A tazer gun is not just a self defense device used by law enforcement anymore. Now days they are widely accessible to people and can be purchased one of two ways- going to a store that carries them or order one online. The purchasing process and price of a tazer may vary depending on the retailer, but regardless of how you buy it, you must first pass a background check.

Before you do anything else, it’s very important to find out if it’s legal to own a tazer gun in your state. The following states do not allow tazers: Illinois, Hawaii, New York, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Michigan, New Jersey and Rhode Island. Next, find a local store that sells self-defense devices, such as federally licensed firearm dealers. You may find it harder in some cities to find a reseller compared to other, so you may be hunting around for awhile.

Generally when you purchase a tazer gun in a store, they will perform a background check on site and it could take up to ten minutes. If you pass, Tazer Inc. will supply you with an activation code for your device and walk you through the activation process. In the event that the store doesn’t perform background checks, Tazer Inc. will do the background check for you as long as you’re purchasing a Tazer brand item.

The second way to purchase a tazer gun is by ordering one online. This is one of the easiest and most convenient options for many people. There are several online stores that sell self-defense items and it’s important to find one that is reputable. Here are a few things to consider when ordering anything online. Make sure you review the store’s policies and pay close attention to their return policy. May stores charge a restocking fee or won’t allow certain items to be returned. It is also important to confirm they use SSL encryption, an industry standard for safe e-commerce transactions. After you’ve placed your order and received the tazer, you will still need to proceed with a background check before you can activate the device. Again, this can be done through Tazer Inc.

Not everyone is comfortable with the thought of owning a gun. But even if you don’t want a gun in your home, people need something to defend their families. Having some kind of self defense device is a smart idea, particularly with today’s rise in criminal activities. There is no reason anyone shouldn’t have some sort of security item to keep them and their families safe.

For people that would prefer not to own a gun, tazers maybe a better choice. Some may think tazer guns are complicated high tech devices, but really they are just guns that shoot electricity as an alternative to bullets. They are non-lethal, electroshock self-defense devices that can take down any assailant in mere seconds without causing any permanent damage. They are able to do this by interfering with electrical signals that command the body’s nervous system.

The human nervous system tells the body how to function by conveying electrical impulses from every part of the body to the brain and vise versa, the brain to the body. Tazer guns work by producing a low-current high-voltage electric shock that is transmitted to the attacker by exposed electrodes. The brain is unable to interpret the nerve impulses it’s receiving and is unable to communicate to the rest of the body. The results are muscles spasms, confusion and temporary paralysis. Prolonged bursts of over three seconds could potentially cause unconsciousness.

In general, it is believed that tazer guns cause a lot of pain, but are not dangerous unless they are improperly used. They have helped to save the lives of many people that otherwise may have been shot by law enforcement authorities. The use of tazer guns by police has increased over the years, and is being employed more habitually by police when dealing with riot control.

While many people know that air tasers are an effective means of providing non-lethal self defense for common citizens, there are many misconceptions about how these devices actually work. Here is some helpful background information to help you better understand how these reliable devices work, and how you can best select an air taser that fits your self protection needs.

How Does an Air Taser Work?
Air tasers work by firing two barbed darts into the body of an attacker, with electrical wires running from these darts back to the hand held device. The the hand held device contains an amplifier that builds and stores a high voltage charge that is dumped into the body of an attacker, causing their muscles to rapidly burn all the energy in the body, and interfering with the neurological signals from the brain. The combined effect is that an assailant is immediately rendered harmless and disabled for up to 15 minutes.

Do Air Tasers ‘Electrocute’ Their Target?
No, electrocution, as is performed with the electrical chair in death penalty sentences, requires a high amperage current; which essentially means that the sin wave of the current oscillates at a high frequency. This is what causes burning of the muscle tissues and body organs that leads to death in these cases, as well as lighting strikes, but is not the case for air tasers and other stunning self defense items. Rather, a high voltage charge that carries very little amperage

How do Air Tasers Fire Their Darts?
Air tasers fire their darts with compressed nitrogen, stored inside replaceable cartridges that are concealed inside the handle of most air tasers. Once discharged, replacement cartridges can be purchased and installed to make air tasers totally reusable.

