In 1996, the State Duma adopted the Federal Law No. 150-FZ "On Weapons", regulating legal relations arising from the storage and use of weapons by citizens of the Russian Federation. According to this law, stunguns are classified as civilian self-defense weapons and are allowed to be purchased by Russian citizens who have reached the age of 18 without obtaining a license. Since these devices are numbered and are subject to accounting, their sale is registered in the register of weapons on the passport data of the buyer.

ELECTROSHOCK DEVICES IN RUSSIA: PARAMETERS, APPLICATION, EFFICIENCY

In Russia, it is allowed to use contact or remote-contact electroshock devices (stunguns), which carry out an electrical effect on an object by generating high-voltage electrical pulses. The output parameters of such devices must comply with the requirements of GOST R 50940-96. According to this standard, the maximum exposure power of civilian electric shock devices is 3 watts, the maximum spark discharge voltage is 90 KV, the maximum distance between the electrodes is 40 mm, and the time of a single exposure is no more than 3 seconds.

OVERVIEW: Electric civilian self-defense weapon

For stun guns used by employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, the requirements established in OST 78.01.0009-2002 apply. According to them, the impact power of the stun gun can reach 10 watts, and the maximum spark discharge voltage is 120 kV.

Main recommendations for theuse of stunguns:

1. With proper use of the stungun, the sound of an idle electric discharge should not be heard (when the stungun is switched on without load, the sound of an idle discharge is heard). There should also be no air gap between the object and the electrodes for more effective exposure. Press the electrodes tightly against the object of exposure. The electric current passes only between the electrodes, so it is allowed to hold the object for continuous exposure to it.

2. When using the stungun, the greatest impact is on large muscle groups, so the most effective areas are the body: chest, lower abdomen and groin area, back. If applied to the arms and legs, the effect will be less, since the discharge passes locally and does not pass through large muscle groups. However, such an application is still acceptable, with subsequent application to a more effective zone.

3. The suddenness of use enhances the damaging effect of the electric discharge.

4. The duration of exposure affects the effectiveness of application. The longer the impact on the target lasts, the greater the effect of the application (at the same time, a single impact on the object should last no more than 3 seconds – during this time it will be possible to achieve the maximum damaging effect).

Stun gun efficiency

The use of a stun gun for self-defense allows you to achieve:

1) pain syndrome, which may persist for some time after the cessation of exposure to the stun gun;

2) convulsive syndrome – involuntary muscle contraction under the action of an electric discharge, which deprives a person of the ability to coordinate their actions;

3) temporary state of shock and disorientation, inhibition of motor and cognitive reactions, etc. Contact stun guns have two pointed electrodes in the head (high-voltage) part, with the help of which it is possible to transfer the discharge through several layers of clothing, including winter. During the contact application of the stungun, in order to maximize their effectiveness, it is recommended to press the device tightly against the target so that bright red spots with a diameter of about 3-5 mm appear under the electrodes, sometimes having swelling, which usually disappear after a few hours. In the case of the use of stungun in short intervals (lasting up to 1 s), as a rule, traces on the skin or clothing are not observed, and the shock state is of a short-term nature.

REVIEW: Shooting stungun vs contact stungun

How the stun gun affects the person

The biophysical principle of taser operation is quite simple – when an electric current flows between the electrodes of the stungun through the tissues, when the stungun is in direct contact with the attacker's body, the nerve endings located in the muscle tissue under the skin are irritated. At the same time, the attacker experiences a psychological or painful effect that lasts for some time after the stun gun is turned off.  Powerful stunguns cause convulsive muscle contractions, disorientation, after exposure. The biological effectiveness of the stungun depends on a set of exposure parameters: voltage at the electrodes, current strength, pulse duration, pulse repetition frequency, duration of exposure, place of application of the electrodes, as well as on the psycho-emotional state of the object of exposure.

The main effects of electric current are short–term changes in the state of the body, having a convulsive nature of origin and typical for electroshock effects. They are noted mainly while the stungun is being used, accompanied by a painful reaction, changes in breathing and heart rate (no more than 5 minutes after exposure). In rare cases, there is a more pronounced response with short-term loss of consciousness, gross respiratory failure. High-voltage electrical impulses block the activity of nerve endings, which are followed by control signals from the brain. The degree of exposure to an electroshock device varies depending on several factors: the affected area, immunity to current, clothing on the body, psychological readiness, physiological state and time of exposure.