| Stun guns
ELECTRIC SHOCKERS:
The history of electric shock devices for self-defense in Russia is short but rapid. The first stun guns, mostly of foreign manufacture (USA, South Korea, Taiwan), appeared on the shelves of gun stores when citizens still went there on excursions. Around mid-1992, stun guns began to be produced in Russia. However, the first law «On weapons», which was soon adopted, banned them (Article 6), which immediately pushed the trade in stun guns into the «black» business, and left Russian enterprises without income. Apparently, not without the influence of these circumstances, legislators came to their senses and from July 1, 1997 «returned» stun guns to the people — however, only domestic ones.
| Shockers come in two basic configurations: straight and L-shaped. There is no scientific evidence as to which shape is better |
Electric shockers have been known in the world for a long time. They are used in slaughterhouses to stun cattle and as «electric whips» on pastures. Many years ago, they migrated from here to the arsenal of the police. Instead of the term «electroshocker», another is used abroad: stun gun, that is, literally «stunning weapon». Police guns that shoot rubber bullets are called exactly the same way, which makes it clear to what class of devices electric shockers belonged from the very beginning. The biophysical effect of the electric shocker is associated not only with the pain from the electric shock. The energy accumulated in the shocker, when the arc contacts the skin, is converted into alternating electrical voltage with a specially calculated frequency, forcing the muscles in the contact zone to contract extremely quickly. This abnormal muscle hyperactivity leads to the lightning-fast breakdown of blood sugar, which feeds the muscles. In other words, the muscles in the contact zone lose their ability to work for a while. At the same time, the impulses block the activity of the nerve fibers through which the brain controls these muscles. The result is local paralysis, which, depending on various circumstances, passes more or less quickly. As a self-defense weapon for citizens, stun guns are not permitted everywhere. The ban is contained, for example, in the weapons laws of Great Britain, Hungary, Germany, New Zealand, Canada, and from the former republics of the USSR — in the «Law on the Control of Weapons and Ammunition» of the Republic of Lithuania (1996) and the «Law on Weapons» of the Republic of Estonia (1995). In Moldova, for example, or in South Korea, there are no such restrictions. In most of the United States, stun guns are completely legal, but they are completely banned (including for law enforcement agencies) in the states of Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Hawaii, in the cities of Annapolis, Baltimore, New York and Washington, they are only allowed for police in the state of Wisconsin and the city of Omaha, and in several regions there are restrictions on their carrying and use. However, in Canada, in the states of Wisconsin and Michigan and in the American capital, even pepper spray cans are completely banned, and in New York they are allowed only for police. In the Research and Development Department of the Chicago Police Department, when asked why they do not use stun guns, after some thought, they answered this way: «We do not consider them effective enough for our purposes and do not like them.» We will return to this phrase later.
