Stun guns are interesting weapons. They’ve weaponized the power of electricity and put it into handheld, projectile-based weapons that can deliver true stopping power. A good stun gun will stop an attacker instantly.
But what makes a good stun gun? Well, you’ve come to the right place. We are going to review some of our favorites as well as provide you the tools to find your next favorite stun gun.
As a weapon designed for self-defense, you want a quality option—not a flea market special.
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The 8 Best Stun Guns of 2021: Outdoor Empire Reviews
1. Best Cheap: Sabre Tactical Stun Gun
2. Best for the Money: Mace Stun Gun
3. Best on the Market: The Taser Pulse
4. Best Stun Gun Flashlights #1: Sabre Stun Gun Light
5. Best Stun Gun Flashlights #2: Taser Strikelight
6. Most Powerful: Taser X2
7. Best for Women: Mace Center Fire Stun Gun
8. Best Mini: Sabre 3-in-1 Stun Gun Safety Tool
| Category | Best for women | Most powerful | Best stun gun flashlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product |  |  |  |
| Electric Shock/ Battery Life | 2.4 million volts per touch | 500 5-second firings | 100 5-second stun cycles |
| Dimensions | 4.33" x 2.30" x 1.05" | 7.8" x 1.7" x 4.2" | 8.2" x 1.4" |
| Weight | 4.25 oz | 1 lb | 0.6 lbs |
| Best Features | Rubberized finish | Fires two shots | - 80-lumen flashlight - Crenelated bezel for CQB use |
| Pros | - Great ergonomics - Easy to carry concealed - Powerful | - Two shots are always better than one - Lots of holsters available | - Easy to carry - Anti-roll design is a nice touch |
| Cost | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
1. Best Cheap Stun Gun
If you are budget-minded, you can still get a capable and powerful stun gun. The Sabre Tactical Stun Gun offers 1.25 uC of power, which is considered intolerable pain. This rating was given by an independent lab after testing the Sabre Tactical Stun Gun.
- Powerful
- Easy to use
- Dependable and well made
- Somewhat large
The Sabre Tactical Stun Gun also offers a 120-lumen light attachment to the stun gun. The gun also uses anti-grab technology—a strip runs along the side that will shock a grabber when the stun is activated.
Additionally, a wrist strap and holster is included. This stun gun is somewhat large, but for the price, you’ll have to accept that. It’s a hard-hitting and dependable device from a big name in the nonlethal market. The ergonomic grip and accessible on switch makes it easy to stun and tag a target.
Features and Specs
- 25uC power
- 120-lumen light
- Anti-grab technology
The Sabre Tactical Stun Gun is the most affordable option for those looking to defend their lives without breaking the bank. This powerful, hard-hitting stun gun will leave someone seeing stars after just a quick hit.
2. Best Stun Gun for the Money
The Mace Stun Gun is an affordable and easily concealed option for those on a budget. The Mace Stun Gun sports an ergonomic curve that makes striking an opponent easy. The slight curve is perfect for engaging any portion of an offending attacker.
- Easy-to-hold rubberized grip
- Packs a powerful LED
- Intuitive and easy to use
- Somewhat large
The Mace Stun Gun comes with a leather carrying case that also helps disguise it and makes it convenient to carry. The stun gun packs raw power designed to leave an attacker hurting well after the initial sting.
The Mace Stun Gun packs an ultra-bright, 120-lumen LED, allowing you to safely escape after defeating your opponent. The Mace Stun Gun comes with a high-capacity, rechargeable battery that offers a ton of charge for as many strikes as you need.
The Mace Stun Gun is an excellent option for close-quarters use and will deal serious damage to any and all attackers.
Features and Specs
- High-capacity battery
- 1 inch long
- Includes a safety switch
The Mace Stun Gun is perfect for concealed carry on a budget. It’s a little thick and long, but at this price, you have to accept a few flaws. The Mace Stun gun is lightweight though, and the included carrying case makes it easy to carry.
3. Best Stun Gun on the Market
Taser is the original stun gun company, and their products are trusted far and wide by police and military forces. The Taser Pulse is a handheld stun gun system specifically for civilians.
- Shaped like a handgun and has an ergonomic design
- Lots of holsters for easy on body concealment
- Provides 30 seconds of muscular override
- Expensive
Unlike most stun guns, the Pulse shoots a pair of barbs that pierce the skin and pump electricity through a target’s body. It can also act as a contact stun gun and deliver a massive amount of electricity that way.
The Taser Pulse propels those darts 15 feet, making them ideal for defensive situations. The Taser Pulse can connect to a user’s cell phone to automatically call the police if the pulse is fired through the Noonlight mobile app.
