June 11, 2022 
Street harassment is a significant and pertinent dilemma in our modern world. According to Gallup’s Annual Crime Survey, 37% of U. S. adults asserted that they would not feel safe walking alone at night, even near their communities. Harassment can literally happen anywhere – on the street, around your workplace, subway, public toilets, or parks.
This should be read as an eye-opener to understand the need to focus on and create awareness about self-defense weapons. The facilitation of self-defense devices heralds a new secure world, especially for women, where they can feel protected, confident and self-reliant!
Stun guns and tasers take the spotlight as the most useful and trustworthy kinds of non-lethal firearms for self-defense that enables users to take control of their own lives. Despite what many people believe, stun guns and tasers are not essentially the same thing.
We will help you understand the basic differences between a taser and a stun gun by outlining their major features, range, and uses.
What is a Stun Gun?
A stun gun is a self-defense device that utilizes high voltage to inflict extreme pain to the target. When you touch a person with the device’s two electrodes, you will immediately immobilize or stun that person. Due to the stun gun’s very low amperage, you won’t be inflicting any permanent or serious injury to them.
A stun gun works by allowing the electricity to pass between two metal prongs attached at the end of the weapon. Upon physical contact, the electric shock attacks the target’s nervous system, thereby paralyzing the muscles of the target’s body for a few seconds. It administers its energy straight to the muscles at a high pulse frequency.
Stun guns work by rapidly overwhelming the body’s muscles and depleting them of blood sugar. This means that when your target contacts the stun gun’s prongs, it will cause a muscle spasm, a sense of imbalance, and a dazed mental state. The stun gun gives you a few solid minutes to get safely away from the situation.
The powerful electric charge of a stun gun can pass through even heavy clothing and stop attackers from reacting. There is no risk of accidental discharge or getting electrocuted even if you’re being held or touched by your target. The electric shock will only be uploaded to the contact points. The activation button on the stun gun must be switched off when not in use to prevent accidental discharge.
The stun guns are crafted discreetly for convenient carrying along with other personal paraphernalia. Like pepper spray, stun guns are concealable because they are made in a compact size and are designed in the shape of ordinary things that people usually carry like cell phones, lipstick, key chain, or even brass knuckles.
The stun gun flashlight is an added feature that improves visibility and aims in poorly lit areas or sends a distress signal to anyone around for rescue. Additionally, the flashlight on the stun gun can also distract the target briefly before you’re ready to use the stun feature.
The stun guns also produce a menacing sound when the activation button is pressed, which might be enough to deter an assailant in many situations. Human beings have an inherent fear of current, so stun guns can act as a major deterrent in neutralizing aggressors effectively.
What is a Taser?
The first taser device was developed in the 1970s by an American inventor, named after the acronym for Tom A. Swift Electric Rifle, and its also the brand name for the device, which is Taser International manufactures. . The taser weapon was a breakthrough in the world of defense weapons. It is a popular police officer’s weapon that incapacitate its targets through electric shock jolts.
All tasers are stun guns, but not all stun guns are tasers. The main difference between a taser device and a stun gun is their operational range, as taser devices are long-range weapons. They can affect and attack a potential aggressor from a distance of 15 feet (to more than 25 feet), enabling the user to maintain a safe space and gain time to escape the situation.
Tasers use nitrogen propellant to fire two small dart-like electrodes connected to the device with thin conducting wires. Upon direct contact with the target, the electrodes deliver an electric shock, paralyzing the target’s nervous system, resulting in temporary incapacitation for several seconds. The darts of a taser device can penetrate thick clothing.
The taser pulse delivers a very painful shock that affects your target’s muscles, bringing them crashing down to the ground or losing control of their voluntary muscle movement. The pulse continues for five seconds and can be administered longer by pressing the button constantly.
A taser weapon comes with a laser beam to carefully aim the target before hitting it. Normally, a taser pulse gives you only one chance to shoot only one pair of barbed projectiles before changing the firing cartridge. The rechargeable batteries of tasers are designed to deliver multiple electric shocks that will induce debilitating muscle contractions while minimizing the risk of serious injury.
A taser can function as a 2-in-1 device as it can also be utilized as a conventional stun gun to dislodge a powerful electric injury on the attacker’s body by pressing it directly against the skin. It doesn’t cause paralysis but sends an electric jolt that causes intense pain.
The taser weapons resemble the appearance of a standard gun with their barrel shape and a trigger, although they are usually produced in bright neon colors for easy distinction. The taser devices are harder to camouflage among the other common items one carries along.
Major differences between Stun Guns and Tasers
As already discussed, the basic difference between these two weapons lies in their operational range – tasers are long-range while stun guns are direct close-range weapons. A taser allows you to keep your distance from the target while you need to be in close proximity to your target for a stun gun.
Secondly, both stun gun and tasers have different price tags, with taser devices being steeply-priced and stun guns being more pocket friendly for the consumers. Both have their individual features to match different temperaments of potential buyers as, unlike stun guns, taser requires skill and accuracy to use effectively.
Another big difference is handling these weapons, as tasers are made to give you a better grip on the device just like a normal gun, while the stun guns are smaller and come in varied shapes. Thus they need more practice.
Neither taser nor stun guns are legal in all states by local laws. Different gun laws are applied to these self-defense weapons, thereby dictating your choice to own these devices for personal protection. Most of the time, stun guns don’t require a background check before purchasing, but tasers do.
Which one should you get?
When it comes to the taser vs stun gun debate, there are a lot of different factors to consider before making a rational decision. The crux of this discussion is that both of these products can protect you during dangerous situations. You can choose whichever feels most comfortable for you according to your lifestyle and preference.
If you don’t feel confident or skilled enough to be able to aim well when you’re under pressure, then a stun gun might be the better option. Stun guns eliminate the added stress of perfect aim.
The shock from a stun gun can only be applied at close range, but it can be used multiple times, which means you have more than one chance at subduing your target. However, if you don’t like the idea of direct contact with your attacker to stop them, you may want to go with the taser.
Normally a taser device is heavy and bulky, about the size of a handgun, but a stun gun is usually made about the size of ordinary items one can easily carry in a small bag. So the difference in sizes gives you the freedom to choose the guns according to your preference. A stun gun is comparatively easier to hide and take along undetected.
The stun guns mostly come with additional features of a flashlight, rescue alarms, and even an integrated pepper spray as well. The cost of these and other weapons should not be a major concern when making a decision considering the safety and peace of mind they offer you!
Pepper sprays and other modern weapons are the most common choice of civilians as state laws legalize them. However, suppose you’re looking for a stronger self-defense weapon. In that case, stun guns and tasers are a better choice to help defend oneself from a potential threat when leaving work late or walking the dog in an unfamiliar neighborhood.
Remember, stun guns and tasers make a good, less-lethal alternative to traditional handguns. Both work effectively to neutralize a situation without using violent attacks or excessive force.
Are stun guns and tasers legal in your city? The local laws differ that govern the legality of the use of these weapons. In many states like Rhode Island and Hawaii, stun guns are illegal. However, stun guns and tasers are legal in some states like South Carolina. Make sure to check the local and state stun gun laws and restrictions before purchasing a stun gun or taser.
Ready to purchase similar devices for your security? On our main page, you can check out our huge selection of high-quality pepper sprays, personal alarms, flashlight batons, tasers, and stun guns!
