History of Stun Guns & Pepper Spray
The idea for the handheld stun gun came after the original was invented in 1969. The name Taser is
an acronym: " Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle", named for the fictional teenage inventor and adventurer
Tom Swift. It was designed in 1969 by Arizona inventor Jack Cover. The Taser that we carry is used by
citizens and police departments all over the country. These units fire small dart-like electrodes attached to
wires propelled by the Taser unit. The handheld stun gun adapts the same type of takedown ability, but
these models are much less expensive and requires the user to touch the metal prongs, carrying the
voltage, to the assailant
Pepper spray, also known as oleoresin of capsicum (OC) spray, was originally introduced in the U.S. in
the 1980s by the Postal Service as a dog repellent. It was also used on bears and other animals. The FBI
endorsed it as an "official chemical agent" in 1987 but it wasn't until 1991 that more than 3,000 local law
enforcement agencies added it to their arsenals. MACE is the brand name used by Mace International
and originally these sprays contained CS or tear gas. Now MACE also manufactures pepper spray as
well as combination sprays.
