How Stun Guns Work

Millions of people around the world carry stun guns as part of their non-lethal self-defense arsenal. But how exactly do they work?

Stun guns are used to give an attacker a high-voltage electric shock. This can incapacitate them for a short period of time and allow you to get away.

The Electrodes

The electrodes of a stun gun are used to apply a current across a small gap in the skin. They are usually placed a couple of inches apart and have a charge that is too low to cause burns or electroporation.

When the gun is pressed against an attacker, these short electrodes complete their circuit, delivering a strong electrical charge and a crackling sound. These guns are often used by ordinary citizens as a way to protect themselves from potential attackers, though police and military forces use more sophisticated devices that have larger ranges.

The main function of the electrodes in stun guns is to apply a large, brief electrical pulse that incapacitates a target’s skeletal muscles. This type of pulse is known as Electro-Muscular Disruption (EMD).

The Battery

The battery is the main component of a stun gun. It enables the device to produce high voltage, which can be used to incapacitate an attacker.

A battery is a type of chemical cell, which stores energy in the form of an electrical charge. It contains a substance called an electrolyte, which has enough ions to conduct electricity between the electrodes.

This electrolyte also needs to be positively charged, in order to balance out the negative charge of the electrons produced by the anode. The anode is generally a metal, and the cathode is often another metal or a chemical compound.

The first known battery was accidentally created by Italian scientist Alessandro Volta in 1800. He was trying to prove a point to another scientist, Luigi Galvani, who had shown that frogs twitched when touched with certain metals.

The Voltage

A stun gun works by delivering a sudden pulse of electricity to an attacker. The voltage varies from device to device, but the higher the voltage, the faster it can discharge and get rid of an assailant.

Stun guns come in a variety of voltage ratings, from thousands of volts to millions. Having a powerful stun gun will help you defend yourself in the event of an assault, and it can also make it easier to deal with an attacker who is wearing thick clothing.

While it may sound impressive to hear that some stun guns have voltages as high as 50,000 volts, these claims are misleading and physically impossible. The maximum voltage a stun gun can produce is actually 30,000 volts when contacts are spaced 0.4 of an inch apart.

The Amperage

Stun guns are legal self-defense devices that deliver a high voltage and low amperage shock that disables the attacker.

The voltage of a stun gun is measured in units called milliamps (mA). Most stun guns are between 3 and 4 milliamps.

A stun gun’s amperage is a small amount of electrical energy that moves quickly through the circuit. It is a crucial factor in the speed of the gun.

If the current of electricity is flowing at a slower rate, it will take longer for the electric charge to move through the circuit. That’s why you should always get a stun gun with enough amps to deliver the desired pain to your attacker.

It’s also important to choose a stun gun with the penetrating power to go through thick clothing. This makes it easier for the electric charge to make a loop through the attacker’s body and deliver a devastating punch that disarms them in seconds!