Immobilizing Agent Delivery Systems

Senator Barry M. Goldwater demonstrates the silent electric pistol M-1 (1975)

Throughout millennia, arrows have been humanity's faithful companions and protectors. When an adversary was stronger and swifter, when nature had endowed it with sharp teeth and long claws, arrows helped equalize the odds between human and beast. And when the opponent was significantly larger and conventional arrows could no longer inflict damage, humans turned to poison for assistance.

Dozens of centuries have passed, yet nothing has changed, except that the role of predators has been assumed by other representatives of the human species. The taut bowstring has been replaced by a powder charge, while the arrows themselves have become shorter and somewhat thicker, transforming into bullets.

Flechettes, Needle Projectiles, and Micro-rockets

During World War I, when aircraft were first being deployed in combat operations and suitable armaments had not yet been developed, French military engineers developed the flechette (fléchette) — heavy metallic sharpened rods resembling pencils in both size and form. The aerial delivery system consisted of a simple box mechanism with a retractable bottom, capable of containing 1,000 such aerial darts. Despite the considerable effectiveness of this weapon against large concentrations of infantry and cavalry formations, the advent of trench warfare necessitated its discontinuation.

In late 1941, British and Canadian chemists initiated the development of what was termed 'advanced chemical weaponry of a new type' — which in reality proved to be the same flechettes, but now containing toxic agents. These 'new' British flechettes were essentially modified sewing machine needles equipped with paper stabilizers, weighing approximately 4 grams each. The operational deployment plan involved loading these projectiles into 500-kilogram aerial bombs, with each bomb containing 30,000 needles[5] . The procurement strategy involved sourcing the needles from Singer, the preeminent sewing machine manufacturer of the period. When deployed from aircraft, each toxic needle demonstrated the capability to penetrate two layers of clothing and achieve tissue penetration of up to 15 centimeters.

World War I era flechettes	British toxic flechettes, 1941 pattern[4]	Flechettes with grooves for toxin or narcotic agent delivery (Van Keuren, 1990)

The selected toxicant was the rapid-acting carbamate T.1125, a compound demonstrating toxicity levels approximately ten times greater than hydrogen cyanide[5,7]. If the projectile remained unextracted for 30 seconds, symptom onset occurred within 1–5 minutes, manifesting as hypotension, bradycardia, emesis, diarrhea, hypersalivation, and diaphoresis. Terminal phases, characterized by convulsions, culminated in mortality within approximately 30 minutes[6]. Projectile extraction proved nearly impossible due to its structural properties causing fracture upon removal attempts; however, even successful extraction would not prevent incapacitation due to the rapid onset of cardiovascular collapse. The development team hypothesized that mass deployment of such needle-based delivery systems would generate significant psychological impact on enemy forces.

Despite positive animal trial results, the use of poisonous needles was abandoned, as they proved to be an " ‘highly uneconomical weapon" that could be evaded even by minimal cover.

Following the war's conclusion, the American company MB Associates became intrigued by the concept of a deadly needle rain. Unlike the British prototype, the new antipersonnel microjets — Finjet — were equipped with proprietary jet engines, significantly enhancing their effectiveness against enemy infantry units. A helicopter armed with the Finjet system could launch approximately 1,000,000 such micromissiles per minute[1].

Miniature 1.5 mm reactive projectile Lancejet
(Mel Carpenter, 2010)

In 1963, the MB Associates completed a collaborative project with U.S. Army Chemical Research and Development Laboratories (ACRDL) titled "Feasibility of Employing Miniature Rockets for Special Applications". The aluminum microrockets of .25 caliber, named LanceJet, possessed the following specifications: length — 3.81 mm, diameter — 1.6 mm, weight — 160 mg. Lancejet was designed for equipping cluster munitions and delivering a chemical agent, which could be positioned either internally or externally to the projectile. Variations of Lancejet also existed in 7.62 mm cartridge form, containing either a single or seven 1.5 mm diameter micromissiles.

MB Associates rapidly emerged as a leader in the development of miniature rocket projectiles and the primary contractor for the U.S. military and intelligence agencies in the field of ballistic delivery systems for chemical and biological agents. Beyond the lethal neurotoxins saxitoxin and botulinum toxin, these systems could incorporate incapacitating agents such as opioid anesthetics EA 3382 and EA 4941.

