I have been having a lot of folks seeing advertisements for Taser devices, and asking about them for both home and outside-the-home protection. Some are worried about their judgment and feel that a less-lethal option may be better for them. Others want to add another tool to the toolbox. Either way, you need to think it through.
First, you need to understand that Tasers are considered “less lethal” options. They are NOT non-lethal. Although the company has not lost a lawsuit yet, the fact is that people have indeed died after being Tased. Usually they are on illegal drugs or medications for mental conditions, but they have still died after exposure to the device.
Second, the most common Taser device for non-LE is the C2. It’s designed to hit a subject at a range of up to 15 feet and leave them incapacitated (actively Tasing them) for 30 seconds. It’s designed so that the victim deploys it, drops it, and uses that 30 seconds to get away.
If you miss or if the person is wearing body armor, what’s your backup? What if it doesn’t work? What will you do?
If you are thinking of home defense with it, well, if you get a hit and the guy goes down, you have 30 seconds. What do you do when that 30 seconds is up?
Do you run away, leaving him in your house? I wouldn’t. When he gets up, he is going to be seriously pissed off, giving him time to do who-knows-what.
Do you have handcuffs or other restraints and training on how to employ them? If not, you may have to keep shocking him until the police arrive. Then he might just go after you for pain and suffering.
In reality, Police Officers have a whole duty belt full of tools they can use to facilitate compliance in relation to an ARREST. It’s not practical for most of us to carry all of that around – that’s what we pay them for.
The question is – are you planning to ARREST your assailant, or are you planning to DEFEND YOUR LIFE?
I have also heard from some students from other instructors who have been told that .22lr (long rifle) firearms are very small and easy to conceal. They apparently neglected to mention that .22lr has VERY little stopping power, and is not seriously recommended by ANYONE.
Yes, those little derringer-style revolvers from North American are cute novelty items and make for interesting conversation pieces. They are NOT truly effective as a defensive firearm. They are intended to be used at contact range if employed at all.
Have you ever seen a police officer carrying a .22 on duty? No. They carry mainline calibers (9mm, .40 S&W, .45 ACP, .357 Magnum, .357 SIG, or 10mm) that have proven stopping power. If you have to shoot, you are shooting to stop the threat.
I know a gentleman that was shot in the abdomen with a .22. He didn’t know he was shot until he felt an itching and realized he had been shot.
You do NOT want to rely on a .22 to save your life. Yes, they can be small. But so can a good, reliable 9mm, .38 special, or even a .380 ACP. Any any one of those give you a far better chance of stopping the threat than a .22.