| How can you protect yourself in the 21st Century? | | | | evidence that the electrical charge of the stun gun |
| Well, hand guns are lethal weapons that do stop | | | | has adverse psychological or neurological effects on |
| criminals, though they have severe ramifications. | | | | adults. The effects on the heart or other major |
| There are many types of non-lethal self defense | | | | organs are very insignificant. |
| weapons; defensive sprays, tasers, knives, alarms, | | | | Stun guns will not permanently injure or kill any adult |
| batons, and a wide variety of stun guns in many | | | | because of the voltage; its the amps that will hurt |
| shapes, sizes, and voltages. This article will focus on | | | | you. One amp will kill a person. Most stun guns deliver |
| stun guns, and will they protect you against crime? | | | | only 3 milliamps or less. That is far below the |
| Approximately thirteen million people (approximately | | | | amperage that could do any long lasting damage to |
| 5% of the U.S. population) are victims of crime every | | | | an individual. |
| year. Approximately one and a half million are victims | | | | Will I be stunned if the attacker also touches me? If |
| of violent crime (source: Federal Bureau of | | | | an attacker touches you while you are stunning him, |
| Investigation). The Police will not be around to | | | | the electricity will not pass to your body. The |
| protect you, and a stun gun is an excellent | | | | electrical current is absorbed into the attacker's |
| alternative to a hand gun. | | | | muscles and will not pass out to you, regardless of |
| If you are a victim of a crime, it can make you react | | | | the conditions. Even if the assailant is holding you, |
| in ways that you can't understand. During the crime, | | | | there is no way the current will pass to you. |
| you normally feel a sense of helplessness, fear, and | | | | Are stun guns legal? Stun guns are restricted in some |
| then anger. Afterwards, you may have a hard time | | | | states, cities, counties, and countries; |
| relating to life experiences that use to pose no | | | | States where stun guns are restricted: Hawaii, |
| problems. A conflict usually develops between your | | | | Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, |
| idea of the world before the crime and your idea of | | | | New York, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin. |
| the world after the disaster. | | | | Cities/Counties where stun guns are restricted: |
| So how can you protect yourself in the 21st | | | | Annapolis and Baltimore, MD, Baltimore County, MD, |
| Century? Well, handguns are lethal weapons that do | | | | Chicago, IL, Dennison/Crawford County, IA |
| stop criminals, though they have severe ramifications. | | | | (According to Sheriff Tom Hogan), District of |
| Not only could you be charged with a serious crime, | | | | Columbia, Philadelphia, PA. |
| most states prevent carrying a weapon without a | | | | Countries where stun guns are restricted: Australia, |
| permit of some kind, if one is available at all. Most of | | | | Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Hong Kong, India, Italy, |
| the time, you are breaking many laws by carrying a | | | | Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, |
| loaded weapon with you. | | | | and United Kingdom. |
| There are many types of non-lethal self defense | | | | Before buying a stunning device, please make sure |
| weapons; defensive sprays, tasers, knives, alarms, | | | | they are legal where you live. You may check stun |
| batons, and a wide variety of stun guns in many | | | | gun laws and restrictions for some general guideline. |
| shapes, sizes, and voltages. This article will focus on | | | | If in doubt, contact your local police department. |
| stun guns. | | | | Wouldn't it be more effective to just carry a |
| What is a stun gun? A stun gun is a hand-held, | | | | handgun? Sometimes yes, most of the time, no. |
| battery-powered or electrically charged device that is | | | | There are only a handful of states that allow you to |
| designed to deliver a strong electric shock to stop an | | | | carry a concealed weapon. Others require applying |
| attacker. There not guns in the traditional sense | | | | for a concealed carry permit from local authorities |
| because they don't shoot bullets; rather, they shoot | | | | that usually require training as well. Some states say |
| electricity into an attacker. A stun gun has two | | | | they issue concealed carry permits but only in rare |
| prongs at the end of the device. Touching an | | | | instances. Some do not issue concealed carry permits |
| attacker with the prongs while you pull the trigger will | | | | at all. If you are caught carrying a firearm without a |
| cause a strong electrical current to go from the | | | | permit, the legal consequences can be severe |
| prongs through the attacker's clothes into his body. | | | | including fines, incarceration and a ban on owning |
| Pressing the prongs on the stun gun against a person | | | | firearms, possibly for life, in some states. |
