The Taser/stun gun as a self-defense weapon.

[AFJailor]

I'd like to say beforehand that I don't want this to turn into a "Should Law Enforcement Have Tasers Thread." I simply want to talk about people wanting Tasers/stun guns as a self-defense weapon. Also I would like to state that I am by no means an expert, just wanted to share my experience and opinion with y'all.

I went through the Taser certification class today, it was pretty intense. I'll skip the hours of videos and slideshows and skip straight to the fun part. Getting shot with a Taser is like being hit by a brick wall, your body locks up and your completely out of the game for the duration of the burst. There is a pretty intense feeling of panic that sets in while your feeling the pulse and at least for me it was pretty painful. In a split second you go from being combative to utterly compliant and anyone who says otherwise is flat-out lying.

I sent my wife the video of it (I would post it but man its really bad quality) and she was talking about how she thought having one for self-defense would be awesome. I COMPLETELY disagree with her statement. The instant the burst was over my blood was pumping and I felt a huge adrenaline rush. Also, despite being told repetitively to stay on the ground until the prongs were removed my first reaction was not to get up...but to jump to my feet. Despite a little muscle atrophy and the two holes in my back there was no lasting effect. If an untrained person were to wield this tool in a self defense situation, without some kind of backup or a well thought out escape plan I believe it would only make things worse. I realize that you can send multiple bursts into the subject, but its not like you could sit there all day waiting for someone to come help you. I think you would be hard-pressed to keep a BG down for the 5-10 mins (if your lucky) that it would take for the police to arrive. If the subject did get up, they would more than likely be enraged and you would be in a whole world of trouble.

The stun gun idea just baffles me, we got hit with the drive stun and while it did hurt and the smell of my flesh burning was a little unnerving I wasn't overly impressed. I think a good punch to the face would be much more debilitating than any stun type defense tool on the market.

In summary I would have to say that while the Taser and stun gun are very effective in gaining compliance they are NOT a replacement for a firearm in a self defense situation. A lot of people have it in their head that either of these tools are the politically correct way to defending yourself and I have to strongly disagree. But hey, this is just one mans opinion feel free to interject yours.

[TexasVet]

HI,

The civilian version of the taser has a 30 second (vs. the 5 second LE model) ride and is meant to be discarded if it hits. You hit your opponent, drop the taser, let him enjoy 30 seconds of the zap and run to get help, etc. IRC Taser will send you another unit if you send them the police report where it was shown that you used it in self defense. So for some people who cannot carry a gun, it might be an alternative.

[USA1]

HI,

The civilian version of the taser has a 30 second (vs. the 5 second LE model) ride and is meant to be discarded if it hits. You hit your opponent, drop the taser, let him enjoy 30 seconds of the zap and run to get help, etc. IRC Taser will send you another unit if you send them the police report where it was shown that you used it in self defense. So for some people who cannot carry a gun, it might be an alternative.

i like that idea..i've been trying to convince my daughter (22) to get some kind of self defense option , that sounds like the ticket for now. im trying to convince her to get her CHL ,but she just doesnt think bad stuff happens.
....im workin on it...

[dicion]

im trying to convince her to get her CHL ,but she just doesnt think bad stuff happens.

Just hand her any newspaper...

Or better yet, let her watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhyuJzjOcQE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Suzanna Hupp, and all she has done for Texas Gun laws!

[USA1]

im trying to convince her to get her CHL ,but she just doesnt think bad stuff happens.

Just hand her any newspaper...

Or better yet, let her watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhyuJzjOcQE" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Suzanna Hupp, and all she has done for Texas Gun laws!

that woman is my hero ..

as far as my daughter, my wife and i always share news stories with her and stress how these things can happen anywhere anytime. almost on a daily basis. she does listen. but you now at that age , other things take priority .
recently i was able to convince her to carry one of my spring assisted knives . she thought it was silly at first , but she now keeps it clipped inside the waistband and has it everyday..i know this is a very small step , but believe me when i say, im working on it....baby steps are better than nothing at all.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

The problem that I see with the Taser is that the barbs
may not penetrate heavy clothing. Even a .22 would be a
giant step up in that regard.

Also, what about the scenario with multiple attackers?

[AFJailor]

Even with heavy clothing, the energy is propelled beyond the barb, so if it gets close, you still get hit. They also sell different cartridges with longer or harder hitting projectiles.

[Originalist]

The Taser - How I enjoy that less than lethal device. It is a great tool as long as you have someone there to go "hands on" or else you will deliver more than a few "rides". For the civilian Taser, yes you get the 30 second ride (pulsating) and they will replace it (with the report and the receipt) but it also comes in a pretty pink color. The cartridges are the same used on the X26 and the ones I have (1.5 inch prong/25ft cord) they cost about $25 a piece and thoroughly recommend fire at least 2 or 3 to get a feel for them.

As a replacement for a lethal means, not in any way, shape or form. They have their extreme positives but they also have drawbacks. (i.e. if you miss with one prong - it is useless and the reload time is costly). As an alternative it is great.

"Officer I tried everyrthing to get him to leave me alone, I fired my taser and missed and when he kept advancing on me and my family I drew my firearm because I feared for me and my families lives and needed to stop the threat."

[yerasimos]

I have experimented a little with the Taser C2, and come to the conclusion it is definitely not an adequate substitute for my handguns or a fixed blade knife. My opinion is the device's grip attributes and geometry, flimsy holsters, single-cartridge capacity, slow reloading, and sensitivity to engagement distance and probe placement will greatly impair success in reactive self-protection situations.

[casingpoint]

I looked at some tasers. Then I looked at a new Taurus 1911 .45 ACP pistol. Hahahahahahahahaha. Go figure.

[Liberty]

I went through the Taser certification class today, it was pretty intense. I'll skip the hours of videos and slideshows and skip straight to the fun part. Getting shot with a Taser is like being hit by a brick wall, your body locks up and your completely out of the game for the duration of the burst. There is a pretty intense feeling of panic that sets in while your feeling the pulse and at least for me it was pretty painful. In a split second you go from being combative to utterly compliant and anyone who says otherwise is flat-out lying.

I wonder why they make you get shot with it. They don't usually make get ton the receiving end on service weapon qualifications.

[Kevinf2349]

Maybe you could get her this.

http://www.tactical-life.com/online/pro ... asers-x12/

[Stupid]

Considering gun related hit rate is less than 25% in close range, I personally would want to have follow-up shots to even my odds. Taser to me is good for police use as they often have backup etc. I would buy that for the wife/daughter as a step towards guns.