Stun gun

A stun gun, also called a taser, is a non-lethal weapon used by police officers, army personnel, and by individuals, as a protection against personal attacks. They are not meant to do any permanent damage to a person, only to stun them temporarily.

Table of contents 1 Principles of operation 1.1 Effects 1.2 Variations 1.3 Legal restrictions

Principles of operation

Stun guns work by applying a high-voltage, but low-current electrical charge. Since the nervous system in our bodies works by sending electrical charges of its own through neural pathways, the electrical current provided by a stun gun "confuses" the nervous system. This can cause the recipient of a charge from a stun gun (the "recipient") to feel paralyzed for a brief instant, because his or her brain is now receiving mixed signals from the nervous system. Or, the electrical current can cause many random muscles to trigger, causing a spasm or convulsion in many areas of the body. The high voltage is needed to get the charge into the other person's body, and the current is kept at a low level (3 mA) so that the recipient will not be injured severely.

Effects

According to the makers of stun guns, a charge of 1/4 second will cause the receipient to feel intense pain and muscle contractions, startling most greatly. 1 to 2 seconds will often cause the recipient to become dazed and drop to the ground, and over 3 seconds will usually completely disorient and drop an attacker, for at least several minutes and possibly for up to fifteen minutes.

Variations

The most common type of stun gun requires the user of the device to place metal electrodes directly in contact with the receipient. Some such devices are available disguised as other objects (such as an umbrella).

A longer-range version is the taser, in which the electrodes are connected to coils of wire and are propelled by a small gas charge (similar to an air rifle[?]). This type of device has a range of approximately 6 metres (20 feet). They are used by some police forces. They have the disadvantage that they are single-shot weapons, taking a great deal of time to reload, though most are fitted with conventional electrodes and can therefore be used as a basic stun gun if necessary.

Prototype stun guns exist which replace the solid wire with a stream of conductive liquid (essentially salty water) which offers the range of a taser (or better) and the possibility of multiple shots. Others are experimenting with devices that use a laser to ionize the air between the user and recipient (thus making it conduct electricity), though such devices are currently much too large for a hand-carried weapon.

Legal restrictions

Stun guns are illegal or subject to legal restrictions on their availability and use in many jurisdictions.

External links:

• http://www.howstuffworks.com/stun-gun.htm
• http://www.personal-selfdefense-online.com/stunguninfo.htm
• http://www.protectmefirst.com/stun_gun_faq.htm