The idea for the handheld stun gun came after the original Taser was invented in 1969. The name Taser is an acronym: " Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle", named for the fictional teenage inventor and adventurer Tom Swift. It was designed in 1969 by Arizona inventor Jack Cover. The Taser that we carry is used by citizens and police departments all over the country. These units fire small dart-like electrodes attached to wires propelled by the Taser unit. The handheld stun gun adapts the same type of takedown ability, but these models are much less expensive and requires the user to touch the metal prongs, carrying the voltage, to the assailant.

Principles of operation
Stun gun technology uses a temporary high-voltage low-current electrical discharge to override the body's superficial muscle-triggering mechanisms. The recipient is immobilized via two metal probes (darts) connected via metal wires from the stun gun usually penetrating the human skin, and superficial muscle. The recipient that is 'connected' to a stun gun feels great pain and can be momentarily paralyzed (only so long as there is an electrical current being applied) because his muscles are receiving electrical 'shock'. The (relatively) low electric current must be pushed by (relatively) high voltage to overcome the electrical resistance of the human body. The resultant 'shock' is caused by muscles twitching uncontrollably, appearing as muscle spasms. However, because the amount of current is relatively low, there is considered to be a 'margin' of safety by a number of medical experts upon usage on humans. To date, scientific experiments to determine the effects on human cardio-pulmonary and respiratory functions have shown no significant findings of lasting effect.

In current stun-gun models, the amperage is relatively low (2.1mA to 3.6mA) which is based in part on the electrical supply, (for example M-26 Taser models use 8 x AAs batteries). Electrical current above 100mA is considered to be potentially lethal to humans.

The internal circuits of most stun-guns are fairly simple, either based on an oscillator, resonant circuit and step-up transformer or diode-capacitor voltage multipliers to achieve the continuous, direct or alternating high-voltage discharge may be powered by one or more 9 V battery depending on manufacturer, and model. The output voltages without external "load" (which would be the target's body) can range from 50 kV up to 900 kV, with the most common being in the 200 to 300 kV range. The output current upon contact with the target will depend on various factors such as target's resistance, skin type, moisture, bodily salinity, clothing, the stun-gun's internal circuitry and battery conditions.

According to the many sources, a shock of half a second duration will cause intense pain and muscle contractions startling most people greatly. Two to three seconds will often cause the subject to become dazed and drop to the ground, and over three seconds will usually completely disorient and drop an attacker for at least several minutes and possibly for up to fifteen minutes.

Pepper spray, also known as oleoresin of capsicum (OC) spray, was originally introduced in the U.S. in the 1980s by the Postal Service as a dog repellent. It was also used on bears and other animals. The FBI endorsed it as an "official chemical agent" in 1987 but it wasn't until 1991 that more than 3,000 local law enforcement agencies added it to their arsenals. MACE is the brand name used by Mace International and originally these sprays contained CS or tear gas. Now MACE also manufactures pepper spray as well as combination sprays.

Pepper spray (also known as OC spray (from "Oleoresin Capsicum"), OC gas, or capsicum spray) is a lachrymatory agent (a chemical compound that irritates the eyes to cause tears, pain, and even temporary blindness) that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears. It is a non-lethal agent that can be deadly in rare cases. The American Civil Liberties Union claims to have documented fourteen fatalities from the use of pepper spray. The active ingredient in pepper spray is capsaicin, which is a chemical derived from the fruit of plants in the Capsicum genus, including chillis.

Pepper spray is an inflammatory agent, not an irritant like Mace. It causes immediate closing of the eyes and coughing. The length of the effects depend on the strength of the spray but the average full effect lasts around thirty to forty-five minutes, with mitigated effects lasting for hours.

The Journal of Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science published a study that concluded that single exposure of the eye to OC is harmless, but repeated exposure can result in long-lasting changes in corneal sensitivity. They found no lasting decrease in visual acuity
The HPLC (High Pressure Liquid Chromatography) method is used to measure the amount of capsaicin within pepper sprays. Scoville Heat Unit (SHU) testing is also used to measure the hotness of pepper spray, but this is a subjective test which changes from person to person and does not measure the actual chemical percentage within the product.

A synthetic analogue of capsaicin, pelargonic acid vanillylamide (desmethyldihydrocapsaicin), is used in another version of pepper spray known as PAVA spray which is used in England. Another synthetic counterpart of pepper spray, pelargonic acid morpholide, was developed and is widely used in Russia. Its effectiveness compared to natural pepper spray is unclear and it has caused some injuries.

Pepper spray typically comes in canisters, which are often small enough to be carried or concealed in a pocket or purse. Pepper spray can also be bought concealed in items such as rings.

We have sold our products to thousands of customers across the U.S. Pepper sprayand dog repellent have been very popular products for postal workers, meter readers and college students. Stun guns and pepper spray have also been widely requested by locksmiths, real estate agents and people who jog or bicycle ride in their neighborhood or the park. Locksmiths have found the stun flashlight/alarm combo to be very useful since much of their work requires them to be out at night in unfamiliar places. We have also sold many of our wireless alarms, especially the 'motion activated' models to hunters who store equipment in deer camps in the middle of the woods, as well as owners of portable firework stands that are unattended much of the year. The voice alert alarm has proven to be a great tool for monitoring driveways as well as keeping small kids away from swimming pools.

Many of our products have multiple uses for self defense and security needs for almost any situation. If you are unsure which product is best for your situation, feel free to call or e-mail us. We will be happy to help.

In 2005, U.S. residents age 12 or older experienced approximately 24 million crimes, according to findings from the National Crime Victimization Survey.

-- 77% (18.6 million) were property crimes
-- 22% (5.4 million) were crimes of violence
-- 1% were personal thefts

In 2005 for every 1,000 persons age 12 or older, there occurred

--1 rape or sexual assault
--1 assault with injury
--2 robberies