The Stun Gun - An Ideal Weapon for Personal Defense

A stun gun is a weapon commonly used for self-defense that relies on electroshock technology. Using a stun gun is an up close and personal affair - the stun gun must make contact with the attacker in order to function. A stun gun can deliver a charge of up to 800,000 volts. This sounds like enough to kill a person, but the amperage of the charge is at such a low level that permanent damage is not inflicted. The actual technique used by a stun gun to disable an attacker is knows as EMD (or Electro-Muscular Disruption).

The effects of a stun gun are immediate and quite dramatic. A one-second shot with a stun gun will cause a painful jolt to your attacker - more than enough to warn them that you are armed. A two-second shot begins to cause muscle spasms and your attacker may start to become dazed. A three-second or more shot will cause your attacker to become disoriented, lose their balance, and possibly to lose muscle control. Completely incapacitating someone with a stun gun takes something over 3 seconds, and depends on the individual and a few other factors such as the type of clothing they are wearing.

A stun gun works on the basis of the fact that our bodies are controlled by small electrical charges. A stun gun has two small electrodes that, when the trigger is pulled, develop a high-voltage electrical charge between them. When these electrodes make contact with the body, it begins to fill the gap between the electrodes and becomes a conductor of the electrical charge. This electrical charge begins to interfere with the electrical pulses controlling our muscles, causing spasms and contractions. This in turn causes the subject to use a great deal of energy in a small amount of time, leaving them incapacitated.

Some stun guns are large and designed for a show of force, while others are small and easy to conceal. You can even buy a stun gun disguised as flashlight, a cellphone or an umbrella. All models are battery operated and deliver a charge that ranges from 20,000 to 800,000 volts. But the amperage is what really matters when measuring how much power is delivered, so be sure and check the wattage - this is a measure of both voltage and amperage. A higher wattage rating means more power is delivered.

A stun gun typically has two sets of electrodes, an inner and an outer set. The outer set is the business end of the stun gun - it actually deliver the electrical charge when placed in contact with your attacker's body. The inner set is just for a show of force - when triggered it produces a bright spark and a loud crackling sound designed to warn your attacker that you are armed.

Stun guns are effective enough that they are used by the police and military. They are one of the most effective means of self-defense available to the average citizen.

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