Narcan® Dart Gun

The Van Nostrand Weapons Industries Junkie Pacification Platform (JPP) - also known as the Narcan® Dart Gun - is a medium range chemical delivery system designed to remotely prevent overdose deaths. It works humanely sticking victims of chemical dependency syndrome with tiny Narcan®-filled darts, propelled into place by environmentally friendly carbon dioxide, swiftly bringing the wayward soul back to the land of sobriety. It is designed to be easily built on the field from widely-available materials, so that you are never caught off-guard by fentanyl zombies.

Depending on the end-user's final build, the JPP can fire auto-injecting darts a distance of 15 to 30 yards, reducing the risk of a violent confrontation with the target. The JPP will also let you prevent overdoses from the convenience of rooftops, moving cars, and upper-story windows & balconies.

IMPORTANT NOTE: While it is classified here under “Weapons”, it should be noted that the Narcan® Dart Gun is not a weapon in the same sense that a staple gun is not a weapon. It is a precision medical device that should only be handled by trained medical professionals. Improper use of this device can cause lasting physical harm to both the user and the target. Furthermore, this is a theoretical device that has not yet been tested on humans for safety & efficacy, nor has it been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. The Anonymous Military Institute is not responsible for anyone who ignores this warning!

The Junkie Pacification Platform is a highly-adaptable medical utility which consists of two components that will have to be separately sourced and/or built: The actual dart gun, and the darts that the dart gun fires:

You want a dart that is easy to fill.

The biggest challenge for acquisition teams is the darts themselves, as human darts are not readily available. Instead you will have to find pig darts from an agricultural equipment provider, as pigs have the closest skin to humans of all the animals that darts are designed for. The needles of just about every other dart are designed to pierce thick animal hide, which is not only overkill for humans, but it won't even administer the Narcan®!

Even many pig darts are too big. Your dart will need a needle diameter of 0.5mm (25 gauge), which is about as small as they make veterinary darts. Many suppliers only sell darts this thin as a custom order, as 25 gauge is near the practical limit for dart systems due to flow rate & durability concerns. 22-24 gauge darts may work as well in a pinch. Any barbs or hooks in the needle will also need to be removed (ideally, you will have a factory clean needle, but we can't always be picky on the field).

The depth will need to be fairly shallow as well: 0.3–0.6 inches (8–15 mm) for subcutaneous delivery, or 0.6–1 inch (15–25 mm) for intramuscular. The depth required to successfully administer remote Narcan® will vary depending on the thickness of the target; Obese people may require deeper needles. Your bandolier will have to have storage for darts of all sizes, to prepare for the varied troops you will face. Use ballistic gel and saline-filled darts to get a feel for what size darts will work in what sizes of people.

While it may sound practical for obese junkies, do not use cattle darts in the Narcan® Dart Gun! These types of darts will overpenetrate human skin, causing deep tissue, bone & organ damage! As humorous as it sounds to herd junkies like cattle, it is not humorous when your lifesaving device kills the patient on the table, and you get sued for assault & medical malpractice. Don't try it!

Subcutaneous (SC) delivery (aka just under the skin) is in all likelihood, going to be easier and more preferable than intramuscular (IM). This reduces the risk of accidental overpenetration. The plunger should be able to activate upon impact at 100 feet per second. Bonus points if you can make the needle retract back into the dart after administration, reducing the risk of infection and enabling discrete disposal.

Since Narcan® is not sold in dart form yet, you will have to put it into the darts yourselves. The Narcan® itself is easily sourced for free from most health clinics and college educators. In most cases, you can use the Narcan®'s built-in syringe to inject the solution into the dart. Since Narcan® (and similar brands) injectors are single use devices, you can count on using one Narcan® injector to fill one dart. Don't forget to wash your hands beforehand to prevent the spread of infectious diseases!

Grok explains the tactical benefits of CO2-based propulsion systems.

Any CO2-powered dart gun will work, so long as it is a good one trusted by professionals who work with violent animals for a living (like the kind animal control would use to tranquilize dogs & bears). You will also need to find a gun that fits your dart, because you don't have a lot of options with dart suppliers.

Since CO2 chargers come in different form factors, you will want a gun that uses one of the more common sizes, like 74 gram or 12 gram. Make sure you don't get a gun that uses chargers or tanks of some oddball size, or with weird threadings, because you're likely going to have a hard time finding a reliable source of CO2. If you can get it by the case on Amazon, you're probably good.

Other forms of propulsion, such as pressurized air, nitrogen, pump-action guns and gunpowder loads, can also all deliver Narcan® darts. However, they may not deliver the darts as far or as consistently. Your mileage may vary.