The most notable special-purpose weapon produced by MB Associates was likely the needle-loaded bullet designed for the standard 5.56x45 mm rifle cartridge. Externally appearing standard, the cartridge actually contained a smaller pistol cartridge with a through channel housing a sedative or toxic dart. This dart was needle-shaped, measuring 0.76 mm in diameter and 23 mm in length—even smaller than a typical sewing needle. Despite its miniature dimensions, the projectile maintained an effective range of several dozen meters, with impacts often remaining undetected. Firing such a round from an M16 rifle required preliminary placement of a specialized subcaliber adapter in the barrel, a process requiring minimal time.

Ammunition Concealment Round Javette
with flechette projectile (Mel Carpenter, 2010)

The anesthetic EA 4941 used in such projectiles could not guarantee a 100% recovery rate for humans. Consequently, the primary purpose of this weapon was neutralizing guard dogs prior to infiltrating secured facilities, though it could also be employed against security personnel if necessary[14]. The projectile, named Javette, was subsequently utilized during special operations in Vietnam[2].

In 1961, B. Gould, an engineer from MB Associates, proposed a water-soluble variant of a miniature antipersonnel microrocket. Upon impact, such a needle-like microrocket would completely dissolve within a human body in 5 minutes. If the target was not struck, the microocket would either burn or autonomously disintegrate due to environmental factors. The inventor believed these disappearing projectiles would exert psychological effects on the enemy[3]. In reality, these microrockets were part of a joint CIA, military, and private company project under the MKNAOMI program (1953–1970), aimed at developing silent, untraceable weapons. In CIA documents, it was listed under the cumbersome term "non-discernible microbioinoculator", colloquially dubbed the "heart attack gun" by journalists. The dart's impact site was nearly imperceptible, and the dart would gradually dissolve, releasing a poison causing death by cardiac arrest[8]. One CIA requirement for such a weapon was that the cause of death should not be "easily detected upon a detailed autopsy"[9]. By substituting the toxin with an anesthetic, such a weapon could also be used for temporary enemy neutralization.

M-1 silent electric pistol cartridge
with water-soluble Methocel Javette flechette
(Mel Carpenter, 2010)

In 1975, a pistol capable of firing such projectiles was presented to the Church Senate Committee, which was investigating CIA illegal activities. During a weapon demonstration at Fort Bragg (North Carolina), sheep succumbed within 25 seconds after being struck by a poisoned dart. The "heart attack gun" featured an optical sight and could effectively engage targets up to 75 meters away.

MB Associates was specifically responsible for developing and manufacturing projectiles for the "heart attack gun". This was a silent electric pistol of the E-1 project, subsequently renamed M-1. The needle-like Javette projectile, 0.76 mm in diameter, was manufactured from water-soluble methylcellulose, featuring a tip of compressed tungsten powder, and measured merely 21 mm in length. Due to its miniature dimensions, a person would experience no pain upon bodily impact. Project development was fully completed in 1974[1].

Dart Guns

The "golden era" of dart guns spanned the 1960s and 1970s. Such weaponry was an essential accessory for any self-respecting secret agent in cinema. Public experiments involving volunteers, where syringes filled with ketamine, emetic agents inducing vomiting, or excruciating pain were fired, were widely covered in the press and on television. On one occasion, a dart gun was even successfully used to capture a dangerous escaped psychiatric patient. Pharmacologists introduced new and safer tranquilizers and anesthetics to the market. It seemed that the day was approaching when law enforcement, followed by the military, would replace their morally outdated firearms with humane "syringe-firing" weapons.

Smith and Wesson-Mercox Tranquilizer Revolver:
.22 Caliber Law Enforcement and Military Model

In 1966, Smith & Wesson, despite their established prominence in the firearms industry, developed a tranquilizer dart-firing revolver variant. This development was prominently featured in contemporary publications under headlines such as "New Dart Guns Fight Crime"[10]. The Lawrence Livermore Laboratory engineered a prototype of this novel weapon system, which integrated a conventional police baton with a dart-firing mechanism and laser targeting capabilities. However, field testing revealed significant limitations in the prototype designs, and subsequent research and development in this direction was discontinued.

Over subsequent decades, enthusiasm for dart guns gradually diminished. Law enforcement agencies worldwide continued to rely on conventional less-lethal options such as oleoresin capsicum spray, rubber projectiles, and electroshock weapons for suspect immobilization. Research and development teams encountered persistent challenges in addressing two critical safety concerns: the risk of severe injury or fatality from dart penetration of ocular tissue or major blood vessels, and the delayed onset of chemical agents following subcutaneous or intramuscular administration. The typical latency period of several minutes between injection and incapacitation provided suspects with sufficient opportunity to resist or evade apprehension. Furthermore, legislative frameworks in most democratic nations prohibit non-consensual administration of injectable substances, presenting an additional regulatory barrier to deployment.

