Tasers are very effective as a law enforcement tool to control a suspect when the officer controls the situation but it has the following limitations for self-defense applications where the attacker(s) initially control the situation:
1. It can only fire one shot per cartridge. To fire a second shot requires loading a new cartridge which may not be possible during an attack. It can dry stun without a cartridge but that requires that the attacker be in close proximity which is not desirable for self-defense situations. Also, it is not effective against multiple attackers.
2. It relies on battery power and electronics which may fail when needed most.
3. The prongs have limited range and also it sometimes does not penetrate the skin when a person wears various layers of clothing. Both prongs need to penetrate in order for the device to work.
