Mace (spray)
 | It has been suggested that this article be merged into Pepper Spray. (Discuss) Proposed since June 2011. |
Mace is a tear gas in the form of an aerosol spray which propels a lachrymatory agent mixed with a volatile solvent. It is sometimes used as a self-defense device. This form of Mace is legal in very few countries, thus its use is becoming uncommon.
The original formulation consisted of 1% CN gas in a solvent of 2-butanol, propylene glycol, cyclohexene, and dipropylene glycol methyl ether. Some formulations now also include oleoresin capsicum (active ingredient in pepper spray).
Chemical Mace was originally invented in 1965 by Allan Lee Litman, founder and co-owner of Pittsburgh-based General Ordnance Equipment Corporation (GOEC), after his wife, Doris, was threatened on the street. In 1987, Chemical Mace was sold to Smith & Wesson and manufactured by their Lake Erie Chemical division. Smith & Wesson consequently transferred ownership to Jon E. Goodrich along with the rest of the chemical division in what is now Mace Security International. Most Mace sold today by Mace Security International is pepper spray rather than tear gas, though it is still possible to buy Chemical Mace. Many other companies now manufacture similar products.
Training
Most law enforcement agencies require that their personnel become certified on similar aerosol spray devices such as pepper spray.