Pepper Spray Primer

[Paul Gomez]

There is an amazing amount of bad information concerning 'pepper spray' floating around the internet. This series of posts is intended to offer an easy source of information concerning OC sprays.


Oleoresin Capsicum – Definitions

Physiological Symptoms

How OC is Made/Manufactured

How Hot is Hot?

History of Defensive Sprays

Dispersion & Canister Types

OC as Use of Force

Exposure in Training

A Historical Overview of OC Training

 

[Paul Gomez]

First, we shall define our terms.

Oleoresin Capsicum, commonly called Pepper Spray, is the most commonly used defensive spray in this country. It has been in use by the US Postal Service since 1976, for use against animals, and has swept Law Enforcement agencies since the FBI began issuing it in 1990.

Oleoresin is defined as a naturally occurring mixture of a resin and an essential oil; obtained from certain plants.

Capsicum can be defined as (1) any of various tropical American pepper plants of the genus Capsicum, especially any of the numerous cultivated forms of the species C. annuum and C. frutescens & (2) The fruit of any of these plants, especially the dried pungent types used as a condiment and in medicine.OC is an oily resin containing the dried and ground seeds of various pepper plants. This oily paste is true oleoresion capsicum. It is where 'pepper sprays' derive their name, but it is not in a usable form at this stage.

To have a viable defensive spray, three components are required. First is a nice hot OC. This is followed by a carrier or emulsifing agent and, finally, a propellant. Without a carrier to dilute the OC and allow it to be atomized and without a propellant agent to distribute the mixture, regardless of how hot the OC is, it is useless.

 

[Paul Gomez]

What does OC do?


There are a range of physiological symptoms that commonly occur when someone is exposed to OC spray.



Generally the most common results are:

A-Burning sensation to skin
B-Eye capillaries swell –eyelids slam shut –‘Blepharospasm’
C-Constriction of throat lining
D-Shortness of breath, coughing, gasping for air


Should these effects be counted upon? Not in my opinion. In my experience, you can count on the eyelids of the sprayed person to shut. They may reopen them quickly and exhibit no other signs, but the eyes will generally close. If your expectations are nothing more than a momentary closing of the eyelids, then I think that OC can be a useful addition to your toolset. Might the effects be greater? Absolutely, but if you rely on the greater effects and receive only the fluttering of the eyelids, are you in a position to deal with that as well as if you merely expected the eye flutter?

 

[Paul Gomez]

'How Hot is Hot?' has to be the eternal question and subject of a surprising amount of bad information in regards to pepper spray.

There are several different methods in common use to discuss the 'hotness' or pungency of OC sprays.

SHU or Scovile Heat Units

SHUs are a measurement of heat, as perceived from the burn sensation when a product is placed on the tongue. SHUs are the measurements derived from the Scoville Organoleptic Test, which was a taste test devised by Scoville while working as a pharmacologist for Parke Davis in 1912. The SOT devised a measurement scale that ran from 0 for the Bell Pepper & Banana Pepper to over 200,000 for the various Habanero Peppers and up to 16 Million for Pure Capsaicin. The SOT has been replaced by a method known as High-Performance Liquid Chromatography [HPLC]. Knowing the SHUs of a given product provides us with one number in the equation. Which is hotter, a 2 Million SHU product or 5.3 Million SHU product?

Percentage of OC

The percentage of OC only provides one number in the equation that is used to determine the actual 'hotness' of a given product. For instance, knowing that 'Spice A' is 5% and 'Spice B' is 10% really gives us no usable information. Is 'Spice B' twice as hot as 'Spice A'?

Capsaicinoid Concentration

This is a determination of active components in Oleoresin Capsicum. Capsaicinoids are the group of compounds that cause the burning sensation. There are three main compounds that make up about 95% of the capsicinoids: Capsaicin, Dihydrocapsaicin and Nordihydrocapsaicin. The Capsaicinoid Concentration is the amoung of these compounds in a given solution. By measuring the capsaicinoids, an accurate level of pungency can be determined. 'Major Capsaicinoid Content' is the measurement that the EPA uses when approving OC products for use as animal repellants [such as BEAR]. Capsaicinoid Cencentration is reflected as a small percentage.

