Non-MACE

[nbk2000]

We're all familiar with the effects and uses of tear-gas and pepperspray.

But what about when you need to drive someone back or out, without contaminating the area or yourself in the process?

Imagine the scenario of knocking on a door and spraying 'em with teargas when they open.

Great...they back away from the door, letting you do whatever you need to do, but the air is tainted now, and unless you're wearing a gas mask, you could get dosed too. :(

But what if you could spray them with something that'll momentarily shock and repel/anger them, but is completely harmless and, more importantly, won't affect you in the least as you pass through it?

I had the thought of something along the lines of a canned-air duster (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canned_air), but that uses a large-volume valve like that found on 1-pound pepperspray cans (http://gift2all.zoovy.com/product/SW20).

Obviously the inert units that spray only water could be used for this purpose too, but even that might not be desirable, from an evidentiary standpoint. A blast of inert gas to the face would leave ZERO evidence of use, as well as being completely harmless, though highly distracting/angering. :)

This would also likely be good for drawing people out of their cars so you can take their vehicle, without contaminating the vehicle with tear gas.

[sdjsdj]

This sounds pretty good and somewhat analogous with the crowd control water cannon deployed by many police forces.

On the other hand, it's going to take one hell of an applied air pressure to really inhibit a person's ability to punch you in the face - using it with care and the element of surprise may be the only way to exploit its full potential.

Even so, I thing this has possibilities!

Edit;
Wouldn't using a high-volume nozzle decrease applied pressure?
I think the aim here would have to be a very sudden, high pressure burst.

[Bacon46]

I lean more towards the “Why Bother”.

Shielding your face or head would be the only defense necessary against such a weapon.

I think a Taser or Stun Gun would be more affective at keeping someone down or away long enough for you to accomplish your “Mission”.

It’s pretty hard to defend yourself against a Taser or Stun Gun, and the person would be less likely to come back at you after being hit with 800,000V than with a blast of air/gas.

[sparkchaser]

On the other hand, it would work marvelously as an instantaneous distraction that would last for just long enough to slam the door shut, force the door open etc. You could also use propane for the same thing if you didn't mind the blast danger, you could even turn it upside down and spray it in the liquid form.

[knowledgehungry]

A water gun filled with water might even do the trick if the purpose was only momentary shock and anger. Getting shot in the eyes with a water gun, while it is certainly not going to do any damage, will cause the person to stop for a second and wipe it out of their faces giving you time to do whatever. Since water is present everywhere, from an evedentiary standpoint it should be ok. I like the idea of high powered inert gas, maybe rig a CO2 powerlet to disburse all of it's CO2 at once?

[Jacks Complete]

I agree, using inert gas (nitrogen, CO2, argon) would be a neat trick, as it would be impossible to find residue, and the shock would be even greater when they inhaled and found there was no air to breathe! Nothing panics like asphyxiation.

You would obviously have to time the blast for effect, and if you timed it so they were taking a deep breath... Maximum effect.

The other option as mentioned earlier in the thread, is propane. Heavy and cold and asphyxiating as above, but also flammable if required as a back-up. Dual use - shocker or flamer.

[Gerbil]

Something based along the lines of a miniature CO2 fire extinguisher would be a great idea for both shocking and suffocating the target individual without any long lasting effects. But it would need to be configured to release the maximum possible gas in the shortest space of time.

[WMD]

If your sole concern is not endangering yourself, something very hot (eg nearly boiling water) or very cold (CO2 extinguisher) might be useful. It'll hurt and disable them but a second later it's not dangerous anymore.

[megalomania]

I gather the intended effect is psychological: some stranger blasts you in the face with *something* and you are going to recoil in fear and shock unless you are prepared/trained for trouble. A soccer mom in her brand new Escalade would freak, but a Marine drill sargent may not.

The CO2 cylinder reminds me of my old BB gun. A cylinder powered Colt .45 that looked much like the real thing. A slight modification of such a toy and it could deliver such a blast with the added fear component of having a weapon in your face.

Of course some people may recover from the shock of the unknown air blast faster if it is coming from a gun because they will realize they are not shot. The shock of the unknown from a canister of who knows what could be evil terrorists and their hideous (albeit mythical creation of the media) nerve gas.

