pepper-spray projectile
Illustration — German police officer with Pepperball gun in Dresden A pepper-spray projectile, also called a pepper-spray ball, pepper-ball, pepper bomb, or pepper-spray pellet, is a frangible projectile containing a powdered chemical that irritates the eyes and nose in a manner similar to pepper spray. These projectiles are fired from specially-designed forced-compliance weapons or modified paintball guns.
pepper-spray projectile
le_chuck is identical with Antiveganer at de.wikipedia · Antiveganer · Flickr · CC BY 2.0
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Illustration — German police officer with Pepperball gun in Dresden A pepper-spray projectile, also called a pepper-spray ball, pepper-ball, pepper bomb, or pepper-spray pellet, is a frangible projectile containing a powdered chemical that irritates the eyes and nose in a manner similar to pepper spray. These projectiles are fired from specially-designed forced-compliance weapons or modified paintball guns.
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wikidata · Q941401 · wikipedia · Pepper-spray projectile
In this article
Other uses
Other uses
The projectile is usually sold paired with the launcher or gun by the manufacturer. These companies usually also sell other types of projectiles for non-lethal uses, including: • breaking glass and disperse barricades • marking suspects for later round-ups • force-of-impact effect
Lethality
Lethality
Although generally considered less-than-lethal when properly used (targets should exclude the face, eyes, throat or spine), one death has occurred when they have been fired at inappropriate areas. In one well-publicized incident in 2004, the Boston Police Department's use of an FN 303 during a crowd control situation resulted in the fatal shooting of Victoria Snelgrove when the projectile struck her in the eye. Also in 2004, University of California, Davis (UC Davis), police who wanted to break up a block party shot a pepperball at an unarmed student and damaged his eye. The student subsequently lost his athletic scholarship and dropped out of college. In 2012, a federal appeals court ruled that the police could be sued over the incident. In 2013, the student was awarded $774,000.
Description
A pepper-spray projectile may be a sphere, hence the name pepper-ball, but it may also come in other shapes. The irritant payload differs between products but is usually a powder, less frequently a liquid, gas or aerosol. Some companies offer different substances as payload for their projectiles and launcher systems, allowing potential sellers to choose substances that are certified for use in their country. Also, projectiles with an inert dummy payload are often offered for training and testing purposes. A powder called PAVA (capsaicin II) pepper is often used. PAVA is a capsaicinoid that can be synthesized more cheaply than natural capsaicin from peppers, although PAVA is also found in nature. Canisters of carbon dioxide are typically used to fire the projectiles. Pepper-spray weapons systems are used by law enforcement, military and other organizations, and individuals. They are generally used as stand-off weapons, where physical proximity to a suspect is deemed dangerous, but deadly force is not warranted. The systems are not limited to classic standoff situations and allow agents to apply as many rounds as required to cause individual suspects, multiple suspects, or crowds sufficient pain to subdue them.
Primary material
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reference work
- “Pepper-spray projectile”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
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authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q941401: pepper-spray projectile
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Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Prepared 2 Protect Pepper Ball Gun Guide Expert Tips on Less-Lethal Launchers for Defense. www.prepared2protect.com.
- 2.Everything You Need to Know About Pepper Projectile Launchers. SABRE. 2025-10-24.
- 3.Constant, Howard L. Nonivamide, a Constituent of Capsicum oleoresin. Journal of Natural Products. 59. 4. 425–426. 1996-01-01. 0163-3864.
- 4.FAQ Page of Vendor PepperBall Technology - Retrieved October 7, 2011
- 5.PepperBall Technologies Incorporated | Products.
- 6.FN 303 projectiles Product Page - Retrieved October 7, 2011
- 7.Product sell sheet from vendor. PepperBall Technologies.
- 8.Commission Investigating the Death of Victoria Snelgrove. cityofboston.gov. 14. May 25, 2005.
- 9.UC Davis student can sue over pepper spray, court rules. Los Angeles Times. July 11, 2012.
- 10.$774,000 Settlement For Former Student Injured In Pepper Ball Shooting. Eastern District of California Blog.
- 11.Clift, Theresa. Parents of young man killed by Citrus Heights officer seek answers. The Sacramento Bee. 5 March 2016.
References
Citations
References
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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