[Capt. Charlie]

While I also dont agree with the stun gun, I also dont think we should post just to bash the guy.

Agreed.

I was just looking for people that know a lot about stun batons and devices, and could comment on some specific models of higher quality etc. Peace.

Problem is, Rev, that's a catch 22. Those who are knowledgeable can't, in good conscience, recommend any brand of stun baton . I say in good conscience because in doing so, and having you buy brand X, it will most likely give you a false sense of confidence.

I've been in on the electronic stun device revolution since the beginning, and I've "taken the ride" on most of 'em. Early on, we employed both the Nova and the Ultron II. Those were the earliest that used not only voltage, but frequency to interrupt the nervous system's signals to the voluntary muscles.

Therein lies the secret: It's not so much the voltage as it is the frequency. The human nervous system basically employs 3 different frequencies (much the same as different radio frequencies). One controls the heart, one controls involuntary muscles such as intestinal peristalsis, and one controls the voluntary muscles that move our bodies.

Effective stun devices selectively interrupt the signals to the voluntary muscles only. Taser has refined this technology significantly, and recently improved it even further with the development of shaped pulse technology in their "X" series Tasers. I'm relatively sure the new civilian model also uses it, hence the cost.

But, you were asking about stun batons. Unfortunately, all the models I'm familiar with rely only on voltage. Admittedly, the sight of all that fire running up and down the shaft is intimidating, but it's little else. Yes, it hurts, and it might (I stress the word "might" ) make someone drop a knife or blunt object, but its effect is only local and the most probable effect will be making your attacker even more angry.

When these stun batons first came out, a number of departments tried them, I think, in fact, because of the "cool" factor . After most of the officers used them and reported them to be mostly ineffective, however, they were dropped in favor of other, more reliable devices. While I'm sure there's still a few hanging on, I know of no department today that still uses them

Maybe a Taser "shock" without the projectiles.

And that's Taser's other secret: The probes (projectiles). With traditional stun devices, the path the electricity travels is relatively short, only a few inches or so. Taser's probes deploy at different angles, and when properly used, that path is much, much longer, and effectively incapacitates much more of the body.

The bottom line is, while some of the posters are perhaps a little harsh in their words, they do speak the truth. I know it's not what you want to hear, but out of concern for your safety should you become involved in an actual incident, I strongly suggest you save your money for awhile and go with a real Taser.