About Pepper Spray:

Question:  How does Pepper Spray Work?

Answer:

In addition to causing an attacker pain, Pepper Shot swells the mucous membranes, which makes breathing difficult, and swells the    veins in the eyes, causing the eyes to close. These effects can last up to 45 minutes and cause no permanent damage.

Question:  What is the difference between the pepper spray foggers and the streams?

Answer:

The fogger is bettter up close to the attacker(s).  It sprays a wider area so you will probably affect more than one attacker even if you have bad aim. However, its range is limited.  If you are in a windy area, the fogger could be blown completely off targer and even blow into your face. The streams give you a greater distance but will not be able to hit as many opponents with one blast. In addition, you must aim directly at the assailant's face. In a windy situation it is more accurate.  It does tend to take longer to produce the desired effect than the fogger.

Qeustion:       

Answer:

You should definately practice with your pepper spray.  If you don't practice you won't have any idea how far it sprays, what pattern you can expect, or how it feels to use it. You can usually get a couple of practice shots and still have enough left over to thwart an attacker.  It is a good idea however, to have an extra pepper spray on hand. It is also a good idea to test the canister periodically.

Question:  Is one brand of pepper spray more effective than the others?

Answer:

The only data about brands we currently have is the Mace Brand.  The Mace company, we are told, hand tests every single unit to see if it sprays in the right direction or to see if the canister leaks. Every canister has a serial number and expiration date, and is fully guaranteed up to 60 days past the expiration date.

Question:  What is the significance of the Tripple Action Spray?

Answer:

The Tripple Action spray contains 1% CN gas (tear gas- pain factor) and 1% OC @ 1 million shu.  So the attacker is going to be in major pain. It is also nice because if you have bad aim and miss the attacker's face but still hit him in the torso or chin, the spray will still take effect because the Tear Gas vaporizes. This is why this spray is best for outdoor use.

Question:  In what situation is the 10% Pepper Gard best?

Answer:     The 10% Pepper Gard must be sprayed directly in the face and eyes for the spray to work. It works best in close quarter such as a car.

Question:  Is there a pepper spray model that is best for indoor use?

Answer:

Pepper Foam or Pepper Gel is good for indoors because it does not give off a lot of fumes.  However, both take longer to produce the esired effect because neither splashes nor absorbs fast.

Question:  Do the pepper spray rings work as well as the canisters?

Answer:

We found one testimonial on a blog about a woman who used it. She was walking on a trail when an assailant came and grabbed her. She emptied the contents of the Pepper Ring into his face and he immediately backed down.  She also stated he appeared to be in a lot of pain and acted like he couldn't see.  He then fled when she called the police on her cell phone.

Question:  Do pepper sprays have an expiration date?

Answer:

Pepper Sprays usually have an expiration date on the canister. If they don't, discard after 2 years and purchase a new one. Save the old one to practice with. Gard Alaska Bear Spray is the only one we know of that does not expire.

 

About Stun Guns:

Question:  How do Stun Guns work?

Answer:

Stun guns use high voltage and low amperage to temporarily disable an attacker for several minutes. The stun gun does not rely on pain for results. The energy stored in the gun is dumped into the attacker's muscles causing them to do a great deal of work rapidly. This rapid work cycle instantly depletes the attacker's blood sugar by converting it to lactic acid. In short, he is unable to produce energy for his muscles, and his body is unable to function properly. The stun gun also interrupts the tiny neurological impulses that control and direct voluntary muscle movement. When the attacker's neuromuscular system is overwhelmed and controlled by the stun gun he loses his balance.  Should the attacker be touching you, the current will NOT pass to your body!

 

Question:  Do Stun Guns have to touch the assailant in order to create the desired effect?

Answer:     Stun Guns are a direct contact weapon.  They have to be in contact with the assailant in order to create the desired effect.

Question:  How can you tell which Stun Gun delivers the most energy?

Answer:

The Barracuda BC-18 delivers 1.8 million volts, the most energy of all our stun guns. More recent technology has found a way to make stun guns smaller and more powerful with less number of batteries required. When comparing them listen for the sound they make when the discharge button is activated. The more noise of electricity it makes the more powerful the energy delivery.

 Question: Do Stun guns Work through clothing? 

 

Answer:   Stun Devices will work through several layers of clothing depending on the type of materials. Multiple layers of cloth or denim up to 1/2 or 3/4 of an inch thick is not a challenge...Of course the higher the stun gun voltage, the thicker the clothing they'll go through. They do not work very well through rubber rain coats and may not be as effective through heavy leather jackets. Stun guns however, are effective nearly anywhere on the body. Aim for the face/neck area, or their legs if your attacker is wearing rubber or heavy leather.

About Batteries:

Question:  Why do you recommend Alkaline batteries for the Stun Guns?

Answer:

Alkaline batteries deliver twice the power of the rechargeable ones.  Alkaline batteries have a shelf life of years whiile rechargeable ones lose 1-1.5% power per day. After 1 month the rechargeable battery will have lost 30-45% of its capacity.  Alkaline batteries will outlast the rechargeable batteries 4 to 1.