If you cannot afford a professional dart gun, you can still build the Junkie Pacification Platform at home! While the final design of the Junkie Pacification Platform is up to the individual builders, you will still need some basic components. Many of these components can be sourced from paintball or airsoft supply stores.

On top of the aforementioned darts, Narcan® shots and CO2 chargers, you will also need:

On the end of the CO2 tank, you will need a gas valve that releases the gas when the valve is opened.

The trigger mechanism needs a lever that actuates the gas valve on pull, with a 5-pound force threshold for safe handling. Mechanical triggers respond instantly without power but wear over 1,000 shots; solenoid triggers enable semi-auto fire yet drain batteries in 200 cycles; pneumatic assists reduce pull force to 3 pounds but introduce leak risks. (Just stick with a normal mechanical trigger, for the sake of your sanity.)

You may also want to consider a safety switch that blocks trigger movement unless disengaged. Mechanical slides prevent 99% of accidental fires but can stick in dirt; electronic biometrics scan fingerprints for access yet fail in 10% of wet scenarios; grip-pressure sensors activate only on firm hold but trigger false positives with gloves. (Again, stick with mechanical. You have options if you want to get crazy with your build, but 99% of you won't need or want to.)

The gas valve needs to open up into a pressure regulator which maintains steady gas output to prevent velocity spikes that could harm targets. Use a simple diaphragm valve for reliability. Adjustable regulators allow 50-300 psi tuning for range but add complexity; fixed regulators simplify design at 150 psi yet restrict adaptability; electronic sensors provide precise control via apps but increase battery dependency and cost.

On the regulator should be a screw-threaded vent. This will function as a velocity adjuster that tunes speed from 100-250 fps for 5-20 meter ranges. You will be looking for a consistent 110-120 fps at all ranges, necessitating easy field adjustment. Manual screws allow quick field tweaks without tools; digital potentiometers integrate with displays for 1 fps precision but require charging; fixed preset orifices eliminate user error at the cost of versatility.

For the barrel, use smooth-bore tube, 6-8 inches long, rifled lightly to stabilize dart spin without over-stressing the needle tip. Use metal, because you are dealing with pressurized gas and do not want it to blow up in your face.

Feeding into the base of the barrel after the pressure regulator is the dart loader. This can be a simple breech-loading slot, or a hopper or magazine that holds multiple rounds.

Once you get your basic components arranged, all that remains is to tie it together in a ergonomic form factor. From 3D printed designs and recycled black market firearm parts, to a simple 2×4 with electrical tape, the sky is truly the limit.

Use laser sights or optics for increased accuracy.

An artisan leather bandolier to tastefully store your darts on the field adds a sharp degree of professionalism, with an old timey Americana vibe.

Hackers may be able to leverage using a rail-mounted IoT device and fingerprint scanner to automate the signing of consent forms.

The JPP Mini is the smaller, low-tech version of the JPP. Instead of using CO2, it uses a traditional blowpipe to deliver the Narcan® darts. Make sure the blowpipe you pick out matches the size of your darts! For more information on blowpipes, see blowgun.

Oops, dart in your neck!

One major thing to keep in mind when firing a dart gun, is that things like wind will affect the dart's path much more dramatically than it will a bullet. The dart will also travel more slowly than a bullet. You will have to take this into account, especially when shooting moving targets.

You will also need to take into account the number of darts a single CO2 charger can fire, especially when dealing with large groups of junkies. The number of tranquilizer darts one CO2 cartridge can fire varies significantly depending on the specs of your final build. A 12-gram cartridge (the kind used in airsoft guns) might fire 5 to 10 darts, while the 74-gram cartridge used by high-end dart guns may fire 30 to 50.

Do not forget to plan for reload times, as it could be the difference between life or death!

While it is fun & completely legal in most jurisdictions to build the Junkie Pacification Platform at home, it is not legal to dart someone without their consent! While you would think saving someone's life from a lethal overdose would be safe to do, the truth of the matter is most people are ungrateful assholes, and so-called “Good Samaritan Laws” will not protect you from lawfare!

Always get permission from the target before shooting them with the Narcan® Dart Gun, or any dart gun!

Narcan® is a registered trademark of Emergent Operations Ireland Limited.

• Grok assisting AMI research staff with the design of the Narcan® Dart Gun. This conversation provides many conceptual ideas that could be incorporated into builds, a comparison of various mechanical delivery options, as well as various scientific and legal considerations to keep in mind.
• Grok explains the logistics of darting pigs. Since human darts are not readily available, Grok gave us a bunch of data on the next best thing: Pig darts.