| will quickly immobilize an attacker by causing an | | | | If a firearm is the best choice to scare off an |
| intense pain and complete loss of muscle control. | | | | assailant, why do I need anything other than a permit |
| However, because they operate at low amperage, | | | | and my handgun? |
| no serious or permanent injury is inflicted on the | | | | Just showing a firearm can sometimes stop off an |
| attacker; they will just be immobilized for 5-60 | | | | attack. However, that can be a problem as well. My |
| minutes depending on how long they were stunned. | | | | friend was just arrested for pointing a weapon at |
| Stun guns are used by police departments, security | | | | someone who he though was going to steal his car. |
| agencies, and individuals desiring strong non-lethal | | | | In any state, people who carry weapons are well |
| protection against attack. They have been proven to | | | | aware of the consequences of showing those |
| be an excellent defensive device. They operate on | | | | weapons. Using a firearm for self-defense on an |
| one to three 9-volt batteries and range from 50,000 | | | | unarmed assailant can bring very severe legal |
| volts to 1,000,000 volts. | | | | consequences. |
| How does a stun gun work? The stun gun uses high | | | | One of the most important elements of concealed |
| voltage and low amperage to affect the muscular | | | | carry training is understanding that when a victim pulls |
| and neural systems of the human body. They does | | | | the firearm, they must be prepared to take the |
| not rely on high amperage or pain for results, rather | | | | ultimate step. The key is to know when and under |
| most stun guns operate on milliamps. It feels like | | | | what circumstances a firearm should be pulled from |
| getting hit in the funny bone x 10,000. The stun gun | | | | concealment. Pulling a firearm on an unarmed assailant |
| dumps its energy into the muscles at a high pulse | | | | may not necessarily cause the assailant to break off |
| frequency. This makes the muscles contract rapidly, | | | | the attack. This is particularly so if the assailant |
| which results in energy loss, which depletes your | | | | perceives they can physically over-power you. Then |
| muscles of needed blood sugars. The attacker cannot | | | | you are in worse trouble than before you started. |
| produce energy for his muscles, and exhausted, his | | | | You must be prepared to use that weapon if you |
| body is unable to function properly for up to sixty | | | | point it. |
| minutes. The resulting energy loss makes it difficult to | | | | At that point the victim may face a physical |
| move and function. This causes disorientation and loss | | | | confrontation and fight over the firearm itself. This is |
| of balance, leaving the attacker in a passive and | | | | not a good situation. The vast majority of assaults |
| confused condition. Still there is no significant effect | | | | don't warrant the use of a firearm because the |
| on the heart and other organs. | | | | assailant is generally unarmed. This is where non-lethal |
| When the attacker's neuromuscular system is | | | | protection is extremely critical. All Police officers carry |
| overwhelmed and controlled by the stun gun he loses | | | | pepper spray and/or a stun device knowing that in a |
| his balance. Just a 1/4 second contact will repel and | | | | significant number of situations they encounter, the |
| startle the attacker, giving intense pain and muscle | | | | use of a firearm is not necessary. With a firearm, it's |
| contraction. One to two seconds will cause intense | | | | generally all or nothing. A non-lethal alternative offers |
| pain, muscle spasms and a dazed mental state; this | | | | an interim step that can save you an enormous |
| may drop the attacker to the ground. Over three | | | | amount of legal problems and money. |
| seconds will cause intense pain, loss of balance and | | | | Remember, while using a stun gun, you cannot suffer |
| muscle control mental confusion, and disorientation. | | | | a charge back to your own body, even if the |
| Generally any charge over three seconds will cause | | | | assailant is holding you. Just make sure the stun gun |
| the aggressor to fall to the ground. The aggressor | | | | you select has an anti-theft wrist strap, which will |
| will be unable to recover for several minutes and | | | | incapacitate the stun gun, if an attacker tries to take |
| effects may last for up to fifteen minutes. This gives | | | | it away from you. |
| you plenty of time to run for help. | | | | That's our report on Will A Stun Gun Protect Me? It's |
| Are stun guns safe? Stun guns have been proven to | | | | one of the best non-lethal defense products on the |
| be safe and effective non-lethal self defense | | | | market, and used with pepper spray, gives you a 1-2 |
| products. They do not cause any permanent damage | | | | punch that should take down the most aggressive of |
| to an attacker. While I found an article about a death | | | | attackers. |
| to an infant by a stun gun, I could not find any | | | | |