Yes, yes, children there may be *better* options, but that depends on the tactical situation. Will you be carrying a stun gun through some security checkpoint? Fear a possible police search? A can of compressed air can be hidden in plain sight... a computer repair kit, in the trunk as fix a flat, shaving cream on an airplane, or hairspray in an overnight bag.

Adulterating the air with a small quantity of ethanol, acetic acid, or other organic solvent could add a stinging effect and still be volatile enough to evaporate almost instantly leaving no trace.

[nbk2000]

Adding a rapid dissipating stench would be excellent too.

A blast in the face with a foul smelling gas would startle anyone, I'd think.

[Bacon46]

That has potential, as long as the person doing the spraying can tolerate the smell.

I personally find the smell of Ethanethiol [CH3CH2SH] more offensive than the smell of a skunk. It’s readily available and comes premixed with propane as a propellant.

Another advantage to Ethanethiol/Propane, is you could build in a flame thrower option just in case the smell and the shock of the spray didn’t have the desired affect:D

[nbk2000]

What if you unintentionally 'flamethrower' someone?

You have your propane non-MACE in hand when the open the door and you blast them, only to have a fireball erupt because they had a cigarette in their mouth. :o

Or you use it in proximity to an ignition source which sets the desired object on fire?

The ideal non-MACE would be:

Non-toxic (to you and target)
Non-flammable
Leave no detectable residue


It can stink, be irritating, gaseous or liquid, but it can't harm people or objects by it's properties (toxicity/flammability/solvent action).

It would ideally have both physical and psychological factors to startle and terrify such as;


An unfamiliar form, though clearly recognizable as a weapon.
Visual cues ssociated with dangerous things, like skull and crossbones (poison), yellow/black stripes (wasps), or red/black strips (snakes).
A sound such as a hiss, roar, or scream, that is psychologically unnerving.
A physcial impact, like a blast of compressed air or stream of liquid.
A visual aspect, such as a cloud of fog or steam, rather than entirely invisible.


Several OTC devices come to mind, such as HALON fire-extinguishers (if you can afford them) or CO2 extinguishers. Both of these are almost ideal, except for the size and clearly recognizable form-factors of the devices.

Using a very large CO2 powerlet, like those used as disposable power for paintball markers, would be very doable, as the dispenser would look like a club (recognizable weapon) but do the unexpected of a blast of cold suffocating vapor in the face.

Something like the OC sprayer in the attached picture would be very good.

[in_flames]

What about hydrogen gas? Storage may be an issue but after deployment it could have potential. Igniting would result in a loud noise but no serious damage and have no residue, hydrogen gas would just float away as would water after ignition. I suppose another issue would be the need for almost instant ignition or the gas would float away.

+++++++++

Given your username, I can see the appeal of flaming hydrogen, but the requirement of being Non-flammable isn't optional, otherwise you'd always be risking unintentional ignition.

NBK

[Hirudinea]

Here is a link to a "weapon" that might be somthing like what your looking for.

http://www.millionaireplayboy.com/toys/stinkgun.php

I bought one yesterday at the Giant Tiger (a discount store in Canada) for $2, so they are obviously on sale, look around for one.

[nbk2000]

A stench carried by a high-pressure inert gas seems to be the way to go, I think.

[Hirudinea]

A stench carried by a high-pressure inert gas seems to be the way to go, I think.

Well if thats the way you want to go than I think you should check out this link, with slight modification it should be perfect for what you want. (You just need to decide on the stench.)

http://www.potchky.com/project.php?p=5

But of course if you just want to distract a person for a second or two with a minimum of equipment you could just take a bite/sip of somthing with a slightly mucousy texture and spit it into the face of the person you want to distract, it fufills your requirements and a loogie is pretty easy to carry. :p

[Chaosmark]

However, if the target is anywhere near smart, they'll wipe off the stuff on a napkin, which can then be used to figure out who the attacker is.

[nbk2000]

Leave no detectable residue

Spit leaves DNA, and you'll never find every little droplet of it, and that's all it takes to fuck you for life.

[Alexires]

What about n-butanoic acid?

