Less Lethal chemical defense - CS, OC, PAVA exposed!

My reaction to police body cam video of the PepperBall Patrol Carbine, Byrna and PepperBall brand comparison, and how to know if the chemical dosage is optimal. The exact concentration of the active ingredients in chemical rounds is critical. It doesn't matter what pepper plant it came from originally, that's just a marketing tactic (i.e. ghost peppers, etc). Let me provide a general overview of the science. You don't want to be too low or too high when using these for self defense! Following the Goldilocks principle but getting it just right is easier said than done I will admit. But you must know the percentage of the purified active ingredient in the final formulation to be an informed consumer. The starting percentage in the plant is irrelevant.

I probably give you more information than you want to know about CS, OC, and PAVA, but it's important that all users have a basic understanding of how these chemicals work in practice. Chemicals act on the body in complex ways and can have pleiotropic systemic effects when breathed in through the lungs. Let me walk you though some literature on these agents and the side effects you need to know about. Everyone has different genetics and co-morbidities which are unpredictable. Expect the worst and hope for the best when using these unique weapons.

Important: If a vendor doesn't provide the valuable information needed then don't trust that product. Below are some key references from the video and publicly available data provided by two of the reliable chemical round producing companies. Transparency and lack of propriety blends of unknown chemicals is the only legally-responsible way to go when buying rounds for your personal safety. These projectiles are no less dangerous than kinetic impact rounds. They are just different in their mechanism of action and can have more serious internal effects if you aren't careful.

References:
1. Cells 2022, 11, 18. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11010018
2. Ann. N.Y. Acad.Sci. 1378 (2016) 96-107
3. Front. Cell. Neurosci. 14:612480 doi: 10.3389/fncel.2020.612480

Material safety data sheets (MSDS):
Byrna Pepper/PAVA formulation (1% capsaicin, 4% PAVA)
Byrna Max Powder formulation (1% OC/8% CS)
PepperBall Live-X (5% PAVA)
PepperBall Live (2% PAVA)

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#capsaicin
#byrna
#pepperballvks
#teargas
#pepperballtcp