Taser aims at home market as safety concerns mount

The maker of Tasers is launching a major high-stakes campaign to market its new model to consumers despite scores of fatalities and injuries linked to the police Taser. Taser International, which has made its name in law enforcement and the military, envisions a future in which millions of average citizens protect their homes and communities with the stun guns instead of firearms. Tasers fire two wires tipped with electric barbs, delivering a shock that painfully and briefly paralyzes a person. The new consumer model has a range of 15 feet and is designed to stun for 30 seconds. The more powerful police counterpart fires 25 feet, with a stronger initial jolt of up to five seconds, extendable for as long as the officer wants, the duration of which the weapon internally records. Even as government inquiries and shareholder lawsuits have reached their sharpest pitch for the 11-year-old firm, Taser President and co-founder Thomas Smith insists the products are safe and is upbeat about sales of the recently introduced $1,000 consumer model. "It's a huge potential market," Smith, 37, said in an interview at a recent firearm dealers convention in Las Vegas, where private "Taser Shows" drew hundreds of gun dealers. "I just can't get my arms around how big this can get." Taser, based in Scottsdale, Ariz., has offered consumer models in the past, but never with so much controversy facing the company as it tries to tap into a potentially lucrative civilian market. [more]

• Pictured above: The M18L ADVANCED TASER Weapon With Integrated Laser Sight available for only $599.95 at NightVisionSales.com [here]  TASER devices are not considered firearms. They can be legally carried (concealed or open) without permit required in 43 states. TASER is not available for private citizen defense in DC, HI, MA, MI, NJ, NY, RI, & WI. Check local laws on carrying stun guns and non-lethal energy weapons.  Amnesty International, a leading critic of Taser, warns that while police can receive days of training on the stun gun, civilians are offered one hour of in-person instruction and a 38-minute training DVD, and both are voluntary. The organization sees a serious potential for abuse.The Taser 3400 FannyPack is sold seperately. [more]