Rechargeable stun guns used to be clunky, awkward pieces of self-defense equipment that were rather cumbersome to carry around because of their size and weight.  Over the years, though, they have improved remarkably well in design, size and function.  They have also become safer to operate and quite effective for self-defense purposes.  So just what is it about rechargeable stun guns that make them work so well as a tool for the prevention of crime?

The science behind rechargeable stun guns
Humans have adverse reaction to electricity, both physically and emotionally.  And with good reason.  Electricity produces a shock that leads to unpleasant feelings and involuntary reactions in people.  This type of effect is something that rechargeable stun guns make use of.

Each stun gun is built with a mechanism that can deliver electric shock when it comes in contact with the body of the attacker.  The shock leads to involuntary contractions in the muscles and a feeling of weakness.  A person can also experience difficulty in keeping his balance and may not have sufficient coordination to stand up, which explains why people shocked with stun guns fall down or collapse.

Do rechargeable stun guns cause long-term damage?
There are a lot of myths regarding the stun gun and this is just one of them.  Stun guns act on the particular muscle group that it comes in contact with, although their effects could be felt by the whole body.  This is often sufficient enough to cause pain and difficulty in moving.

The effects, however, are temporary.  Stun guns are not considered lethal weapons because they deliver a limited amount of current — although the voltage may seem terrifyingly high (up to 975,000 volts or more), the amperage is relatively low.  This limits the adverse effects of electricity to the muscles and avoids damaging important organs such as the heart, liver or kidneys.

Will a rechargeable stun gun work through fabric or clothing?
A rechargeable stun gun can deliver an electrical shock through clothing up to about half an inch thick.  This means that it can still work even if the attacker is wearing thick or tightly-woven clothing.

Why rechargeable?
Earlier types of stun guns derive their power from batteries.  Many of the stun guns being sold today still use batteries, although some consumers prefer rechargeable stun guns because they do away with the hassle of replacing old batteries with fresh ones.

Rechargeable stun guns are much more convenient because they only need to be plugged to a source of electricity for a few minutes and they can be used again multiple times.