As a Taser C2 owner let me add my 2 cents to the discussion.
Someone mentioned required training to carry a Taser. While this is true in cases where you are carrying as part of your security or law enforcement job for insurance reasons, most states and cities do not have such a requirement for carry by regular citizens.
I purchased my Taser C2 this summer from a Baton Rouge area Acadamy sports store and went through the hoops of getting it registered and activated. I carry it daily as a back up to and in addition to my daily carry weapon, a Ruger P89DC pistol.
I performed monthly spark tests (remove the firing cartrage and press the trigger to set it off) and last month it failed to spark. I called Taser Int and was told to box it up and send it in for repair. This week the Fedex truck showed up in my driveway with a box from Taser containing a brand new C2 as a replacement for the one I had sent in to them for repair. Great customer service.
I still don't know what was wrong with my old C2 but I have since learned that the reason the Taser User Manual suggests regular spark test is that they have had failures to fire in the past. I work at a hospital where we have BR Police providing security in the ER. I mentioned my Taser failing it's spark test to one of the BRPD officers I know well and he told me that even the X26 models they carry had failed in the past and they now do regular, weekly spark tests on their X26s to detect these problems.
Look, I love my C2 and I'm glad to have a new replacement for the one which stopped working. I like having the option of a Taser in addition to my firearm or Freeze +P OC/CS spray I sometimes carry. I understand it's limitations and train/plan accordingly.
As others have pointed out, it's not a magic talisman and you must be willing to train with it and maintain it as well as be willing to use it should your steps at prevention fail.
Thanks for reading.
Steve
