aren't mace n pepper spray the same thing?

Question

if not .. whats the difference? r they made differently or is one bigger then the other?

Answer 1

Mace is the brand name of self defense sprays sold by Mace Security International. They once marketed a tear gas spray under the generic name of MACE and advertised it as "30 mins of agony for your attacker". Nowadays, MSI sells 10% pepper spray under the Mace brand name.

Pepper spray is just the general term encompassing a multitude of sprays. What they have in common is that oleoresin capsaisin or OC is the active ingredient. OC is basically the substance responsible for the "burn" in chili peppers.

Therefore, Mace is a brand name while pepper spray refers to an OC projection system.

Edit: There are different strengths of OC spray, but that has nothing to do with the name. Law Enforcement grade is higher than street grade.

Answer 2

Actually 2 million Scoville Heat Units or SHI is even better than 1.5 million. The SHU is the measure of "hotness" if you will. The percentage has more to do with how long it will affect the person. Basically pay no attention to it. The Mace brand is pretty good at 2 million SHU. There are actually 4 types of delivery systems. Stream, fog, cone shaped spray, and foam. Each has it's advantages and disadvantages.
Streams have a bit more distance, especially in the smaller containers, can be aimed at just one person, are the most wind resistant, and are good indoors and out. However they only affect the eyes of the target, there is very little inhalation. They also have to be aimed more than the others. If you need to use it, keep it close and spray it in an "S" shaped pattern across the person's face and shoulders. This will help make sure that you get it into his eyes.
Fog is the best patter from large containers and outside. The larger container (2 oz.) ensures it has enough propellant to carry it at least 5 or 6 feet (2 meters or so). It is the easiest to hit the person in the face, and it will be inhaled, adding to it's effectiveness. However it is easily blown by the wind, and is not too good to use indoors.
A cone shaped spray is a compromise between the above two patterns. The larger droplets aren't as easily blow about by the wind, yet they can still be inhaled by the subject. It is less likely to be spread by a building's HVAC system. This is a pretty good compromise.
Foam is best for indoor use. It has the least chance of cross contamination. You can spray a person in a room, and not have to clear out everyone there. Unfortunately the foam has to get into the person's eyes.
Mace, Fox, ASP, Guardian, Punch, are all good quality brands, with a good reputation for quality. Keep away from the stuff you'll find in the grocery or auto parts sotres (unless they are a name brand). Replace it if you ever use it, and when it gets close to it's expiration date. Use the old cannister for practice.

Answer 3

The name is used interchangeably but they used to be separate products. My husband is in LE and constantly corrects me if I use the term "mace". OC spray is much stronger and can incapasitate a person even under the influence.... just depends on how sensitive to the OC they are.
On a side note, OC spray will deter wild animals (bears, mountain lions, etc). When in the woods, my husband was taught (Army) to carry OC spray because large animals are not always taken down by a gun.. but the OC is such an irritant, it'll give you time to get away.

Mace is a tear gas in the form of an aerosol spray which propels the lachrymatory 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 sec-butanol, propylene glycol, cyclohexene, and dipropylene glycol methyl ether. Some formulations now also include Oleoresin Capsicum (active ingredient in pepper spray).

Pepper spray (also known as OC spray (from "Oleoresin Capsicum"), OC gas, or capsicum spray) is a lachrymatory agent (a chemical compound that irritates the eyes to cause tears, pain, and even temporary blindness) that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears. It is a non-lethal agent that can be deadly in rare cases - the American Civil Liberties Union claims to have documented fourteen fatalities from the use of pepper spray. The active ingredient in pepper spray is capsaicin, which is a chemical derived from the fruit of plants in the Capsicum genus, including chiles. Long-term effects of pepper spray have not been effectively researched.

The HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) method is used to measure the amount of capsaicin within pepper sprays. Scoville Heat Units (SHU) are used to measure he hotness of pepper spray.

A synthetic analogue of capsaicin, pelargonic acid vanillylamide (desmethyldihydrocapsaicin), is used in another version of pepper spray known as PAVA spray which is used in England. Another synthetic counterpart of pepper spray, pelargonic acid morpholide, was developed and is widely used in Russia. Its effectiveness compared to natural pepper spray is unclear and it has caused some injuries.

Pepper spray typically comes in canisters, which are often small enough to be carried or concealed in a pocket or purse. Pepper spray can also be bought concealed in items such as rings.

Pepper spray is an inflammatory agent, not an irritant like Mace. It causes immediate closing of the eyes and coughing. The length of the effects depend on the strength of the spray but the average full effect lasts around thirty to forty-five minutes, with mitigated effects lasting for hours.

The Journal of Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science published a study that concluded that single exposure of the eye to OC is harmless, but repeated exposure can result in long-lasting changes in corneal sensitivity. They found no lasting decrease in visual acuity.

Answer 4

They are differnt. Pepper spray is literally like hot peppers. Mace is some man-made checmical.