Buy a Taser or a Stun Gun?

This article is to inform you, as a future self defense product purchaser, the differences between 2 products, both of which use electricity as a means of protection.

Main Differences
Many people would love to have a Taser, but some cannot afford one. What they don't realize is that a stun gun is a good alternative, and at a much lower price. They both utilize a means of electricity to temporarily impair an attacker. The main difference between a Taser and a stun gun is that the Taser will let you take down an attacker from 15 feet away while a stun gun requires close contact. The stun gun requires you to be at least within an arms length so that you can make contact between the stun gun and the person. On the other hand, the Taser shoots out 2 probes that are wired to the product which will travel up to 15 feet. One good feature that the stun gun has over the Taser is that you can always activate the stun gun and scare the attacker with merely the noise the stun gun makes. This makes a dramatic lightning effect and is very loud which can deter an attacker from getting near you. It's handy to scare away dogs too.

Stun Gun Pros
Stun guns are not only cheaper than Tasers, they are less expensive to use. Every time you deploy a Taser cartridge, which shoots the 2 probes, it is costing you $25. Each cartridge is a one shot deal. The cheapest citizen Taser will run you around $300, while the average cost of a stun gun is $45. Another expense which should be considered is the battery cost. Now grant it, the Taser's battery life or power magazine's life is 50 plus firings for the Taser C2 or a shelf life of 10 years compared to the batteries you buy for a stun gun which can be purchased at a department store for much less. Most stun guns use a 9-volt battery. If you use your Taser C2 more than 50 times, your cost to replace the power magazine is approximately $32.

Some stun guns come with a light just like Tasers do. Stun guns also come in different sizes. You can get a stun gun that is as small as a cigarette box and packs 1,000,000 volts of power! Furthermore, stun guns don't just come in different sizes, they also come in different shapes. Some stun guns can also trick the attacker by looking like a flashlight, a cell phone, or a pen. There are also stun batons that come in handy for home protection instead of the old baseball bat under the bed...

Taser Pros
Pros on Tasers you ask? Tasers are the weapon of choice now a days for police officers around the world. This is a big plus on behalf of Tasers. Tasers are very reliable or the police would not use them. Perhaps the biggest advantage, besides the 15 feet reach capability, is the Taser's laser beam. The laser is a sharp red beam that points at the target you are shooting at. This facilitates aiming and avoids missing a target, which in most cases is someone that is trying to attack you! It also has an LED light that facilitates night vision. Tasers also come in different citizen models.

The Taser C2, which was launched in August of 2007 and available in different colors and the Taser X26c which also comes with a choice of colors. Both models have outstanding features. The C2 has a unique trigger that can keep stunning for 30 seconds after you let go of the trigger. This gives a potential victim, a window of opportunity to lay the unit down and to run out of harms way. If the Taser was taken or damaged while the unit was being used in self defense and you get a police report, Taser International will replace the unit free of charge.

The Taser X26c features go beyond the regular Taser capabilities but it's also the priciest of the two. For example, you can attach a Taser X26 Cam Audio/Video to it and be able to record 1.5 hours of audio and MPEG video. This attachment also has the capability to record subjects in complete darkness by using an infrared illuminator. The Taser X26c also has a central information display to track battery life, etc. Also, just as stun guns, both the Taser X26c and the Taser C2 can be used as a stunning device by touching a person with the front end of the unit. This is possible only when a cartridge is not loaded into the Taser.

Both the Taser and the stun gun are excellent non-lethal, self defense weapons. These products can be purchased in most states. However, a few states have restrictions on stunning devises and Tasers. Please make sure you review your state's restrictions before you decide to purchase.