The Pulse is the best civilian stun gun on the market. It’s powerful, offers long range power, and is easy to use.
Features and Specs
- 15-foot range
- Includes a low-battery indicator
- Utilizes cheap CR123 batteries
The Taser Pulse is a hard-hitting powerhouse that will strike an enemy with a ton of power and pain. It’s perfect for those who might be targeted for carrying money or working in dangerous neighborhoods, or who can’t purchase a firearm due to state laws.
4. Best Stun Gun Flashlights #1
Sabre took the best qualities of a tactical flashlight and turned them into a stun gun. These qualities include an aluminum design, bright LED light, and scalloped edge for impact pain. Along with that, they pack in a stun gun capable of delivers a 1.139-uC charge that results in intolerable pain.
- In no way resembles a weapon
- Powerful and concealable
- Made to last
- 80 lumens is not very bright
As a flashlight, it’s nearly invisible as a weapon and allows you to carry a weapon in plain sight without issue.
The Sabre stun gun light is made to last thanks to its all-aluminum body. The light comes with a wrist strap, belt holster, and clip. It’s an easy-to-carry weapon, and deploying the stun gun portion is quick and simple.
Features and Specs
- Delivers an intolerable level of pain
- Weighs only 8 ounces
- Delivers 80 lumens of light
The Sabre Stun Gun light is an excellent walking or jogging tool that allows you to carry a weapon that leaves none the wiser. This is a great weapon for those who wish to have something ready and in their hand without drawing attention. Not many look twice at a flashlight.
5. Best Stun Gun Flashlights #2
The Taser Strikelight is three tools in one. It’s a powerful stun gun, a flashlight, and when required, a powerful impact weapon. The Strikelight packs a punch with its stun gun capabilities and gives you a high-quality weapon for close-quarters defense.
- Easy to carry
- Potent and powerful
- Anti-roll design is a nice touch
- 80 lumens is not very bright
It comes with a rechargeable battery that supports up to 100 5-second charges. That’s a lot of strikes, and if someone makes it to 10 and doesn’t give up, you might be fighting Superman.
The Taser Strikelight is made from aluminum, making it both tough and lightweight. It packs a crenelated bezel for painful physical strikes and pain compliance with a twist.
The Taser Strikelight is a potent and powerful little stun gun disguised completely as a flashlight, and it’s from a company you can trust with stun guns.
Features and Specs
- Rechargeable battery that hold 5 hours of light or 100 5-second stuns
- 80-lumen flashlight
- Crenelated bezel for CQB use
The Taser Strikelite is a pricier option, but it’s made for physical fights. It will stand up to the fiercest of fights and deal massive damage to an attacker. You can beat, stun, and escape with the Strikelight. It’s perfect as an addition to your EDC and will compliment a firearm well.
7 Best Stun Gun Flashlights Reviewed in 2020 ( “Flashlight Tasers” )
6. Most Powerful Stun Gun
If you want power over concealability, then the Taser X2 is for you. Like most modern tasers, the X2 fires darts that emit electricity directly into the body of an attacker.
- Lightweight
- Two shots are always better than one
- Lots of holsters available
- Incredibly expensive
Unlike other Tasers, this is a double-barrel solution that packs two shots. This allows you to deal with multiple attackers or take a second shot in case of a miss.
To help ensure you don’t have a miss, the X2 comes with a laser aiming device and a powerful LED flashlight. The combination of the two gives you outstanding low-light performance.
The Taser X2 is also a contact stun gun should threats get close or if you blow both cartridges and need another option. The X2 is massive, as large as most full-sized handguns. This thing isn’t made for concealed carry and is best for use in the home or in the vehicle.
Features and Specs
- Fires two shots
- Includes light and laser
- Limits muscle control for 5 seconds.
The Taser X2 is best for police, security guards, and people involved in activities that tend to attract more trouble.
7. Best Stun Gun for Women
Mace is mostly known for its pepper spray, but they run the gamut in nonlethal solutions. The Mace Center Fire is the most effective concealed carry stun gun for women. There are lots of stun guns that are smaller, but the Center Fire offers enhanced ergonomics.
- Great ergonomics
- Easy to carry concealed
- Powerful
- Carry case is difficult to draw from
This small but easy-to-use stun gun is easy to carry. Mace is well known and well respected in the nonlethal industry, and I would never suggest something I wouldn’t trust personally.
The Mace Center Fire offers 2.4 million volts per touch in a convenient and ergonomic package. The device sits in your palm and is activated by your trigger finger. It’s round in shape, and because it has a trigger and trigger guard, it’s hard to have it taken from you.
