Would you want a taser?

[marklbucla]

I was told at my CCW class that a Taser is more effective than a handgun in terms of its ability to stop, especially within close distances and if the bad guy is moving towards you already.

 

[DigMe]

I was told at my CCW class that a Taser is more effective than a handgun in terms of its ability to stop, especially within close distances and if the bad guy is moving towards you already.

I'd say that's a completely relative statement that's totally dependent on circumstances. I don't think one can make a blanket statement like that. Sometimes it might sometimes it might not.

brad cook

 

[tyme]

Police officers using a taser typically have cover... other officers with (real) guns pointed at the suspect.

with the taser, you dont got to wait for him to pull something out of his pocket.

Taking that advice is a good way to wind up on the receiving end of a nasty lawsuit. You can also be sure that if the situation wasn't serious enough to require a firearm, using a taser and screwing it up will almost certainly escalate to the point where you do need a gun. In the meantime, you will have lost time and separation distance (civilian tasers have a range of 15').

Apparently the recommendation is to fire the taser, pull the trigger 2 more times for a 30 second shock, and run. That may work in public, but doesn't sound like such a good idea for a lot of other situations... and 30 seconds isn't all that much of a head start. 30 seconds also sounds extreme to me, like it might cause some serious problems.