Norinco BBQ-901 dart gun delivery system
(Chinese manufacture)

In contrast, development and commercial production of dart-firing weapons continued in nations with less stringent regulatory frameworks, particularly in the People's Republic of China. The North China Industries Corporation (NORINCO) has been manufacturing the BBQ-901 pneumatic pistol (12.7mm caliber) for the People's Liberation Army since the early 1980s. This tranquilizer dart delivery system was initially designed for covert operations, specifically the silent neutralization of security personnel and guard dogs at secured facilities. Currently, the BBQ-901's deployment has been restricted to law enforcement units in border regions, where it primarily serves as a defensive measure against large predatory fauna (bears, wolves, tigers). The weapon system maintains operational effectiveness at ranges up to 40 meters.

Pneumatic and Paintball-Based Weapon Systems

In 1997, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory developed a prototype non-lethal weapon system based on modified .22 caliber pneumatic pistol and rifle platforms. The system utilized felt-based projectiles containing an incapacitating agent combined with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), a compound widely employed in medical applications for its unique transcutaneous delivery properties. At a testing distance of approximately 7 meters, the kinetic energy of these agent-saturated projectiles proved insufficient to penetrate a standard notebook page, indicating minimal risk of serious injury upon impact with sensitive anatomical regions (ocular, labial, and auricular tissues). However, the impact force remained sufficient to facilitate penetration of the liquid payload through a single layer of clothing and subsequent cutaneous absorption. Given the limited volume of the liquid carrier (0.5 ml), carfentanil-class opioids demonstrated optimal efficacy as incapacitating agents[12].

A more significant prototype utilized standard .38 caliber ammunition, compatible with service pistols and revolvers commonly deployed by U.S. law enforcement agencies, thus eliminating the need for weapon modification to deliver incapacitating agents. The experimental protocol involved removing the primary propellant charge from blank cartridges, as the primer provided sufficient propulsive force. The modified cartridge contained a felt wad saturated with an incapacitating agent dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). While demonstrating comparable efficacy to pneumatic delivery systems, this platform's effective range was reduced to approximately 3 meters.

Beeman Hurricane .22 pneumatic pistol (left) with corresponding felt projectile pads (center). Standard .38 Magnum caliber plastic cartridge cases with DMSO/incapacitating agent-impregnated felt wads (right)

Paintball-type delivery systems have demonstrated efficacy in the deployment of disabling chemical agents. FN MANUFACTURING INC. has developed the FN 303 semi-automatic pneumatic launcher system, engineered for the delivery of frangible projectiles that release their chemical payload upon target impact. The FN 303 system features a 15-round magazine capacity and maintains effective targeting accuracy up to 100 meters. Current ammunition variants incorporate various chemical agents including oleoresin capsicum (OC), chloroacetophenone (CN), orthochlorobenzylidene malononitrile (CS), as well as marking and malodorant compounds. The FN 303 system permits technical adaptation for the delivery of various incapacitating agents.

The primary limitation of these non-lethal weapon systems is the significant time delay between target impact and complete incapacitation, due to the slow absorption rate of active compounds through the skin into the bloodstream. This technical limitation remains unresolved in current systems.

Injection Devices

In 1975, Egyptian intelligence services implemented the operational use of the American-manufactured "Atropen" auto-injector system. While originally designed for the administration of nerve agent antidotes, the device could be modified to deliver various toxic compounds or psychoactive substances. The modified "Atropen" mechanism required minimal pressure against the target subject's body, whereupon its fine-gauge needle would deploy, penetrating both clothing layers and subcutaneous tissue. Egyptian operatives utilized this delivery system in Rome to induce unconsciousness in a target subject through simulated accidental contact, facilitating subsequent subject extraction[11].

"Atropen" auto-injector pen, modified by Egyptian intelligence services to deliver anesthetic instead of the original atropine compound

The image likely shows an injection device from the East German intelligence services arsenal

In 1988, the Department of Forensic Science at Humboldt University of Berlin, under the direction of Stasi Colonel Ehrenfried Stelzer, compiled a comprehensive 900-page manual on operational toxicology. This extensive research compilation, designated "Toxdat," encompassed detailed analyses of 200 toxic compounds, including radioisotopes, with comprehensive data on their toxicological profiles and administration methodologies. While specialized delivery devices were developed for the administration of toxic agents, both the Stasi and KGB predominantly employed a less complex methodology: the introduction of tasteless and odorless thallium salts into the target subject's dietary intake, particularly for politically motivated assasination.