Advanced TASER Frequently Asked Questions

HOW DOES AN ADVANCED TASER WORK?
Upon firing, compressed nitrogen projects two ADVANCED TASER probes 15 feet at a speed of 135 feet per second. An electrical signal transmits throughout the region where the probes make contact with the body or clothing. The result is an instant loss of the attacker's neuromuscular control and any ability to perform coordinated action. ADVANCED TASER uses an automatic timing mechanism to apply the electric charge. The ADVANCED TASER releases an electric current in a pre-set time sequence (an initial seven seconds followed by several 1.8 second breaks for a total time of about 30 seconds in each cycle). This cycle ensures that the nervous system of the target does not recover instantly to allow him to remove the probes. The follow-on bursts disrupt the process of re-equilibration of the nervous system. While the target is disabled, the user can place the device on the ground and escape.

HOW CAN THE ADVANCED TASER BE SO EFFECTIVE YET NON-INJURIOUS?
The ADVANCED TASER does not depend upon impact or body penetration to achieve its effect. Its pulsating electrical output interferes with communication between the brain and the muscular system, resulting in loss of control. However, the ADVANCED TASER is non-destructive to nerves, muscles and other body elements. It simply affects them in their natural mode. More importantly, no deaths have ever been directly attributed to the TASER .

WHAT HAS TESTING REVEALED REGARDING THE ADVANCED TASER? Anesthesiologist and specialist in medical electronics, Dr. Frank Summers, MD of St. Joseph's Hospital, Orange, California, directed tests of volunteers at St. Joseph's in 1971 and 1974. Dr. Summers stated, "...We undertook this [volunteer test] in the operating rooms at St. Joseph's Hospital. We had an assembly of cardiovascular surgeons, cardiologists... we had a real [TASER]. We tested extensively and made movies. The tests were impressive. We monitored all parameters of physiology, including electrocardiographs. The tests did not produce any lethal effects and we found that the background work that had been done did indeed pan out in practice."

DOES THE TASER AFFECT THE HEART OR A CARDIAC PACEMAKER?
The ADVANCED TASER's output is well below the level established as "safe" by the federal government in approving such devices as the electrified cattle fence. In a medical study of the Model XR 5000Ô electronic stun gun, Dr. Robert Stratbucker of the University of Nebraska Medical Center confirmed that the T-Wave does not interrupt the heartbeat or damage a pacemaker. Any modern pacemaker is designed to withstand electrical defibrillator pulses that are hundreds of times stronger than the ADVANCED TASER's output. The ADVANCED TASER current of 0.3 joules is well below the 10-50 joule threshold above which cardiac ventricular fibrillation can occur.

ISN'T HIGH VOLTAGE LETHAL?
High voltage, in itself, is not dangerous. One can receive a 25,000-volt shock of static electricity from a doorknob on a dry day without harm. The physiological effect of electrical shock is determined by: the current, its duration, and the power source that produces the shock. The typical household current of 110 volts is dangerous because it can pump many amperes of current throughout the body indefinitely. By contrast, the ADVANCED TASER power supply consists of an alkaline 9-Volt battery that is capable of supplying less than three watts of electrical power for a few minutes.

WILL THE TASER CAUSE ELECTROCUTION?
No. The output is metered by the electronics and the electrical energy in each pulse is always the same, regardless of the target condition. The electrical output will not be transferred from one person to another even if they touch. ADVANCED TASER, Inc.'s president has been stunned by an ADVANCED TASER while standing in water to emphasize this point.

WHAT ARE THE AFTEREFFECTS?
A person hit with an ADVANCED TASER will feel dazed for several minutes. The pulsating electrical output causes involuntary muscle contractions and a resulting sense of vertigo. It can momentarily stun or render an attacker unconscious. Yet, the ADVANCED TASER's low electrical amperage and short duration of pulsating current, ensures a non-lethal charge. Moreover, it does not cause permanent damage or long-term aftereffects to muscles, nerves or other body functions. A January 1987 Annals of Emergency Medicine study reported TASER technology leaves no long term injuries compared with 50% long term injuries for gun shot injuries.

MUST THE PROBES PENETRATE THE BODY TO BE EFFECTIVE?
No. The electrical current will "jump" up to two inches as long as both probes are attached to clothing or skin. At most, only the 3/8-inch needlepoint will penetrate the skin. They have less energy than a spring propelled BB.

WHAT IF THE PROBES MISS?
The ADVANCED TASER can be used in a touch-stun mode. The user is thus provided with a final backup if the probes miss the target. Should the user miss or engage a second attacker, he can touch the unit directly to the target and it will work like a powerful touch-stun device.

WHAT IS THE BEST-SHOT AT MAXIMUM RANGE?
As long as the spread of the probes is at least six inches, the ADVANCED TASER will be extremely effective. To ensure that the spread is greater than six inches, the ADVANCED TASER should be fired at a target several feet away. The optimum shot is from seven to ten feet away form the target to achieve maximum effect. At seven to ten feet away - the spread of the probes will be approximately 16 inches, ensuring that the target receives the most efficient T-Wave flow.

DOES TEMPERATURE HAVE A DETRIMENTAL EFFECT ON THE ADVANCED TASER? No. The ADVANCED TASER utilizes compressed nitrogen (an inert gas). The ADVANCED TASER compressed air capsules have successfully held their charges at temperatures of minus 20º F and up to 160º F. Moreover, altitude will not adversely effect the firing of an ADVANCED TASER. In addition, the temperature will not effect the T-Wave. However, as with any product containing polycarbonates and other thermoplastics, the ADVANCED TASER and Air Cartridges should never be left in direct sunlight.