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For some reason, Russian manufacturers decisively prefer stun guns — batons, although they are the least convenient for concealed wear by the consumer. ESHU «Malvina» from the company «Mart» |
The main parameter that characterizes the consumer properties of stun guns in the eyes of the buyer is, of course, the voltage on the electrodes. In Russia, according to the GOST adopted in 1996, three groups of stun guns are established: 1st — with an open-circuit voltage of 50 to 60 kilovolts, 2nd — with a voltage of 35 to 50 kilovolts, 3rd — with a voltage of less than 35 kilovolts. Stun guns of the third group are more of a means of providing psychological influence than a real weapon. Most domestic stun guns produced for sale belong to the second group. Foreign manufacturers of stun guns declare a voltage of 200-250 kilovolts. Some Russian experts question these figures, but we have not been able to find anyone who has conducted reliable voltage measurements of foreign stun guns and could confirm or refute the data from the manufacturers. Stun guns are available in two basic configurations: straight and L-shaped. There is no scientific evidence as to which shape is better. Some prefer L-shaped ones, as they think it is easier to touch the enemy with such a stun gun. Others choose straight ones, as they provide maximum freedom of movement, relatively short or long, reminiscent of a police baton. Recently, new models of stun guns have appeared — in the form of a glove worn on the hand, or a «diplomat» with a stun gun that is activated at a great distance and hits the thief who stole the «diplomat». The «electroshock» device was created at VNIIStal. shield for riot police, and as an antidote — a protective shirt that isolates the owner from electric shock. A separate group is the «Air Taser» stun guns, which fire electrodes at a distance of 3-4 m. The police of a number of US states have been using such models since 1970, although they became available to ordinary citizens in 1995. Voltage in the stun gun is supplied through thin wires (similar to the control system of anti-tank guided missiles). The signal created by the «Taser», according to the company, is capable of «piercing» clothing up to 5 cm thick. Simultaneously with the emission of electrodes, the «Taser» throws out special identification marks, which, if necessary, can help law enforcement officers identify the owner of the device. A shot from the «Taser» is produced once, after which it must either be recharged or used as a regular contact stun gun. The declared voltage of the «Taser» is 50 thousand volts. Prices for stun guns in the USA range from 30 to 230 dollars («Air Taser»). Two cartridges for the «Taser» cost 40 dollars, a laser pointer (Americans are very fond of laser pointers) — another 140 dollars.
View from inside the police shield-ESHU. A special baton is visible — also an electric shocker. Product of VNIIStal. |
However, we would like to remind you that according to the new law «On weapons», only domestically produced stun guns can be legally owned in Russia. For this reason, a dozen and a half Russian companies are just waiting for the «go-ahead» to mass-produce this type of self-defense weapon (including «tasers» — under license). Thanks to their efforts, an atmosphere of excited anticipation is beginning to form around stun guns, which is reminiscent of the hysteria of the first year of open sale of gas weapons. But when it comes to self-defense weapons, inflated and unfulfilled expectations are not just disappointment, but the beginning of big troubles for their owner. The fact is that stun guns formally belong to the category of so-called «non-lethal» weapons. Clause 3.1.3 of the aforementioned GOST states: «Electroshock devices must be safe for the life and health of the target. The use of ESD must not cause death or irreversible pathological changes in the body of the target.» In Russia, the «Temporary Standards for the Effects of Self-Defense Weapons — Electroshock Devices and Spark Gaps» approved in June of this year are in effect. They were introduced until July 1, 1998 and provide for the following maximum permissible level of changes in the body after a single exposure: «convulsive muscle contraction without loss of consciousness; «disruption of locomotor response and change in emotional response for no more than 30 minutes; «change in heart rate without rhythm disturbance for no more than 15 minutes; change in respiratory rate for no more than 30 minutes; — moderate damage to the skin in the area of contact of the electrodes. The nature of the impact of the ESD on a person is described in the same paragraph 3.1.3. of GOST: «The use of the ESD should ensure, upon contact with the object of impact, the instantaneous incapacitation of the latter for a period of 1 to 20-30 minutes (immobilization with deprivation of conscious active actions) after the ESD is turned off». It is easy to see that the «Temporary Standards» in a certain sense contradict GOST, since they establish milder conditions of impact on the victim. As a result, a natural question arises about the effectiveness of this self-defense weapon and the conditions of its use. In recent years, American researchers have conducted a series of experiments to assess the real impact of civilian stun guns on the victim's body. And they found out that many of the «horrors» spread through the media are false. — nothing more than a well-made advertisement.
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Another family of batons: ESHU «Yana» produced by VNIIStal. The only laboratory for certification of ESHU accredited by the State Standard of the Russian Federation is located in this institute.
