Taser revamps civilian weapon

LEHI — At just a bit heavier than a remote control and nearly the same size, a new civilian Taser offers protection without triggers or bullets.

The Taser C2 comes in a "new form that's simple to use ... and will give (the user) the distance to keep them safe," said Doug Cote, citizen sales manager for Taser International. "It's (a matter of) getting people to understand they can have this technology."

The Taser company has been providing the weapons for nearly 14 years, seven of those years to law enforcement.

However, common requests from customers — especially women — were that the gun be smaller, less expensive and less gunlike.

So now the company sells lighter Tasers in pink, blue, black and silver with a button rather than a trigger.

The Taser C2 is $299 without a laser, $50 more with one. A background check is $9.95, and extra cartridges are $25.

However, because the company's main focus is safety, the company instructs users to drop the device and run away after using it. They'll happily replace the Taser if the shooter sends them a police report.

The weapon is preferable to a gun because its power isn't permanent, the company says.

"You can take it back if you make a mistake," Cote said. "If a child shoots another child, it's not a tragic accident."

Doug Johnson bought a Taser C2 Wednesday morning at Cabela's for his daughter, who just left for college at the University of Oregon. "This isn't lethal," he said. "That makes it better than a gun, with almost as much protection."

Taser began selling the weapon in July and now offers it at Cabela's in Lehi.

After sliding back a safety lock, the user pushes a button and two sharp barbs shoot out of the gun at 100 mph into the attacker, who must be within 15 feet.

For 30 seconds, and without any other action on the shooter's part, 50,000 volts travel through copper-insulated cables connected to a cartridge in the gun. To put that in perspective, a shock from a static-filled TV could be about 30,000 volts to 40,000 volts, Cote said.

Voltage refers to the distance a spark can jump, while amps are the power behind it. The gun only uses .0024 amps, less than the energy used to power a Christmas light.

Cote, who knows from experience, compared the shock to a full-body charley horse. The shock causes all the muscles to tense up and stop movement.