What’s the Difference Between a Stun Gun and a Taser?

Every day somebody asks us if we sell “Tasers.” We actually don’t sell tasers. We could sell them but we don’t. Tasers are more expensive than the average stun gun and most consumers cannot afford them. Tasers also require skill. One of Real Safe Gear’s values is that we want self-defense tools to be affordable for everyone and usable by anyone.

Tasers and Stun Guns both use high voltage electric shock to stop an attacker.

Stun Gun: A stun gun uses electrical prongs. These prongs are attached to the device and direct contact is required for it to be effective. In a self-defense scenario, a person touches the device anywhere on the body of the assailant with the stun gun (even through clothes) and it will immobilize them for several minutes. Stun guns can be used continuously and multiple times. In most cases just firing them off in the air will stop an attack. The bright electric current creates an intimidating visual and audible sound that will get the attention of most attackers (human or animal.) Most stun guns have a built in flashlight, which is also considered a form of self-defense as you can shine the flashlight into the eyes of the attacker and it can have a blinding effect. If the flashlight also includes a strobe-feature, even better. Little to no skill is required to use a stun gun making it an effective (but non-lethal) self-defense tool for consumers. Stun guns can range in price but are generally under <$100.

Taser: A Taser is a brand name for the Shooting Stun Guns. Tasers shoot out electrical probes (a projectile) that reaches targets at a distance of up to 15 feet. A taser is a single shot device that requires skill and accuracy to use effectively. In other words, if you miss the target, you do not get another chance. For this reason, it is not common to see consumers using this tool but it is a common tool used among law enforcement who are considered highly trained in shooting accuracy from a distance. Tasers can range in price but are generally over >$300.

Both stun guns and tasers are considered non-lethal self-defense tools; however, there have been incidents where the high voltage electric shock did result in a fatal incident. According to Fatal Encounters Organization, there were 500 police involved fatalities between 2010 and 2021 that involved the use of a taser or stun gun. Pre-existing medical conditions can be contributing factors.