While not strictly "non-toxic", in the quantity we might use it in it shouldn't be a problem. It is a strong acid, but if it were very dilute in water or ethanol, it should cause too much damage, maybe some slight irritation around the eyes, mouth and nose. Its a little hard for someone to block your path when they are busy vomiting everywhere from the smell.

Here (http://avogadro.chem.iastate.edu/MSDS/n-butyric_acid.htm) is the MSDS for it.

Nasty stuff. Knock on the door, with a garden spray bottle full of ethanol/n-butanoic acid and hose the fucker in the face with it when they open the door. They will recoil, and hopefully, you can pass through the door while they are still in shock from it.

[nbk2000]

An associate of mine had a half-gallon of that stuff, for stinking up places he didn't like. I can attest to its gag-factor, but it's not something to spray directly into someones face, nor dissolved in a carrier, as the stench lasts a loooong time.

Now, if a bit was absorbed into a solid matrix inside of the compressed air cylinder, than that would be good, as the air would be saturated with the stench, but no liquid component would be dispensed to cause injury or leave a long-lasting stench that'd prove to others that something had been used.

[InfernoMDM]

Ok let me see if I have this correctly. You want something that won't kill the guy, but you want to be able to get through the door quickly? If so wouldn't it be far more effective to use something similar to the X26 taser? Hell I believe the actual module itself isn't to expensive. In all honesty that has proven far more effective on drunks, crack heads etc then any other device.

I think your trying to over complicate a simple thing personally. I could have misunderstood your needs though.

[Hirudinea]

Spit leaves DNA, and you'll never find every little droplet of it, and that's all it takes to fuck you for life.


Well what can I say but Check and mate. :)

[megalomania]

Using a tazer assumes you can actually reach the victim. What if the person is behind a barred door? A bank teller in her stall just behind the counter? A car window rolled down just a few inches? Maybe even a "glory hole" in the bathroom stall?

What is with the obsession with the tazers anyway? That's not what the thread is about. No more fucking tazer talk!

(The post that has upset me has been deleted in case you are wondering where my ire is being directed)

[Jacks Complete]

I don't think it would be wise to use a blast like this unless you can overwhelm within a few seconds, as anyone behind a barrier will recover quickly enough for it to be a lost cause. If they are holding the door part closed, for example. It reaches a foot, perhaps, unlike a tazer, which reaches what, 3cm past your hand? It's for tactical use, it's just different tactics.

You could have a noise maker added to this device, too, something like a foghorn, with a toggle to jam the diaphram to turn it off and on. 130dB+ would only add to the (defensive) effect.

[nbk2000]

It's spelt TASER, not tazer, the Z is a k3wL misspelling.

Non-Mace is intended as a momentary distraction, much as flicking a cigarette or fingertips into someones face causes them to flinch.

In that monent of distraction, you act.

You could throw objects or liquids to achieve the same effect, but those would leave a trace, as would any injury. Deniablility is important too.

You use the distraction to either drive them back, or draw them out, where you can use others means if need be, but sometimes all you need is an unexpected event to make it work.

[wst50]

How about departing from this whole 'gas' thing? How about (say, if you wanted to deter people who were outside your houses front door) puting 4 110dB Piezo sirens around the door (built into the frame, and concealed). As they are 110dB at one metre, they would get the full blast of them, and then you just slam the door or whatever, as you would be expecting the noise...

Or something, it's lacking in development but could be an interesting angle to the methods you've all been coming up with. Like one of those airzooka toys, they could be effective, as they fire a vortex of air, and are more than powerful enough to knock the hat off of a person at 10 feet. I think the answer is not in using sprayed gases, that's what I'm trying to get at, but pressure waves...

[Meawoppl]

H2S has some potential, it is a metabolic inhibitor and only mildly toxic. There is research in the field for using it for suspended animation sorts of application.
I am sure a large upfront dose could at least slow people down. H2S is probably stinky too. Perhaps it could be cut into another weakish mace like concoction or hallucinogenic.

[Hirudinea]

You could use an air/ammonia mixture (just enough for the smell) a shot of that it the face will make someone pull back.

[blackadder]

NBK:
"Visual cues ssociated with dangerous things, like skull and crossbones ...."

