Taser's latest: $399 quick-draw stun gun for personal protection
- Taser released a new, $399 weapon intended for consumer use on Tuesday
- Most of the company's products are designed for law enforcement
- It's the first update to its consumer products since 2007
Scottsdale-based Taser International unveiled a new weapon called Pulse, at a Las Vegas trade show Tuesday, targeting the consumer personal protection market.
Pulse is the first update to the stun-gun maker's consumer model since 2007, with most of its redesigns focusing on the law-enforcement market.
The company describes the $399 Pulse as a "discreet carry, sub-compact self-defense weapon" with features that include a smooth design for quick draws, laser target and flashlight, with an electrical charge said to deliver a "knock-down punch."
The device is stripped of features used in models for law enforcement, such as data logs and camera interfaces.
The weapon has a range of 15 feet with a 30-second duration of high-voltage output. The design is intended to allow users to shoot an attacker and flee, and is intended as an alternative to guns and other self-defense weapons.
Taser will replace for free any device that is fired and left at a crime scene while the user flees, provided a police report of the incident and proof of purchase.
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Arizona does not place any restrictions on the sale of Taser products, though some states, cities and countries limit their use among consumers.
The company has sold more than 250,000 devices to consumers, while the bulk of its sales, more than 850,000 devices, have gone to law-enforcement agencies since its inception in 1993, according to spokesman Steve Tuttle.
The new weapon looks more like a traditional handgun than a precious consumer model that more closely resembled a curved television remote control. Yellow highlights on the Pulse are intended to help distinguish it from traditional firearms.
Investors seemed unmoved by the new product. Taser shares closed at $14.50, down 13 cents, Tuesday.