Self protection is always going to be a huge concern for people. As long as there’s fear of crime, or for that matter people willing to commit it, there’s always a potential you could get mugged, caught up in a brawl or just be in the wrong place at the wrong time. And different people will do different things to prepare for this unfortunate possibility. Smart folks will just avoid problem areas and thus eliminate as much potential trouble as possible. Some people will take to walking with a shillelagh when they go out on the town, or take a self defense class to learn basic muscle memory and fighting techniques. Others will sharpen a knife and keep it on their hips for an easy draw. Still others will go whole hog, get a gun permit and go everywhere packing hollow point rounds, just in case. For those who want an elegant, simple solution though you just can’t beat a Taser.
Tasers and stun guns are popular forms of self defense because they require very little skill or knowledge on the part of the user, and they are designed to incapacitate a foe without doing irreparable damage. This also has the added benefit that if you get jumpy and your roommate sneaks up on you, the worst you’ve done is given him a nasty surprise. A stun gun is a handheld device with two prongs. You touch an assailant with the prongs to create a closed electrical circuit to trigger the effect. A Taser is the long distance version, where prongs shoot out roughly 20 feet or so. These are what you see cops carrying, and they provide both distance and safety in the knowledge that you didn’t run the risk of killing the other person.
Now, everyone knows the reaction to a stun gun. You’re hit with one, you convulse and fall down. Basic stuff. But how do they work? Glad you asked. The question relies on voltage versus amperage. Voltage is the amount of electricity you deliver, think of it as water pressure. Amperage is like a water’s current; it’s how much of the water is flowing. Rain drops have a high force, coming from so high up, but they aren’t as frequent as say water flowing down a waterfall where the drops are much closer together and thus more frequent (higher current). So when you shoot someone with your stun gun or Taser, which has a simple, 9 volt battery in it, you’re delivering a lot of voltage, but the current is spaced out so that it doesn’t fry the person like they’d stuck their wet finger in an electrical socket.
The effect this has on the body is definitely not pleasant to receive. The prongs push past cloth and into (or at) your skin, which creates a closed circuit that allows the electricity to flow out and into your nervous system. The voltage disrupts your nervous system and takes away your ability to control your voluntary muscles, leading to shaking, involuntary contractions and in most cases collapse. Thus you incapacitate an opponent with only a few seconds of contact, giving you more than a few moments to run away, handcuff the assailant or whatever else you need to do.
Of course no weapon is perfect and if you want to stop tasers then all you need to remember is one thing; no electricity comes out if the circuit can’t close. For those who also want to be protected from bean bag bullets this means that you can wear body armor like motorcycle plate with plastic that will block the prongs and thus the electricity in them. However, modern stun guns are built with the full knowledge that they might need to be used on someone wearing a heavy leather jacket or even a basic, bullet proof vest. However, there is still an answer. Thor Shield (named after the heathen got of thunder, Thor) is a specific fabric meant to protect against Tasers and stun gun type weapons. The fabric is lined with pathways that will carry the charge away from the wearer, bringing the charge back to the prongs while keeping the wearer unharmed. Thor Shield can be worn as a fabric on its own, but it can also be worn as a lining under a uniform or a ballistic vest as a way to help keep criminals from taking away a police officer’s weapon and then using it against them.
“How Does a TASER Work,” by Anonymous at Taser
“How Does a Stun Gun Work?” by Anonymous at Women on Guard
“Taser-Proof Body Armor?” by Noah Shachtman at Wired