If one was incorporating a fog/vapour aspect as well, a good visual cue could be a laser sight - could be a standard cheap laser pointer or one of the more reliable ones used for firearms - some of them come with pressure pad switches which could be put on the handle of the device. The average person must have seen the stuff on tv with SWAT clearing buildings with lasers on their weapons. Possibly, upon sight of the laser beam made visible by the vapour, the person would get that nasty idea/image of SWAT popping up in their mind and therefore might stay on the floor or at least keep back for a few seconds. Hell you could even stick 4 of the lasers on it (at different angles) to give a more chaotic dangerous impression maybe convincing them that there was more people.

Depends on situation/surroundings though.

[amachinist]

I think I am describing the same thing Jacks Complete has previously described. A compressed gas air horn with an atomizer filled with some scent added and a small valve installed on the fluid feed line. This way you have a choice of either sound or sound and scent.

[nbk2000]

You're doing something illegal and want to use an airhorn to draw attention?

It might have use, but I think it much better if only the victim heard it, and as such a 'sinister' sound, like the dreaded 'poison gas hiss', as heard in countless movies. :)

And would people please stop bringing up TASER's? They've their uses too, but not in this discussion.

A vortex launcher, like the airzooka, would certainly add a physical impact to it, which is good, but size factors make it unweildy.

[Fourfifth]

Are we talking about approaching other peoples door, or answering you own?

If it was for answering my own door, I would have a 20oz bottle feeding into 5mm macroline and run the line to BEHIND where the people would be standing. 800-1200psi running through 5mm makes a very loud, and forceful noise.

At the paintball site I used to work at, we would put the bleedline up a tree to avoid getting blasted with gas, and when we vented the lines people 30-40 foot away in the safety area would jump and look around, and on cold enough days, the gas was practically invisible. Its also easy to set up with a cheap solenoid and circuit to fire it when needed. (I might try this next halloween :D)

If it was for approaching a door, I'd use 2 12grm CO2 capsules, with 2 spikes like those found in 5-0's tyre popper. The hollowed spikes would penetrate the capsules and immediatly vent both capsules. And this can be put together in a very simple grip style setup.

[Xenodius]

Granted, this is likely more complicated than you might want to go, but I recently read an article on a ultra high frequency MASER that only penetrated 1/64 of an inch (Assuming human target) on YouTube recently-- Essentially producing a completely harmless, no-contact (projected) intense burning sensation all over the person it is aimed at, for crowd control.

They tested it on a volunteer and it made him jump almost a foot into the air and almost fall over. The unit looks somewhat bulky, but it would be perfect for your applications by the sounds of it.

Downsides:

You might need a big, expensive capacitor.
You probably cant modify a microwave for this purpose, so you would probably have a hard time finding the proper equipment.
It is probably questionably legal if you actually used it on someone... :confused:

Upsides:

No trace.
Powerful, stunning effect.
Sustained bursts appeared to be almost paralyzing (Intense pain or most any sensation does that).
Costs less to use once you have it, since it would use batteries.


Just a thought, seems to fit perfectly.

[nbk2000]

Electronic devices are too similar to a TASER, which is not what's being discussed here.

Also, that 'pain ray' has a lot of nasty side-effects that they don't mention in all the war-porn promos for it that you see in PM magazine or Future Weapons. Things like pocket change setting clothes on fire, or eyeglass frames arcing on the face. :o

[Gammaray1981]

Ouch. Electricity burns on damp eyeballs... Worth a thought for another time, prehaps. As for the topic, I'm not so sure it would be useful if you're breaking INTO somewhere - you ideally shouldn't be in a situation where you need such a thing, right? If you're answering your own door, then something like a cap gun might be useful. I'm sure any self-respecting forumite could make a decently loud cap, and place it in a thick-walled cylinder. Result, a massive wave of sound, in a very short amount of time.

No observable evidence, as long as the cylinder was disposed of, or recharged and hidden. Possible ruptured eardrums from the guy on the other side of the door, but that's not your problem, right? The point is to stun them.

[sdjsdj]

This is just my opinion, but somehow I don't think the world is ready for what is - effectively - a stun grenade you hold while it goes off.

[Gammaray1981]

More like a literal stun gun, as I imagine it highly directional - otherwise, firstly, you'd lose your hand, and secondly, you'd be deaf and blind for as long as the other guy.

