Tasers and stun guns are built on the same fundamental concept: both employ a less-than-lethal electrical charge to ward off an attack. While both a stun gun and a Taser are considered the same weapon under the law, making them legal to carry in most states, there are some major differences to consider between these two types of self-defense weapons.
A stun gun generates a high-voltage electrical charge between two small prongs; when this electrical current makes contact with the body, a painful charge is delivered. The amperage, however, is too low to seriously or permanently injure an individual and yet is typically strong enough to briefly immobilize someone, buying you precious seconds to escape unharmed. Hence, this is a generally safe and effective self-defense weapon to employ.
A Taser also delivers an electrical charge between two electrodes; however, these electrodes shoot out from a compressed gas cartridge inserted in the Taser, which launches the two prongs up to 15 feet from the Taser, similar to how a gas-charged BB gun works. The electricity, then, does not pass directly between the prongs, but rather through conductive wires which are attached to the gun’s electrical circuit. Small barbs on the ejected electrodes are able to hook into an attacker’s clothing or skin, which deliver the electrical current. When these electrodes shoot out, they travel in slightly opposite trajectories so that when they attach to a target’s body, they create a larger field of electricity. This larger surface area of electricity traveling between electrodes is what not only delivers a painful shock, like a stun gun, but also has the ability to immobilize an attacker, potentially for several minutes, without causing unconsciousness. This superior, longer duration immobilization is why police and law enforcement use a Taser to subdue and apprehend bad guys. Taser® calls this ability their “muscular override technology.