Scoville Content or Scoville Value

This figure is one that I have used for years when evaluating OC products, but until recently, it had no catchy name. I referred to obtaining this number as 'doing the math'. If you multiply the SHU number and the percentage you will have a number that is indicative of the pungency of each application of a given product [each release from the can, ie how hot the total product being expelled from the can is].

As was mentioned in an earlier post, every canned OC product has three components in the can: OC, Carrier & Propellant. The actual quantity of OC in the can is relatively minor. The vast majority of space is occupied by carrier and propellant.

A 5% 2million SHU has a Scoville Content of 100,000 & 0.62% CC
A 10% 2million SHU product has a SC of 200,000 & 1.25% CC
A 2% 5.3million SHU product has a SC of 106,000 & 0.66% CC

In my opinion, the lowest acceptable Scoville Content rating for a defensive spray is 100,000.

 

[Paul Gomez]

Chemical sprays have a long history in US law enforcement and even longer history on the world's stage.

CN - Chloroacetophenone -'Mace', was developed in Germany in 1869 and first adopted by US law enforcement in 1965. It was first marketed by Smith & Wesson. It is a micro particulate solid and is classified as a lacrimator and irritant.

CS - Orthochlorobenzalmalononitrile, was invented in 1928 by American chemists, Ben Corson and Roger Stoughton. 10x as potent as CN and faster onset of effects. It is a micro-particulate solid and is classified as a lacrimator [tear producing], irritant and sternutator [A substance that irritates the nasal and respiratory passages and causes coughing, sneezing, lacrimation, and sometimes vomiting.].

CR- Dibenzoxazepine, was invented in 1962 in the UK by Higginbottom and Suchitzsky. It is the least well known of the chemical sprays and it's development raises some interesting questions. CR is the parent compound of loxapine succinate [Loxitane], an antipsychotic medication. It is roughly 5 x as potent as CS and has a much higher lethal dosage. It is also very tenacious and can be reactivated by exposure to water as long as 48 hours after someone has been exposed to it. Like CN and CS, CR is a micro-particualte solid and is classified as an irritant.

OC- Oleoresin Capsicum has proven vastly more effective against a wider range of people than any of the earlier defensive sprays. However, it is not 100% effective and no such delusions should be allowed to persist. OC became commonly used in US law enforcement following a two year study conducted by the FBI from 1987 and 1989 and when the FBI began issuing an OC product to its agents in January of 1990.

 

[Paul Gomez]

OC products are offered in an incredibly wide array of canister designs and sizes from a ridiculous number of vendors. Size formats range from 0.5 oz keyring units up to 1 pound 'fire extinguisher' style and even larger 'backpack' units for correctional settings and riot control that resemble the flamethrowers of WWII fame.

Common patterns of dispersion include:

Stream: [Think Squirt Gun]

Maximizes range
More Resistant to Wind & Weather
Not readily inhaled
Harder to hit target
Requires greater degree of accuracy
Little likelihood of crosscontamination

Foam:

Good in confined spaces
Least likelihood of crosscontamination
May 'blowback' on user in windy conditions
May 'glob' onto clothing or skin, preventing effective atomization

Cone or Mist: [Think Lysol]

Less range than Stream
Less resistant to wind
Readily inhaled
Greater likelihood of cross contamination

Burst or Fog: [Think Wasp & Hornet Spray]

More resistant to wind than Mist
Readily inhaled
High volume of product put out in short duration
Causes the most cross contamination

There are many variations on these patterns and it seems like every company is just waiting for some new way to throw OC, but these should give you some idea of what's available.

My preference is a can of at least 2oz equipped with a high output top. I am a very big fan of Burst units.