[lamazoid]

How about this?

http://www.itwcp.de/contentcenter/content.php?action=details&rubrikid=498&ID=389&template=detail_tpl_produkte_en.html

Designed specially to leave no trace....

[Alexires]

lamazoid - Did you read the MSDS? propane and butane. Might as well just hit them with a lighter refill cartridge instead of this.

Can't remember if it has been said but you could always use an upside down LPG cylinder if you are absolutely SURE that there is no sources of ignition around. But I don't think flaming death is what NBK is looking for.

But, the idea stands. I heard a few years ago about liquid N2 in a can that people were spraying spiders with and shattering them.

If you hit someone with this, the cells on their exposed skin will rupture (water expands when frozen). Most painful and distracting too....

[lucky13]

I think people are on to something with the CO2 capsules/bottles. There are several different mechanisms you can use right out of the box, or modify others to suit.

The one that immediately comes to mind, is the device used in lifejackets. I was suprised the first time I pulled open the front of a vest and found quite a compact little mechanism.

After removing it, you will be left with a small (~5-10mm) exit hole where the entire contents of the capsule will literally explode out of there. CO2 can be changed rapidly too, as the one I had used 38g capsules with the screw thread, and simply screwed onto a hollow spike.

I wouldn't imagine it would be difficult at all to modify the pull cord release into a trigger, and add a small vessel on top of the exit tube that links into it with a very small hole. That way, whatever is in the vessel will be pulled out along with the gas.

The design I see in my head would be to fashion a trigger on the front, and fill empty CO2 cartridges with whatever irritant you want (or keep a few different substances for different situations). Then you would simply screw these into the top of the exit tube.

[FUTI]

why not airbag cartridge instead of CO2 cartridge? CO2 cartridge is easier to get (OTC), but I think airbag cartridge would allow smaller design and can have electronic ignition.

[lucky13]

why not airbag cartridge instead of CO2 cartridge? CO2 cartridge is easier to get (OTC), but I think airbag cartridge would allow smaller design and can have electronic ignition.

I apologise if I'm wrong, but I would imagine airbag cartridges would be considerably larger than a CO2 bulb. Plus the stick shape of a bulb lend it the perfect shape for such an application.

If you were so inclined to have electronic activation, a solenoid valve would be easy enough to incorporate. My feelings on this though, would be to question why you would want to add extra bulk and more components that could possibly fail?

By keeping it simple, the size is usually smaller, and much more reliable. Apart from anything, If I had spent a fair amount of cash in the construction, I would feel more reluctant to dump or destroy it, should the need arise.

[nbk2000]

I think he's talking about using the pyrotechnic azide pellets from airbags, not any kind of compressed gas cylinder.

A blast of hot nitrogen gas from an azide pellet would also work, as long as it wasn't hot enough to burn. Problem is the residual sodium salts that'd be physical proof of use.

[plutobound]

For the sake of accurate information, no US cars and very few European cars use airbags with Sodium Azide anymore. Too many issues with toxicity of residue or waste disposal.

Of the three types of airbags in production:

Pyrotechnic: most of the companies use gas generants based on guanidine nitrate, basic copper nitrate, or ammonium nitrate. All require high pressures to burn very well (>3500psi).

Stored Gas: a bottle of compressed gas (Helium or Argon or Nitrogen [usually a mixture]) at 7500-10,000 psi.

Hybrid: A combination airbag where part of the gas is compressed and the other part is generated by a pyrotechnic material.

[teshilo]

If use liquefied nitrogen or air? In old detective story by Walles victim murdered mean liquid air placed on his face.For shock action can be used stream HIGH-compressed air from prepared container as thick walled tube.

[lucky13]

http://www.rei.com/product/47896404.htm

How about something like this? Seems like an ideal base to modify, or use on its own.

I used to have a similar device for nitrous oxide capsules too. Maybe you can find something to add a substance into the stream, or a capsule filled with a different gas?

I know from experience that if you unscrew the nozzle, the safety valve can be taken out, enabling the cartridge to be completely emptied in a VERY short space of time.

[mememe]

Of all the mediums so far suggested, the only one’s that fit NBK’s criteria of non-toxic, non-flammable and definitely devoid of any lasting residue are air and the inert gases CO2, Nitrogen & Argon.