The Mace Center Fire stun gun has a rechargeable battery and even packs an LED light for emergency use.
Features and Specs
- 2.4 million volts
- Rubberized finish
- Rechargeable battery
This design is perfect for concealed carry. It’s small and discreet, and it does not look like a weapon.
The Mace Centerfire is remarkably easy to use and very ergonomic. You can strike an attacker multiple times and never lose control of your weapon. It’s perfect for women who may be smaller than their attacker.
8. Best Mini Stun Gun
The Sabre 3-in-1 Stun Gun is a powerful mini stun gun that hits with 1.154 uC rating. There are smaller stun guns out there, but this is easily the most efficient for its size. A blow from this will deter an attacker and allow you to escape, call for help, or hit them again.
- Super small, but powerful
- Easy to use
- 3 tools in one are invaluable
- It’s easy to hit multiple buttons at once
The Sabre 3-in-1 is easy to carry and to conceal, and best of all, it doesn’t look like a stun gun. You can carry it in your hand, and none would be the wiser.
The 3-in-1 packs a stun gun, 70-lumen LED, and a 115-dB alarm. Combined together, you have a tool that helps you fight attackers, call for help, and navigate your way to safety. The Sabre 3-in-1 is powerful, safe to carry, and includes an internal rechargeable battery.
Features and Specs
- Features a light, stun gun, and alarm
- Offers 1.154 uC of pain power
- Comes with a safety and training video
This is perfect if carrying a standard sized stun gun simply isn’t possible. The Sabre 3-in-1 Stun Gun Safety Tool is about the size of a vehicle key fob and can be carried openly anywhere at any time. Its small size is great, but its hard-hitting power is even better.
Why Choose a Stun Gun?
Why would one choose a stun gun over a firearm? Well, who says you have to? Having a nonlethal option is just another option. Carrying a stun gun and a firearm works well for police, and it might work well for you.
To defend yourself, you have to reasonably believe you are in great bodily harm, or your life is at risk. However, you can be in that situation and not safely be able to use your gun. In that situation, you have a stun gun you can use.
In other situations, you may choose a stun gun over a firearm based on the laws in your area. Some may prohibit owning or carrying a gun. Some of these prohibitions may be based on your age alone. Laws can be tricky regarding the legal carry of a firearm.
A stun gun is also an option for those who cannot fathom taking another human life but still want a means to defend themselves.
How to Choose Your Stun Gun
Power and Voltage
Measuring the power of a stun gun is difficult. Many advertise their voltage as if it means anything. In truth, voltage barely matters when it comes to power. Anything above 50,000 volts is a bit worthless.
The best way to measure the power of a stun gun is microcoulombs. The only company I know that uses this measurement is Sabre.
Taser’s reputation means they are a company you can trust. Otherwise, it can be hard to get a good stun gun. Very few companies present sound scientific logic behind their weapons.
This is why I caution people not to buy flea market specials when it comes to stun guns. Purchase from a reputable company so you are unlikely to purchase a crappy weapon.
Plenty of no name stun guns are imported from China with little quality control or measures of effectiveness in place.
Power Source
The most common power sources you’ll see these days are rechargeable. This adds a distinct layer of convenience to your stun gun. However, this does mean occasionally recharging it. They typically leak a little power even when not in use, so plug it in at least once a week.
Some stun guns use common, powerful, and efficient CR123 batteries. The Taser Pulse+, for example, uses CRR123s. The benefit of these batteries is you can swap them out on the fly and have a fully ready weapon in just seconds.
However, if you don’t have batteries on hand, you have a paperweight and not a weapon.
Size and Concealment
There are two main uses for a stun gun. One is for uniformed law enforcement and security personnel, and the other is for concealed carry. As far as I know, there are no stun gun open carry advocates.
The bigger the stun gun, the harder it is to conceal. It’s just a fact of life. The smaller the stun gun, the more likely the weapon has a smaller battery and a less potent shock. In both situations, it’s wise to find a system that works for concealment, battery preservation, andpower.
One way to come to a size and concealability compromise is to see if they make holsters for your stun gun. The Taser Pulse, for example, has an IWB holster to allow for easy carry even though it’s rather large.
There are numerous pouches that resemble something closer to a phone case than a holster for traditional stun guns.
Another means of concealment is to purchase a stun gun that doesn’t look like a stun gun. Several companies including Sabre and Taser have produced stun guns that look like flashlights. This form of deceptive concealment is easy, and no one asks questions about a flashlight.
