Gold & Silver Forum - Anyone with experience handling M9 and M8 Chemical detection paper??

The M-8 paper instructions should be on the inside of the back cover of the paper booklet. If not, then:

Instructions for use of paper

Detach a sheet of detector paper from the book and attach to clothing or place on a surfaceso that it can be exposed to drops or liquid splash of chemical agents. If colored spots appear, put on protective mask. Compare colored spot with colors on inside front cover to determine type of agent. This paper will not detect gas or vapor. The paper may also be used to detect liquid contamination by placing the paper in contact with the suspected surface. A color change similar to that shown on the inside cover indicates the presence of chemical agents.
Note: Certain G-Agents give a red-brown color responce which is Intermediate between the typical H & G colors.

The M-8/ M-9 paper is best used with the M-256 Detector kit,
6665-01-016-8399
This kit detects gas as well as liquid agents.

See attached for colors to look for.

Imho, The paper, the detector kit, and the knowledge to use them are worthless without the whole chemical suit to go with them. What we were using up untill 1990 was also basically worthless. The charcoal suit offers no protection against liquid agents. The boots and gloves, while hot and uncomfortable to wear, are good. The M-17 mask sucks. The internal elements of the mask are only good for about 8 hours of exposure before you have to remove the mask to change the elements. Also, if you wear the mask for very long, the sweat off of your face tends to run down into the filter element area, disolving the paper in the element and clogging the mask. Then not only does the mask stop filtering, it also leaves you unable to breathe.

If you are going to set-up for a chemical environment, spend the big bucks on a one piece rubber suit and a mask that will let you change out the filter without removing the mask. Be sure that your gloves and boots wil go on the inside of the sleeve/leg area of the suit. Liquids will tend to pool in both areas and will comprimise the integrity of the suit.

Usually most of the bad stuff, VX, Sarin, (nerve agent) and G (blood agent) are delivered in a liquid form to the battlefield. All of the above in gas form tend to dissapate rather quickly and if outside and not caught in the cloud, it will be gone by the time you put on gear and get out your detection equipment. If caught in the cloud you won't have time to put your stuff on.

If not allready "suited up" and you are exposed to the liquid stuff, it will be to late to put it on anyway.

Kind of like the nuke conundrum. If you are far enough away from the blast, it doesn't matter what you do untill fallout. If you are too close, it doesn't matter what you do period, so you might as well have a last look.

Consult US Army FM 3-11,
Marines MCWP 3-37.1
Navy NWP 3-11
USAF AFTTP(I) 3-2.42

Which can be found at http://usmilitary.about.com/gi/dynam...2Farmy%2Ffm%2F

downloadable in the .pdf format

Hope this helps.

DBD