Personal protection, flashlights with electric shock function, what is your opinion!

LED Flashlights – General Info
1

I noticed this types of flashlights before but never paid special attention to them, idea was not that appealing to me but recently a friends wife was attacked/robbed in a shopping mall garage and he requested some guidance since I am “flashlight expert” (yeah, right).

So what are your thoughts on this subject, would you own and carry something like that for personal protection or give it to your wife, girlfriend, child, is that even legal in your country.
I presume that US citizens already carry a gun so why wait attacker to get so close so you could use stun-flashlight when you can shoot at him/her from safe distance but situation in Europe (I presume Australia also) is different, most of us don’t even own a gun let alone carry it at hand.

Most of the models available on a local market look like this:

and have dedicated “shocking” button, I am yet to discover their incapacitative capabilities. With my luck I would probably shock myself first :smiley:

2

I don’t think as many Americans walk around armed as you think they do. I know we have that reputation, and probably for good reason, but the actual number of gun-carrying Americans is actually very very small.

As for your device, I really have no idea. If its good quality and can be trusted then…maybe? I’m not normally a fan of multi-function devices because they usually have to make big compromises in order to exist. So if its not a great stun gun and not a great flashlight then I wouldn’t mess with it.

3

A product like that is illegal in Australia, at least in my state. We can’t even carry a small Swiss knife.

4

Have looked for something like this but in the budget range I found only lights with shocker or taser in the name without actual function
It sounds pretty good to have in the car or some women’s purse, though turning shock on should not be to easy OR to hard to prevent shocks while looking in purse and not being able to shock when needed so all in all I gave up on it but will follow this thread closely!

5

I bought a couple of those a few years ago. I think they are a good deterent. They make a pretty loud electric crackling noise along with the dancing bolts. The flashlight part is pretty pathetic but it does make the stun gun more discrete. I think I paid around $20 for each of them.
My wife carried one for a little while when she had to gather money at an outdoor market. I was worried it would get accidentally activated in her purse because the switches are pretty cheap and loose.

6

I believe it is illegal over here. Though I have seen these lights in person.
They don’t have a huge output but they do work. I haven’t tested the taser itself but the sound alone would scare me!

7

I carry one of these when walking/jogging. Supposedly, they are decent at keeping dogs away. It certainty has an intimidating sound and arc. The flashlight function is nothing special, but I didn't get it for that. The side contacts are to prevent the attacker from snatching the device from your hand. Switch for light/zapping is on the other side from the power switch that you see below. Forward is off, middle is light, back is zapper. I think someone would have to be off their rocker to attack someone armed with one of these. Sorry, link is probably US only. It is for the vendor I purchased mine from.

8

If you are looking for non-lethal self defense weapons it really doesn’t get much better than a small can of pepper/CS spray carried discreetly in your pocket or handbag to deter most would be attackers and the best thing is LEGAL concealed carry in almost any free country or US state.

9

^
I agree if you are not in a situation where a breeze or wind can bring the spray back at you. A closed parking garage would be a safe place to use something like that.

10

Singapore has many laws. We can’t get stun guns or carry pepper spray! But we can carry a knife thats max 3in long… Just make sure its not tactical looking coz if it is and you were forced to use it, you’ll be at the wrong end of the law :wink:

11

Actually, you probably should shock yourself first. That way you’ll know how little physical effect these things have on a person.

The TV-show images of people clinching their entire bodies and lying down obediently are leading people to believe things that might get someone killed.

I hate to be a buzzkill, but there’s some serious believing going on here.

Let me ask some important questions: Does your wife instinctively, completely understand human anatomy, particularly the routes of the major nerve pathways? The base of the skull, the Vagus nerve, the Sciatic, etc. She’ll need to stick this thing very close to one — in a very stressful HURRY — & set it off in order to have any kind of systemic effect. Even then, she’ll be lucky to get those “three steps” Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote about. Second, is she able to fight? This will start one. Third, how fast & far can she run, in whatever clothing & shoes she has on at the moment, at a moment’s notice?

Even a real “Cattle Prod” which has enough juice to do something interesting isn’t going to stop a determined attacker unless it’s deployed in one of a few specific places and followed up with some serious mechanical injury. Like a dislocated knee or smashed ankle bones. And then she’ll still have to Run Like Hell to get away.

The beliefs about “pepper spray” or even authentic (usually illegal) Mace only last until the bad guy doesn’t respond like they do on TV — and then it’s too late.

Think about it this way: Would you want your beloved wife to be robbed by a guy who’s just hungry and desperate, or one who’s hungry, desperate, and extremely pissed off at her? Remember, the bad guy is not in-the-least concerned with silly political “bans” on firearms, knives, chemicals or anything else he chooses to carry…

She’ll be a lot safer if she learns to take control of the situation before it escalates to the bad guy believing “yeah, I can take her”. It’s not about “show no fear”! It is about walking through her world with the calm, friendly, Love-Your-Neighbor confidence (NOT arrogance!!!) of a master assassin on his day off. It starts with “Be Nice To Your Fellow Human” but from a position of strength (NOT ARROGANCE!!!) and confidence — the kind of confidence that lets you be the first one to stick out your hand to meet & offer assistance to a stranger, even though you think they stink or are “morons” from an “inferior race” or whatever other poison infests your beliefs. Being “Large And In Charge” (NOT ARR… do I need to keep saying it?) will get her a lot more than three steps.