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The applied electric shocker leaves a clearly visible red mark on the bare skin, and this mark is larger if the electrodes did not touch the skin. The electric arc causes the imprint to spread over a larger surface. Bright red spots with a diameter of 3-5 mm, sometimes with swelling, are formed under the electrodes. But absolutely all traces of the impact on the skin disappear after a maximum of 2 hours, and only in one case the traces remained for more than a day. But, one way or another, no studies can find imprints or damage in the tissues after 48 hours, regardless of what part of the body the impact was applied to. And what about the warnings not to use electric shockers in the heart area? Experiments on pigs have shown that even after ten 50,000-volt electric shocks of 3-5 seconds each into the inner lining of the pig's heart cavity (pericardium), they did not cause any noticeable changes in heart rhythm or blood pressure either during or after the «shots». Even after an injection of 1 mg of a drug that causes an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, no effect of further electric shock impulses on the heart's work was found. Likewise, there is no factual evidence of the detrimental effect of electric shocks on implanted pacemakers. In self-defense courses in the United States, volunteers were required to draw a pistol from a holster on a signal and fire as many accurate shots as possible at a target approximately five meters away. The signal to start shooting was a «blow» with an electric shock to the leg, arm, or back of the subject, which was carried out by an instructor standing behind the shooter. According to the conditions of the experiment, the instructor turned off the stun gun as soon as the shooter opened fire. The subjects' reactions varied. Some fell to their knees, others bent over. Still others endured the electric pulse quite steadfastly. But all of them, without exception, retained the ability to grab a weapon and empty the clip into the center of the target. Hundreds of people successfully passed this test. Yes, stun guns can play a positive role in defense in some cases — if used correctly. But what does «correct use» mean? The first sensation of being struck by a stun gun is pain. People's reactions to pain stimuli vary. And if a woman in a closed elevator car pokes an attacker with a stun gun, it is still unknown whether he will twist her head off, enraged by the pain.
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Instructions for use recommend holding the working stun gun in contact with the enemy for 2-3 seconds to achieve complete defeat (which, by the way, is at odds with GOST). If you do not count the «Taser», then even according to the manufacturers, an instantaneous contact is not enough to defeat the enemy (the «Taser» has its own problems). But a mandatory condition is to hold the enemy for the specified time. However, if you are so strong that you are able to hold the attacker for three seconds, then why do you need a stun gun?? And is this advice suitable for a fragile girl? The condition for using a stun gun is close contact with the attacker. Even a knife or especially a stick in his hand deprives the victim of this opportunity. All that remains is to hope for the psychological impact of the arc and try to buy time. As studies have shown, the most effective defense against animal attacks (aggressive dogs, etc.) is with stun guns, since their nervous system is more sensitive to electric current than the human nervous system. This does not mean that stun guns are trifles. There are areas (face, groin, nerve nodes, etc.) where the use of stun guns can cause very serious injuries (loss of hearing, vision, long-term paralysis). However, such use of stun guns requires great skill on the part of the defender, or it is not defense at all, but a practiced attack. It is noteworthy that in the famous episode with the beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers, the whole story began with the fact that patrol commander Sergeant Stacey Cone shot King with his Taser. As the investigation showed, King did not intend to attack three police officers. Although, indeed, everything in the world is relative. And an ordinary kitchen knife can turn into a murder weapon. Even in those US states or countries where stun guns are banned for police, no one prohibits police officers from carrying firearms. In other cases, stun guns are included in a police officer's kit along with a gas canister, baton and pistol. A stun gun is considered, at most, only as ANOTHER ELEMENT of equipment, but not at all as a replacement or alternative to a firearm, including for self-defense. So far, no one has been able to offer anything more reliable and simple for this purpose than a «barrel». Due to its versatility, a firearm covers all possible areas of use for stun guns plus guarantees its owner much more protection in situations where a stun gun has nothing to do. This is what the Chicago police had in mind. But Russian internal affairs agencies are unable to control the spread of stun guns. There is no special article in criminal and administrative legislation that provides for liability for the illegal production, carrying, sale and use of stun guns. Therefore, the maximum that today threatens the owner of a homemade or contraband stun gun caught red-handed is its confiscation. |