How Far Can Air Tasers Shoot?
Air tasers can be shot up to 15 feet, and should ideally be deployed at least 7 feet from the target in order to ensure that the darts are spread at least 6 inches at their points of contact.

How Fast Do Air Taser Darts Travel?
Air tasers typically shoot their darts at around 135 feet per second, which is fast enough to defy inclement conditions and penetrate skin and clothing in order to get a fastened grip on the target.

Can Air Tasers be Used More Than Once?
Yes, the battery can be recharged, and replacement nitrous cartages are available at most sporting goods stores.

Will Cold Weather Affect the Performance of my Air Taser?
Contrary to urban myths, even severe cold conditions will not affect the nitrous containers that produce the force behind the projectile darts. Neither temperature nor altitude are significant forces that could hinder the use of an air taser.

Can Air Tasers Cause a Fire?
While air tasers will not ignite gun powder, it is possible for the spark from an air taser to ignite gasoline or lighter fluid. As such, an air taser should never be used in conjunction with a pepper spray containing alcohol based solutions.

How Are Air Tasers Kept Out of the Hands of Criminals?
Most Air Tasers contain an anti-felon identification system that tracks their use down to each single unit, so once discharged, authorities are able to identify the criminal and the owner of the air taser unit that apprehended the subject. This of course, also deters any improper use of these devices, as they can be easily tracked back to the owner.

What Are the Disadvantages of Air Tasers?
Perhaps the only disadvantage of air tasers, is that in order to work most effectively, the darts should attach themselves to the target at least six inches from each other. This requires that the target be at least 7 feet away from the point of discharge, presenting the risk that the target might be missed due to inaccuracy.

Where Can I Get Training on How to Use an Air Taser?
Your local law enforcement representative will be able to instruct you on where to find local classes and trainers that specialize in personal safety devices such as air tasers, pepper and Mace sprays, and other self defense options.

With violence on the rise in every single one of America’s cities, citizens must arm themselves against assault and robbery with education and defensive devices designed to ward off and disable attackers in the event of an aggressive crime. While pepper spray and Mace are both acceptable forms of non-lethal self defense that can be deployed from a short distance from an attacker, and stun guns deliver the powerful stopping power of a massive electric voltage current, only the air taser can deliver the best of both worlds. With a shocking power that can reach up to 800,000 volts and two projectile prongs that can reach attackers up to 15 feet away, air tasers give law abiding civilians a safe and reliable form of self defense that is effective in a myriad of conditions.

Air tasers are essentially stun guns in the way they disable an attacker. Both use a high voltage, low amperage current to disable an attacker without killing them. Unlike a bolt of lightning, which has an amperage of in the thousands, air tasers carry only about a 3 milliamp charge, and so there is little to no burning or bruising of body tissue. In fact, tasers and stun guns do not work by subduing an attacker through pain, but rather, by taking over control of their body. Essentially, the high voltage current passes into the body of the attacker through one node of the device, and back into the device through the opposite polar node. This interrupts the neuromuscular system, causing the target to lose control over their bodily functions, loose balance, and become incapacitated for up to 15 minutes.

And when they do come to their senses, they will be in no shape to cause any further harm, as their muscles will literally be exhausted of energy and they will likely feel a soreness throughout their bodies. This is caused by the fact that the electrical current that takes over their body causes their muscles to sporadically convulse as the sugar in the blood is rapidly converted into lactic acid. This is essentially what happens when you over exert your own muscles during exercise, only they experience about a marathon’s worth of exercise in a matter of seconds.

The advantage air tasers have over traditional stun guns, is that rather than having the electrical nodes that transfer the current to the attacker placed on the device itself, the taser contains two detachable nodes that can be fired at ranges up to 15 feet with great accuracy. These nodes are attached to lightweight electrical wires and have barbed pointed tips that can attach themselves to targets’ skin and clothing. Once they are affixed, the handheld air taser device can be used to control the flow of electricity delivered through the wires, which allows the defending person to gain a severe control advantage over their aggressor.