I can only share with you what works (and doesn’t work) for me.

12

I have one of the simialar to #7 and it is impressing sound and light effect but I shocked myself and some of my friends and it is nothing which I would choose to fight with…just a gimmick for girls so that they feel a bit more self confident…check YouTube to watch people playing with these gadgets.
its to weak, just a bit of pain but I could easyly punch someone to death while you are shocking me with two or three of these things…
Maybe you can find one which is used for bulls or similiar which has more power but
A can of pepper spray and some good shoes to ran away are 1000 times better.

13

Please replace my suggestion with Dimbo and Werner’s advice. I have never used my stun gun on anything and trust both of them to give good advice. I carry to deter dogs because I rather not carry a gun. I haven’t even had an encounter with a dog yet to know if it backs them down.

14

This is a really shocking idea!!!

15

Been a cop for nearly 28 years in the UK - these things are completely illegal here.

As is any sort of noxious spray like CS or Pepper spray which is actually classed as a firearm here.

Knuckle-duster? Illegal.

Baton? Illegal.

Lock-knife or fixed blade? Essentially illegal unless you can PROVE you have just cause to carry one.

Flick-knife? Very illegal.

Butterfly knife? Again, very illegal.

It’s a good thing we live in a country which is, to a large extent, not particularly violent……

You are allowed to carry a sub-3” cutting length slip-joint knife and more or less any torch you want though!!

16

After being a Peace officer (Law Enforcment) for 12 years and working in the Texas prison for 14 years I have never seen any of these devices work OTHER THAN the actual “Taser” that the LEO’s carry and 10% or higher concentrate pepper spray (not mace).

Out of all the times I ever saw the Taser used it only failed to take down 1 person and that person was wired differently somehow than the average human , because NO electricity effected him. This guy could grab live 110 or 220 volt wires and talk to you while he held them and be seemingly unphased.

The pepper spray is pretty much immediate if you get the true stuff 10% or higher “oleoresin capsicum” and works 97% of the time I would say. If someone is high (on speed or something like that) or really drunk I have seen it fail a few times but not often.

Just my 2 cents.

17

I would really recommend searching YouTube for the term: stun gun, there are plenty of videos showing how they work and what they do in real life…also there are plenty of videos showing someone pepper sprayed. Very interesting.

18

“Real” TASERs, yes, but only if you use them on really non-violent human beings. Like college kids. And protestors.

That “one guy” is all it would take to keep you from ever going home again. Working with electronics I’ve met a few of those.

Pepper spray? “Bovine Scatology”. Some of the sauces I eat are hotter than what We the People are “allowed” to carry. Better to hand them a cheeseburger.

Yeah! That’s what Dimbo says. Better to feed a new friend than fight a new enemy.

Since none of us gets to carry around a Cop for self-defense.

19

The Tasers the UK police have are very different to these (illegal here) toys.

And even in trained hands, can be very dangerous indeed.

I think in France they are allowed rubber bullet and CS spray guns, but I wouldn’t want to rely on one.

I don’t particularly walk in fear, but when out walking my dog I take legal precautions, in case of e.g. “Pit Bull Type” attack.

On my dog, not me.

The French used to make little pistols, shooting a “Velo Dog” round, when rabies was rife.

Cute, collectable, and legal (as long as you don’t manufacture the obsolete ammo.)

20

22 years Texas cop here. Before you buy anything check with your local laws also keep in mind the laws of area you may be travelling too. I prefer pepper spray over the stun gun for range and effect. Area/situational awareness is #1 if you walk in a cloud with your headphones on it says to the criminals “rob me I’m totally unprepared and probably won’t remember your face or anything your wearing” I’ve actually seen a description on a report as “One big male” no white/black, age, or anything else. When I hear “He came out of nowhere” it says I wasn’t aware of my surroundings. Dual propose items do have some legal benefits, like a stout thick walled flashlight and the will to use it might just save you. Do let it look like a flashlight. You actually have to carry it, left at home or in the car won’t work. I fear Europe is in for a rough ride with the influx of less civilized refugee’s.

Now for one truth many don’t want to hear. If you are an unarmed untrained female, disabled male, child or elderly you could be robbed/assaulted and there is nothing you can do about it in your current state. Healthy males are seldom targeted as the risk becomes too great but don’t count on it it can happen to you. For those who are subjects and not free citizens weapons are probably not an option. Training is available: marshal arts, jogging, weight lifting for the physical aspects. Becoming aware of your surrounding and who’s in it. Parking out in the open even when it’s raining. How many people are around me, how far away are they, who are they what are they wearing. Travel in groups. My wife has learned that I’m the first out of the car and the last one back in. I sit with my back to the wall in restaurants.