Okay, there you are, ready to buy a self defense product and now that you're looking at the various makes models from stun guns to taser/tazer guns and well, you're stumped on which one to buy.

Heck, perhaps you don't even really understand what a stun gun or taser gun is or what's the difference between them. Allow me to explain.

When I say stun gun, I mean a 'traditional stun gun' that many of you may have seen on tv or in the movies. This is a handheld device that has outward facing prongs on the end of the device that when triggered emits a high voltage, visible arc of elecricity. The voltage of electricity 'stuns' the muscles of the body and interrups the neurological impulses that control muscle movement. In short the body's neuromuscular system is shut down temporarily.

A Tazer gun is a device that while similiar to the traditional stun gun by emiting an electrical charge to the body and shutting down the muscle control it divers in that it actually fires two small probes that are attached to insulated conductive wires. The electricity then pulses along the wires and into the body when you pull the trigger. When you activate the trigger with the probes already attached to the body, then the taser sends additional pulses of electricity. When the trigger is deactivated the electrical pulses abaits.

Okay, now that we have a refresher on what the difference between stun gun and taser guns -- the delimina still remains -- how do you know which one to buy.

There's not only a lot to choose from in this area, but so many of the items are so similar why is one a better choice than any other.

For instance if you're looking at a traditional stun gun there are well over 20 to 30 different products and types. The taser gun's choices are much more limited with the personal protection model called Taser C2 to the Advanced Taser M18 or M18L. This is the civilian answer to the tactical police model Taser M26.

So there's really something for everybody when it comes to stun guns and tazer guns. So what do I say to somebody when they ask me what's the best self defense weapon for them?

I ask them these questions:

• How important is self defense or self protection to you?

• What do you need it for?

• How much are you willing to spend to achieve that level of protection?

• How secure do you want to be?

Now, when I first ask these questions a lot of people think I'm being flippant with them. But the truth is I'm not and if you really answer these questions -- because these are the only ones that really bring you to a solution -- you will have your answer. Nobody but you can answer it for you. I and others can show you the options but only can decide what is the right product for you.

Don't agree? Let's look further into these questions shall we?

1. How important is self defense or self protection to you? This is important, if you are in a fairly safe environment most of the time and it's always been that way and you don't see that changing then this is much different from somebody that is perhaps a female working late at night alone that must walk to their place of work to a dimly lit parking garage in a questionable part of town. I'd say then this becomes a very telling question.

2. What do you need it for? Is it to feel safe while walking to that parking garage to your car in the dead of night. Perhaps you are escorting your child to the inner city daily for school or taking hikes with your loved ones through the park.

3. How much are you willing to spend? Again, depending on the answer to number one and two this will become self evident. The mother pushing the baby stroller through a very safe park in the middle of day with lots of people around is going to spend differently than the nurse working nights in rough part of town that must walk alone to get to her car or the bus.

4. How secure to you want to be? All I can usually say about this is if you were going bear hunting would you rather choose to go with a .22 pistol or a the biggest caliber gun that is designed for bringing down the biggest bear on the planet? I'd rather feel very very secure. But again, questions before this will usually bring about the answer here.

Stun guns pump out from 100,000 volts up to almost 1 million. Taser guns at around 50,000 volts. The look and feel of these products all differ. Many might fit your lifestyle, how you want to carry this weapon, your comfort with it, etc. The best thing to do is answer the 4 questions and then take a look at the options and make a decision based upon all these factors.

And if you have any questions please feel free to email me at hub@topselfdefenseproducts.com and I'd love to answer them for you. Or visit me at http://www.topselfdefenseproducts.com.

Thanks and have a safe day... Max!