Stun guns can also prove to be more effective than pepper spray and Mace in certain situations where climactic conditions are advantageous to self defense sprays such as rain and windy conditions. While the rain does nothing to impede the discharge of an air taser, heavy wind might interfere only slightly, though at that level of wind, spray devices would be utterly useless and might even spray back into the face of the user.

Which displays another feature advantage of air tasers: they work effectively, immediately, and can be deployed from a safe distance from an attacker. Whereas pepper sprays and mace can also deliver effective stopping power at some range, they also take up to 5 seconds in order to completely subdue an attacker, which is plenty of time for a crazed aggressor to inflict some serious damage. And while stun guns are equally capable of immediately subduing a violent attacker, they can only be used at close range, which can be a daunting task against an armed assailant. Only air tasers provide the ability to defend from a distance as well as being capable of immediately disabling an attacker.

While air tasers might be the overall best choice for one-on-one self defense, it’s still important to get yourself properly trained in how to use one of these devices if you want to make sure to optimize the effectiveness of your self protection product. Also it’s important to check with your local law enforcement representative in order to make sure the tasers are legal in your jurisdiction, as some states and counties restrict the sale and use of these devices.

Get smart, get armed, and live with the comfort that you’ve got an upper hand on criminals when you’re carrying an air taser the knowledge of how to use it.

The beauty of stunning devices such as stun guns and tasers, is that they provide effective self defense in a non-lethal manner that has proven reliable enough for law enforcement as well as private use despite delivering voltages as high as 800,000 volts. Given that this is comparable to the charge given off by a bolt of lightning, many people wonder why these stun devices do not kill people.

The answer lies in the low amperage inherent to these currents, meaning there is not a large difference between the positive and negative nodes of the devices, and so there the current does not oscillate to the high frequencies that cause heat and combustion. The amperage of stun guns and tasers is typically only 3 milliamps, which does not affect the muscle tissue of the body, and does not cause disruptions in the heartbeat that might cause cardiac arrest. It also limits the effects of the current to the body of the target, as the current is able to pass out of the gun, into the muscles of the attacker, and back into the device without the possibility of others who come into incidental contact with the target to be shocked.

As such, these stunning devices do not actually work by inflicting pain on the subject, but rather work by causing a chemical reaction in the muscles that causes them to rapidly discharge their available energy reserves: stored as blood sugar. Blood sugar is rapidly converted in to lactic acid, which is what causes our muscles to feel sore when we over exert ourselves from physical activity. Essentially, this causes the target of a stun device to expend as much energy from their muscles as they would by spending all day in the gym in just a few short seconds. This causes them to lose power until they can recover, and even then are likely to feel soreness and tightness of muscles. In rare occasions, the rapid amount of work done by the muscles in the body can cause convulsions that may themselves cause ruptures in the back vertebrae of the target, but this is rare.

The devices similarly disrupt the neuron transmitters that control motor functions from the brain to the rest of the body, and this similarly causes the target to lose control over their body and collapse to the ground. While the act of falling may cause additional injuries to the head and arms in particular, the effect does not rely on pain to disable the aggressor.

Also, there is a common misconception that blue electricity is hotter or more powerful than a yellow spark, when in fact the opposite happens to be true. While blue may make for a powerful statement, yellow sparks indicate a higher voltage and will typically disable an attacker in about half the time it takes for a lower charged, blue spark to achieve the same effect.

Tasers and stun guns are both highly effective personal security devices that operate on the principal of delivering a high voltage, low amperage current of electricity into a person’s body that drains the muscles of their energy and disrupts nerve signals that control motor function. While both have many similarities that make them equally effective for personal self defense, each has some key differentiating features that make them ideal for different situations.

Similarities:

Both stun guns and tasers work by passing a non-lethal current from the ‘nodes’ of the device into the target, and work by applying this charge, or ‘spark’ through the clothing and skin of the target into the body of the attacker. While applying these devices to any part of the body will suffice in delivering a shock to the nervous system, safety professionals advise that aiming for the body, back, or upper thigh area of an assailant is the best technique for achieving maximum disablement.