The final option is to choose that smaller stun gun and to carry it. It’s better to have a smaller stun gun than to have nothing at all.
Safety Features
One feature I always want is a safety. If I’m carrying a stun gun, the last thing I want to do is accidentally shock myself. That defeats the purpose altogether.
Some stun guns have push-button safeties, some have sliding safeties, and others have lever safeties. The exact type isn’t as important as just having a safety.
Typically on full-sized contact units, a sliding safety works well and prevents shocks. On gun-style units, you’ll see lever or cross-button safeties, as they are often easier to reach.
Regardless of the safety device, you do need to train with the weapon. Learn how to activate the safety using one hand, and learn how to do as part of your draw. Learn it inside and out so when the time comes to shock a bad guy, the safety doesn’t get in your way.
Legally Carrying
Here is a big one. Does your state allow you to carry a stun gun without a permit? Does it regulate what type of stun gun you can carry?
Federally, they are legal, but carrying one is left to your state. Some may prohibit projectile-based stun guns, others may prohibit stun gun carrying to a concealed carry permit, and others may ban felons from carrying stun guns.
Prior to purchasing a stun gun, consult your local and state laws to ensure you can own and carry one as you desire. If not, you might make an expensive mistake in pressing that buy now button.
Brands to Watch
Taser
Taser invented the stun gun and continues to refine it into a more potent and powerful weapon. They designed the stun guns cops and soldiers around the world use. Their name is so synonymous with “stun gun,” and some people simply refer to all stun guns as Tasers.
Their brand domination in the professional world has made them innovators in the stun gun world.
They do design a few options for civilians. Stun guns like the Pulse were purpose-built for civilian use. Their main focus, however, is the uniformed market. They are mostly known for stun guns that work as both contact weapons and as projectile weapons.
Their stun guns are quite expensive, with models like the X2 and X26 costing more than your average handgun.
That being said, these are weapons built for abuse and can be carried and used day in and day out without fear of them breaking. Tasers are potent little weapons that rarely fail to stop even the most dedicated attacker.
These are powerful weapons that deliver shocks so powerful they can force the attacker to lose full muscle control. For a civilian, this gives you the precious time to get away clean.
Sabre
Sabre is a nonlethal specialty shop that makes a variety of nonlethal tools for self-defense. They target both the civilian and professional market with their tools and weapons.
Sabre stun guns are typically built to be both affordable and powerful. They also use a scale to measuring the pain a stun gun can cause.
Each stun gun they sell is rated at intolerable pain. This is a critical consideration when it comes to using a tool for self-defense. You want something you can rely on to put a bad guy down and to cause as pain as you can to allow for a quick escape.
While Sabre does make some small stun guns, the majority are full-sized units that deliver powerful bursts of electricity.
Sabre stun guns are all contact weapons, meaning they are hand-to-hand tools. When used effectively, they will stop a bad guy in his tracks. They are often designed to be quick to use, but they sport enough safety features to ensure there are no accidental discharges.
Sabre stun guns are also backed with free training videos after your purchase.
Mace
Mace is mostly known as a pepper spray company. Mace is to pepper spray what Taser is to stun guns. Mace didn’t stop at just pepper spray, though. They’ve designed numerous tools to provide nonlethal defensive tools.
All of Mace’s stun guns are designed for the civilian sector. Mace stun guns are often smaller than average and are designed for concealed carry. They also tend to be more affordable than most.
Mace stun guns come in a variety of colors and configurations you won’t see in other brands. These colors and configurations can disguise the weapon for what it really is.
Mace’s stun guns are potent tools, but they unfortunately still use voltage as a measurement of power. That makes it hard to say just how powerful they are.
Mace stun guns do offer a shock to any attackers and are still an effective force multiplier in a hand to hand engagement. They also tend to be small, easily portable, and easy to conceal. That gives you a weapon on hand and a hidden surprise for any violent individual.
FAQs
1. Can stun guns can be used on dogs?
Yes, but it must be done in a legal self-defense manner. Stun guns can be an effective tool to stop dog attacks. Stun guns are generally safe to use on humans, but dogs are typically smaller, and a stun gun can easily kill a smaller animal.
2. What stun guns police use?
The most common stun gun used by police forces is the Taser X-26 stun gun. This model fires a projectile that implants itself into an aggressor, and a shock is applied via a pull of the trigger.
3. How dangerous are stun guns? Can they kill or knock someone out?
Stun guns have been connected to the deaths of people in the past, this is very rare. Stunning someone with a heart condition can be quite dangerous. With this in mind, stun guns have been used millions of times without death, and for this reason, they are generally safe for use against humans in self-defense situations.
