EAGLES BEA
"We run, but don't get weary"---------- ISA 40:31 Professional bail bond recovery serving WA, ID, MT, OR and (coming soon) California.
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The TASER
 
is not a stun gun.  Well, it is, but it's not.  TASER is a brand name for a device which can be called a Remote Stun Gun, meaning you do not have to be in direct physical contact with an assailant to use it.  Stun guns require direct contact.
 
 
        
 
But let's back up.  TASERs and stun guns are all part of the family of devices known as EMDs or electro-muscular disruption devices.  These weapons use electricity to disrupt the function of muscles in the human body, incapacitating the target.  They are exceptional non-lethal forms of self defense.  But they do have their drawbacks.
 
 

 

As you can see the  TASER is exceptionally effective in stopping an assailant.  They are (in my opinion) the most effective non-lethal item available.  They do not require a permit to carry (in most places), and just their presence is often enough to dissuade trouble.  They are not subject to weather (wind) in their effectiveness like pepper sprays can be.  They are not potentially lethal (under normal circumstances) like batons can be.  Point and shoot, very simple.

 

There are a few different models available.  The TASER shown above is from the "M" series.  This is a bit older technology than the "X" series and the yet to be released C2.  I carry the M18.  Law enforcement used to carry the M26, but have switched over to the "X" series.  I have been hit with both the M26 and the X26.  It was the worst thing I have ever experienced.  That was after I was pepper sprayed the day before.  No comparison (for me). 

 

If I say that, why even recommend pepper spray?  Because many of the BEAs I work with feel just the opposite.  They would rather be TASERed again, and never hit with pepper.  It's all about tolerance, and you are not going to know who is who in the case you need to protect yourself.  Pepper will take down 95% of everyone you run into, TASER about 99%. Take your choice.

 

Downsides: TASERs require training to use correctly.  Get the classes.  Don't think about not getting classes.  If you are going to buy the TASER and skip the classes, forget it.  The TASER will run you $300-$500 for the M18, $900-$1000 for the "X" series, and about $350 for the C2.  Every time you fire a cartridge, it's $20.  Twenty bucks when you are needing to be safe is no big deal.  Twenty bucks to practice more than two or three times, is.  A TASER is difficult to conceal, but that may not be a bad thing.  My team had to arrest a gal one time who was in an apartment with 2 dudes much bigger than I am, and I'm not a small guy.  My partner dragged her out from under the pile of laundry she was hiding under, while I stood by the front door, TASER unholstered, at my side, while the dudes watched my every move.  We had no trouble, but if I had pepper or a baton out, those guys may have thought otherwise. Thank the Lord it all went smooth.

 

If you can afford the TASER (classes too), buy one.  If not, you may want a stun gun, which is a contact weapon that behaves like a TASER.  A stun gun has two fixed probes at the front end which arc electricity when the trigger switch is pulled or pushed.  They range in voltage from 65,000 (a TASER is 50,000) to 950,000 volts!  No amperage behind the volts, so it's not deadly.  Stunguns come in handheld units, and batons for the most part (see above).  There are a few variations (pen, fake cell phone, and so on) but most look like the hand unit or baton.  They are much cheaper than a TASER, $25 to $100 for most models, but they do require direct contact, unlike the TASER which has a range of 15 feet. (to be continued...)