Odd ponderings; Chainmail and tasers?

All the recent taser threads up in L&P have got me thinking. What would happen if a person were to be tasered whilst wearing chain mail? Like full torso coverage.

I'm not sure whether the chain mail would act like a Faraday cage, (is that the right term?) conducting the charge harmless around the wearer, rather than through them, or if it would just suck really, really bad to be jazzed with umpteen thousand volts while wearing a shirt made out of metal.

A third possibilty I had considered was that the taser might short out/burn out/whatever, due to the unexpected lack of resistence (But I can only imagine that tasers would be safe-guarded against such an occurence.)

Any thoughts welcomed :)

Well, depends. If the probes slot themselves into gaps in the armor then the effect would be nill. Other than the fact that you'd go "chink" like a pocketfull of loose change when you hit the ground.

If the probes hit the metal itself they'll probably bounce off, and won't have a whole lot of time to zap anything.

Alternatively, the probes could get wedged into gaps in the rings and just conduct between themselves, resulting in zero effect to the big fleshy thing with the higher resistance (that would be you, Mo Dean) lurking behind.

I have no idea what it would do to the driver hardware of the taser itself.

If you really want to test this I'd recommend going with scale mail under your shirt instead of chain, since there are no chinks in it for the probes to work their way through. I can weave some pretty dense mail with some pretty small links, but it's still pretty iffy. Putting some leather or at least a shirt between the scale mail and you would also be a good plan, just in case.

Beware of rioters who go "clank."

I suspect that the effect would be absolutely nil, though I admit that I do not know for certain.

A probe might hit a chainmail link and bounce back, but it would probably still be hooked on the covering garment (assuming there is one), and it would still arc to the subject as long as it was caught and stayed within a few inches.

Mike

If both hit the chain you'd get nothing.

If both hit skin, it would make no difference.

If one hit and the other hit chain you'd get nothing.

There could be some kewl visual effects.

Depends on the Taser model. The X26 with the shaped pulse starts shocking you when the probe is within two inches of skin contact. Barbs don't actually have to make contact to juice you. Not sure about the older models and how they would react.

If both hit the chain you'd get nothing.

If both hit skin, it would make no difference.

If one hit and the other hit chain you'd get nothing.Curious: what is the basis for this?

Mike

As long as the mail is made from a conductive material, I don't see that it would be any different than using a contact stun-gun (?).

We need some pictures of Taser barbs and chain mails with rulers or coins next to them for scale.

Tasers vs. chainmail. I love this subforum.

Old thread. Hm. 2006. Yep, that's way back in the days when chainmail was still in common use.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure tasers are reliant on the probes penetrating the skin. Otherwise, you get something more like a stun gun. I.e., "ouch, that's really annoying!"

A Taser proof shirt was designed last year - it has disappeared since then. I don't think Nanny Sam wants anyone having one.

The whole idea of discussing tasers and chainmail is pretty silly. I've never thought of an SCA member as needing to be tasered too often.

I don't know - imagine a whole bunch of them rioting...mideval style...

"Odd Ponderings" is right, but good question. I think.

Electricity takes the path of least resistance. The metal itself would be the path of least resistance, far easier to travel through than the body of the subject.
A shock from a powerful current would still be felt, but it would be greatly diminished in its effects.

Since we all love to make fun of mall ninjas, it would be curious if something like tin foil or tin foil with some cardboard could accomplish the same thing.
My guess is that it would in fact defeat the involuntary muscle issues because most of the current would travel through the metal, and only a small fraction through the subject.

Just like touching someone being tased can effect you, but the current is still traveling between one electrode and the other in a sporadic way in the body. So if you do not place yourself between that current you won't feel most of the shock.

In a taser the body tissue is being used to complete the circuit. If metal is completing the circuit then far less will course through the body. I think it would be more of a painful surface shock near the metal rather than the full effects felt through the body.
Essentialy it would defeat the primary effects of the taser, but the person wearing the mail should still feel it.

In other words.....plate mail is better for tasers.....

Watch this!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3q9WdjD5wc

Faraday suit!
:what: Yowser!!! :eek:

rcmodel