Stun Guns
The questions and answers below address the most commonly asked questions regarding stun guns. Find out how they work, how to select a stun gun, some basics on legal restrictions, and more!
What is a Stun Gun?
A stun gun is a non-lethal self-defense weapon that uses high voltage to stop an attacker. When you touch the prongs of the stun gun to the body of an attacker a jolt of electricity quickly immobilizes and renders him harmless. Although the voltage is high, the amperage, a measure of total electrical energy that the stun gun delivers is very low, and therefore, no permanent damage is done.
How then does the stun gun stop an attacker?
The human nervous system is electrical in nature. All control signals sent from the brain to the body are bio-electrical signals. The high voltage of a stun gun interferes with the transmission of control signals from the brain to the body. Stun guns dump an overwhelming electrical signal into the system at a frequency different from that used by the brain. The interference caused by the high voltage pulse shuts down normal communication between the brain and the muscles of the body. The interference makes it impossible for an attacker to move and function.
Stun gun discharges cause disorientation, loss of balance and loss of motor control. They leave an attacker confused and immobilized long enough for an escape. Never the less, stun guns have no significant effect on the heart and other vital organs.
How long does it take to immobilize someone with a stun gun?
As little as a one-half second contact from a stun gun will cause pain, involuntary muscle contraction and be sufficient to repel most attackers. A pulse of from one to two seconds will daze almost any attacker and cause disorientation and confusion. A stun gun pulse of three seconds will cause complete loss of balance and muscle control and significant confusion and disorientation.
When forced to use a stun gun, however, you are not advised to monitor closely the length of time you have to use it. You discharge your stun gun into your assailant until the assault stops. This generally means until your attacker is on the ground and in no condition to pursue you. Don't waste your efforts thinking about how long you have to hold your stun gun to the thug who is attacking you. You hold it long enough to get the job done, get away, and call the police.
What is the difference between an 80,000 volt model and a 900,000 volt model?
The difference is mostly time necessary to get the desired effect. An 80,000 volt stun gun will render your assailant just as helpless as a 900,000 volt unit, but it will take longer. An extra second during an assault can feel like an eternity.
What is the best target on an assailant's body for a stun gun pulse?
Although a stun gun will work when touched to just about any part of the body, it is most effective against areas with larger surface area, generally on the torso. Shoulders, hips, chest and abdomen are the best targets. Contact on an extremity, an arm or leg, will require longer contact for similar effectiveness. Once again, the power of the unit becomes more important if contact is not solidly on the torso.
What does a shock from a stun gun feel like?
Try to imagine hitting your funny bone with a baseball bat, then imagine your entire body is your funny bone. The recipient of a stun gun pulse will not be able to physically function, and will have sensation of thousands of needles piercing his body. He will be utterly helpless. A stun gun pulse provides a memorable physical and emotional trauma, without inflicting any permanent physical injury.
What kind of batteries work best in a stun gun?
Stun guns use 9 volt batteries. We recommend alkaline batteries for longer life and greater power. There are also models that use lithium batteries or have rechargeable batteries built in.
Is it possible for the person holding the stun gun to be shocked by the same jolt given to the assailant?
The stun gun pulse is dependent on direct contact with the metal electrodes of the weapon. The electrical pulse will not pass from the person being stunned to the person holding the unit. Even in wet conditions or actually standing in water, the shock is localized by the electrodes in the body of the recipient of the stun gun discharge.
Can I safely test fire the stun gun?
We recommend that you test fire your stun gun for both practice and to be sure your battery is charged. We recommend that discharges not exceed a second or two. The unit is not grounded and test firing for too long at once can damage the unit. There is no danger of damaging the stun gun, however, if you are using it against an assailant because the attacker provides a ground for the electrical discharge. Discharge it for as long as necessary in any emergency. It will cause no damage to the stun gun.
How long do the batteries last?
Battery life varies from unit to unit and battery to battery. The manual that comes with your stun gun will specify expected battery life.
Are there any legal restrictions on stun guns?
Most states have no laws against stun guns for those persons over 18.
As of Summer 2008, these states allow stun guns with certain restrictions: Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, and Washington.
Stun guns are illegal in these states: Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Wisconsin.
Stun guns are illegal in these cities: Annapolis, MD; Baltimore, MD; Denison / Crawford County, IA; District Of Columbia; Philadelphia, PA.
Although we try to stay current, please check with the authorities in the jurisdiction in which you live. We take no responsibility for your decision to own a stun gun where you live. It is your responsibility to comply with the local law.
The importation of stun guns and pepper spray is restricted in these countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.
Please contact us with any questions you might have. We will not knowingly break any law, but it is your obligation to know the law that applies to you.
