiles, with more than 16,500 launchers and 15 million projectiles sold since the company's 1999 inception. For additional details, please visit www.PepperBall.com.

SOURCE Tippmann Sports