Unfortunately air doesn’t lend itself to being compressed enough to effect many, if any, of the previous suggestions without using a vessel akin to the size of a large scuba tank, unless it’s at enormous pressure and in reasonably high volume it will have little or no effect on most people. The only exception being the suggested addition of a noxious smelling or tasting agent or other irritant but then I think you would be highly likely to compromise the requirement of leaving no residue.

Each of the others have definite pro’s and cons, but CO2 is surely the way to go, it’s readily available & despite being highly compressed, with very little experience it can still be easily handled & transferred to any suitable vessel. Its rapid evacuation from a pressure vessel towards the intended target will give the desired effect of temporarily stunning and distracting them from the sheer noise alone, but when you add to that the excruciatingly painful freezing effects, even through thin clothing and as Jacks Complete pointed out, the total panic that the feeling of asphyxiation causes, you’re onto a winner.

Somewhere between NBK’s suggestion of a large powerlet & Gerbil’s of a small fire extinguisher is an ideal solution, most types of water and AFFF or ‘foam’ fire extinguishers use CO2 as their propellant, this is contained in a separate metal cylinder housed inside the main body of the extinguisher, in the larger models these are re-usable & vary in size/volume from 45-50g up to 200g+ they are baton like in appearance & of heavy metal construction & have a simple a high volume depression valve.

A simple rig made from one of these & the trigger/handle mechanism from the same or similar extinguisher would be easy/cheap to obtain, small enough to conceal, double perfectly as a back-up cosh/baton, and in the event of any unwanted ‘Porky’ attention it wouldn’t look like a weapon & would be completely legal to possess and own.

[GNAB]

Several years ago, I discharged a Halon extinguisher in a medium size electronics lab. A short burst directed at the base of the fire just like in the training video. As Jack Complete said, unexpected suffocation will bring a gut wrenching panic. I was only three steps from the door and didn't think I would make it. NBK, I'm unaware of the cost (it was company supplied) but I promise you, you could drive someone back from the door. As for length of contamination, of that, I'm unsure. It was ten to fifteen minutes before I had the balls to check the fire that started it all!!!

[Bob The 1st]

For the answering your own door scenario, a paintball marker with CO2 or Nitrogen (I don't remember specifically, but I want to say it's NO2).

With a paintball marker, you've got something with a barrel that looks reasonably like a gun and makes a loud noise. You open your door, stick the barrel out, and shoot a few times. They even sell "tactical" markers that look like very recognizable guns such as AK-47's and M16's.

All this would require would be the marker itself and a tank containing the gas. The tanks are (Where I live, at least) free to refill, and even a sub-par tank will give you at least 200-300 shots, so you wouldn't even have to refill it very often.

It also might be possible to somehow add a smell into it, for added effect.

It might be too bulky I guess, so I don't think it would work outside your own home.

But imagine this: you open someone's door, and suddenly you have what looks exactly like an assault rifle pointed at you. An assault rifle that makes really loud noises.

I've actually used this myself once. Some idiots were trying to rob my house, but I actually saw them :)

Too bad I didn't have my shotgun at the time (Not that I would have shot them or anything, but I really think that would scare the SHIT out of someone), nor any paintballs (or I would have just shot them), but I stuck it out my window and fired it a few times and they ran off.

[Smoking]

You're moving away from the point. He's looking for a non-mace, a mace that's only harmful for the victim.

I would go with really fine sand or salt but you will have to go directly to the eyes otherwise it won't have full effect.

You have to construct a compact device which uses CO2 canisters for BB guns and another canister with fine salt make some scetses (?) and try to construct it in theory...it should work (is it a low effort thing or are you willing to take the time?)

Good luck and let me now how it turned out.

[hatal]

By all posts I found the idea of chemical freezing good. If it could be sprayed with a high burst, and in larger quantities than in those little "electronic spot freezers", it would certainly have a chilling effect on the victim. Who wants high pressure, ice cold gas on their face, in their mouth/eye/nose (even in their lungs maybe)?

The ice melts, the residing chemicals evaporate. Maybe not undetectable but atleast you don't soil your surroundings, with other nasty chemicals. The freeze could cause frostbite (to a degree), even more on the mucous-membrane. The marks would leave quick, but certainly be evidence.

