Taser is a company that is well known for its self defense stun guns, and has been used by many people to ward off attackers, while anti-riot police have found it to be an effective tool in rendering the more boisterous supporters of an anti-government rally harmless. Instead of coming in a standard issue stun gun form factor, Taser has taken the shotgun route with its new Extended Range Electronic Projectile (XREP) that is launched from a 12-gauge shotgun platform, making it the first wireless Taser device.

In a nutshell, the Taser XREP is actually an electrically-charged wireless shell that was specifically designed to be fired from a 12-gauge shotgun, whereby a half-ounce shell is more than able to render subjects up to 30 yards harmless. That’s up to three times the longest range currently available to a standard Taser stun gun, giving peacekeeping forces an extended reach when trying to keep an unruly mob under control from a safe distance. While this is still a much better option than gunning down people with real bullets (duh), Taser stun guns aren’t exactly free from liability claims to date.

While Taser proudly proclaims that the company has defeated all liability claims brought against it so far (the record stands at 51 to none), there are certain quarters within the 7,000 law enforcement agencies that make use of Taser products who are not convinced of the safety of the device since they have seen their fair share of training incidents and injuries caused by the weapons. Taser argues otherwise though, claiming that pre-existing medical conditions were behind those incidents instead. Still, the bottomline is clear - you don’t mess with any product of Taser’s unless you’re a sucker for pain. No idea on when the Taser XREP will see action, but I think I’d rather participate in more peaceful means of protest next time.

Source: Gizmag