The current itself is high voltage, which creates as chemical reaction in the target’s muscles that rapidly converts blood sugar into lactic acid, which drains the muscles of energy and renders the target powerless to continue their assault. Additionally, the current disrupts nervous signals sent from the brain to the body, which both mentally disorients the target and interrupts the signals that control motor function. The net effect of this transfer of current will effectively disable an attacker for up to 15 minutes, which is plenty of time for the victim of a violent assault to flee the scene and seek help from law enforcement authorities.

The voltage of the current discharged from these devices typically ranges from 150,000 and 800,000 volts, while the amperage is typically as low as 3 milliamps. In general, the higher the voltage, the shorter the amount of time in which the stun device must be remain in contact with the target in order to accomplish the desired immobilizing effect. For example a 150,000 volt stun device will take up to 7 seconds of contact time in order to disable an assailant, while stun devices that range from 600,000- 800,000 will only take 2-3 seconds to achieve the same results. Many states have restrictions on the level of potency these devices are able to provide, so check your local laws before purchasing a device for personal use.

Differences:

The main difference between stun guns and tasers is that the ‘nodes’ of stun guns are affixed to the base unit of the device: like two prongs that stick out and allow the current to travel out from one prong and into the other. Tasers, on the other hand, shoot these ‘nodes’ out of the tip of the device and these projectiles are connected back to the taser by thin electrical wires. These projectile nodes are typically barbed in order to affix themselves to the target and the current passes through these barbs in order to affect the assailant.

The main advantage of tasers is that they can be used to stop an attacker from a distance of up to 5 meters, and allow the defending person to stop an oncoming aggressor from a safe distance without having to come into close contact with someone who might be armed with a knife, club, or other weapon. The disadvantage to this approach is that it relies somewhat on accuracy, and missing the target entirely can leave the defender with no recourse.

It is a common misconception that Tasers offer the benefit of distancing a defending person from the attacker so that in the case of incidental contact with the attacker they are not shocked as well. In fact, even stun guns provide the assurance that the current will not pass from the target’s body back into the body of the defendant, as the current travels back into the device rather than into other objects.

Conclusion

Tasers and stun guns are both highly effective devices that rely on a high voltage, low amperage current for disabling an attacker during a violent assault. The main difference is the ability to engage an attacker at a distance verses having to be in close proximity to the attacker in order to deliver the current. As such, stun guns rely somewhat on an element of surprise, as a forewarned attacker may be able to avoid contact with the device, or use some other weapon such as a bat or club to disarm the defending subject. Tasers on the other hand, can be used more effectively as a deterrent to ward off attackers prior to an attack, and have the ability to disable attacker before they reach the target.

In order to assess which device is right for you, do some research on the Internet and consult with your local law enforcement department to better understand what devices are allowing in your area and to learn of any restrictions on these personal self defense items before making your purchase.

When most people think about what the ideal weapon to have at your disposal to defend yourself in the event of a violent assault, the natural instinct is to wish for a gun. However, practical reasoning and real world statistics prove that relying on owning and keeping a gun in your possession for the purposes of self defense is in many ways a sense of false security, and may actually put you at greater risk of injury or death than simply remaining unarmed.

There are several reasons why owning a gun can be a danger to yourself and those around you; and we’re not necessarily talking about those you want to keep at bay. Thousands of American adults and children alike are shot and hundreds killed every year by accidental gunshot wounds from friends and family members who had absolutely no intention of harming the person in the first place. Thousands more are maimed or killed in the heat of passion, simply because a gun was at the disposal of an enraged or impassioned acquaintance or loved one who acted rashly and solved their anger with a permanent and irreversible solution.

What many people don’t realize is that there are several non-lethal alternatives to owning a gun, and many of them are even more effective than a gun for practical self defense in real world assault situations. Pepper spray, Mace, Tasers, and stun guns are all viable alternatives to carrying a firearm, and each one is highly capable of disabling an attacker in a non-lethal manner that requires no more strength than pulling a trigger.