[Unsunghero]

Well that kind of reminds me of flipping a canned air duster upside down. If anyone has ever done this you know it is cold as a womans heart, if someone sprayed a pound of that in my face at once, I think I'd be down. Not really sure for the chemical reason of it being cold, it was something really irrelevant at the time since I was about 3 feet tall chasing my friends around with it. But if you could put a high pressure valve with a decent sized supply, empty that in their face, they aren't going to oppose you for a minute or 2.

[A.C.E.]

The reason for it being cold is that when the can is turned upside down it sprays more or less liquid butane (or whatever gas it contains, mine is powered by butane or some similar gas). When the butane evaporates the temperature drops radically.

It's a good idea, the only problem is that it's highly flammable. As someone (think NBK) stated before, you don't want to set fire to your victims face. Now earlier today I was looking through some stuff in the workshop and found an old first aid kit with a can of saline spray. As far as I could see it didn't contain anything but NaCl, water and propellant gas.

I can't tell exactly what gas it is but I tried setting it on fire by spraying it against a butane torch. Not only did it not catch fire, it actually put the flame out if sprayed directly on it. Based on that I'd say it's safe to assume it won't catch fire from a cigarette.

As for trace chemicals, sterile saltwater doesn't really prove very much. Mixed together with the sweat from a stressed person, I don't even think they'd be able to prove it was there in the first place.

[Kurosawa]

How about spraying a large volume of Nitrous Oxide into someone's face?

It would not only distract them, but maybe get them a bit high, thus incapacitating them. I'm not aware of the volume of gas required for a task such as this, or if it would be detectable in blood/urine. If the amount of NOS needed is low enough, it might just work. I doubt the pigs would check for drugs.

[Jacks Complete]

That's quite a good idea. The only downside is that it reduces their pain response, and you need a lot of it to have an incapacitating effect. Plus you might get done for having it on you, since you can get high from it, unlike an air duster.

[Charles Owlen Picket]

Are you all familiar with the "water cannon" used for "Disrupting" a bomb? A Disruptor is a device using water shot at extremely high pressure to incapacitate an explosive device's mechanism, etc. It is extremely dangerous and could be effective as a weapon in and of itself.

[Kurosawa]

I doubt that a disruptor would be useful, as I assume it is large, like a pressure washer. Also, sprayed indoors, water evaporates painfully slow. Lastly, a high pressure water jet would most likely leave bruises and soft tissue damage. I've heard that pressure washers can tear skin. Imagine what one of those could do!

[Barnacles]

I could see this working on some people but not on others, these days lots of people are taking martial arts and MMA and have good reactions to things like this. UFC made this a popular thing to do.

If this was done on me it would most likely result in a swift sharp physical response, but I have over 10 years of martial arts training. Example my friend was waiting in the bushes near my house, he jumped out after I walked by, and my reaction was to move forward fast to put distance between us than I was in my defense posture faster than hell facing himFor his troubles he almost got a high kick to the face followed by a combo of punches.

On a side note maybe there is a way to create a spray that deactivates itself upon contact with air, hopefully not so fast that it is inactive before it hits the target. something analogous to this may be best. Maybe some sort of binary that renders the first chemical useless, do the first spray than spray 2 to clean the area for you.
sorry if I skipped over someone who wrote this.

[nbk2000]

A bomb disruptor would certainly be one hell of a distraction, if not for the noise and recoil, and possible blindness or other maiming.

[Jacks Complete]

ShadowXXXX, your friend was a fool, and should have waited for you to get close enough to really shock you. Then you'd have frozen, just like everyone else, for just a moment, while the gears tried to turn.

Charles, since a water disruptor cuts through things just like a shotgun round does, I'd rather you tested it on a synthetic target first. Being caught with the gun shaped article might also pose problems.

[megalomania]

I remember watching a documentary about the behavioral control of retards by spraying water onto their faces. The retards would wear special helmets (not unlike the standard issue tard helmet to protect their already worthless brains) with water jets that would squirt them rather painfully into the eyes and face when they didn't do what they were told, or they acted up. A water jet need not be overpowering to be effective.

Remote controlled retards... maybe you can use those along with your sturmhuhn, nbk?