In fact, in most cases one of the main factors that contribute to making these more reliable defenses is the fact that pulling the trigger of a powerful handgun and aiming the weapon while firing off a round requires a good bit of strength and technique. Most people assume that guns are simply point and click devices, when if fact a powerful recoil makes it very difficult to accurately use one in the instant it takes for a violent assault to occur. Alternatively, self defense sprays and shocking devices require very little if any strength at all, and rely very little on aiming. All of these devices can be safely used with very little training, and best of all, you’re not going to kill anyone if you accidentally discharge one of these devices.

While a gun may pose a formidable threat to any assailant, there is no guarantee that firing it will necessarily stop or disable an attacker. Even a direct shot to the gut may only maim a charging assailant, and drunk or drugged attackers may be impervious to any pain. Though perhaps even mortally injured, an infuriated attacker often will be able to struggle for several minutes after sustaining a gunshot wound, which is easily enough time to continue their aggression and possibly even wrestle control of the weapon out of the owner’s hands to use against them. Guns are also difficult to use against an animal attack, while self defense sprays work on all breathing animals. Pepper spray, Mace, Tasers, and stun guns will definitely disable an attacker if used properly, and do not pose a mortal threat to the owner of the device if it is taken and turned against them.

Consider also that guns are highly regulated, and will no doubt be restricted from many of the places you will find yourself in day to day situations. It might be convenient to have a gun in the home, but carrying it with you is highly impractical if not completely illegal.

Guns are also much more expensive than alternative forms of self defense, which typically can be purchased for as little as $20 through the Internet. This is another point: convenience. You can easily buy pepper spray and tasers online from a reputable online site such as PlanetMace.com, and receive your self defense products overnight through the mail. You can also purchase these devices at most local convenience stores and supermarkets.

While even non-lethal self defense products require some education and training in order to maximize their effectiveness in the case of an actual assault, they are still a much more practical and ultimately safer than a firearm.

Stun guns and tasers are both effective means of disabling a potentially violent attacker through the use of a rapid application of stored energy. The main difference between tasers and stun guns, is that tasers shoot out probes into a target, and then produce an electrical current that shocks the assailant, while a stun gun is a hand held device with two electrical prods at the tip that dump a large voltage of low amperage energy into the target’s body, rendering their muscles useless.

Before considering your options for which self defense device is right for you, make sure to research the laws and restrictions in your state and county in regards to tasers and stun guns, as many jurisdictions place some restrictions on the type and strengths of seld protection devices allowed in their regions. Both can be purchased online as well, but you should still make sure they are legal to carry in your area, as being caught with an illegal self defense device is just as bad as carrying a concealed weapon and can carry serious legal ramifications.

If you’re considering the purchase of a self defense product such as a stun gun or taser, you should also consider when and under what circumstances you envision having to defend yourself, as this will play into your considerations for what product features are most critical to your purchase. Size, weight, and carrying method should be the key elements to consider in buying self defense products, as you need to make sure to be able to easily access and deploy your device under stress and possible confusion.

Carrying a small, discreet stun gun or taser will additionally give you an added element of surprise, and should be paramount in your decision. Safety features, such as specialized safety caps that inhibit accidental discharge of your product and wrist keys that deactivate the device if it is removed from your grasp during a struggle provide additional safety measures and are worth considering for your stun gun or taser purchase.

Of course with a small size, you still want to make sure you’re getting an adequate voltage, and with voltages ranging from 65,000 all the way up to 2,000,000, a charge of at least 750,000 should be good enough to adequately disable any attacker. Plus, the higher voltage devices give off a lounder snap, crackly, and pop when discharged, which serves as a powerful deterrent to any attacker or onlooking cohorts.

You’ll also need to consider the benefits of rechargeable vs. non-rechargeable devices, as non-rechargeable devices are simply used once and then discarded, while rechargeable devices use either Nickel Cadium (NiCd) or Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMh) and typically incorporate additional features such as flashlights, personal alarms, and other personal safety components. If you have a choice, NiMh is a better choice, as charges last almost twice as long, and the product uses recyclable materials.

The last major consideration for buying a stun gun or taser, is whether your product has a warrantee. Any reliable manufacturer will provide at least a 1 year warrantee against manufacturer defects, and many provide free service for the lifetime of the product. Make sure to buy from a reputable distributor, and keep in mind that these self defense devices are not toys, and can cause serious injury if used improperly.