| Error creating thumbnail: File missing Join our Discord! |
| If you have been locked out of your account you can request a password reset here. |
Taser
The Taser (Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle) is a less-lethal weapon manufactured by Taser International. It is used by many law enforcement agencies around the world as a way to subdue potentially dangerous targets where normally a lethal weapon would have been used. The Taser works by firing small canisters of nitrogen gas to propel two electrode darts up to 160 fps that can pierce clothing and will stick into your skin. Each dart has conductive wires trailing behind them to carry the electric charge from the main unit. The electric shock lasts for 5 seconds (10/30 for civilian models) and will deliver 0.02-0.04 amps which will cause neuromuscular incapacitation, in which the target's nervous system would have no control of the muscles causing instant and unavoidable incapacitation. The Taser can double as a standard stun gun by removing the cartridges, or in the case of the X2 and X3, by holding the button on the side and pressing the Taser to the intended target.
The Taser and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Air Taser Model 34000
The predecessor to the more well-known Taser M26, the Air Taser Model 34000 is the first Taser product that pioneered many features in later Taser models.
Introduced in 1994, the Model 34000 is a refinement of the earlier TASER TF-76, using compressed air instead of gunpowder to propel its darts, thereby bypassing classification as a firearm and the accompanying restrictions on who could buy and use them. It was also the first model to introduce the AFID (Anti-Felon Identification) tags stamped with the weapon's serial number that emerged whenever a cartridge (dubbed "Air Cartridges" by the manufacturer) was fired, as a means of providing evidence of use and identifying the weapon used, because conventional ballistic fingerprinting cannot be used with Tasers. The Air Taser 34000 can also be used as a conventional stun gun if cartridges are not loaded, a feature carried over to every subsequent Taser model.
When first introduced, this model did not come with any sights at all, but an external laser sight accessory eventually became commercially available. Its power source, fitting its early-1990s origins, was a 9-volt battery. Able to muster only 5 watts of power, the Air Taser in the field occasionally had trouble at incapacitating targets, or delivering as many shocks, compared to later models, and due to these factors the Air Taser Model 34000 has long been discontinued by Taser International. However, the cartridges introduced with this weapon would remain in use with later models, up to the Taser X26 (detailed below).
Specifications
Range: 15'
Pulse Cycle: 30 seconds
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Looper | Noah Segan | Kid Blue | With external laser sight | 2012 |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syphon Filter series | Air Taser | Completely black, needles emerge from the top edge of the weapon in side-by-side configuration rather than the real weapon's over-under arrangement | Cannot be used in "Drive Stun" mode, has unlimited ammunition and battery power, and in several games possesses enough charge to set targets that are shocked for long enough on fire | 1999 - 2007 |
Advanced Taser M26
Released in 1999, the M26 was the first widely-adopted Taser model that is still being manufactured to this day and used by different law enforcement agencies and military personnel for less-lethal take-downs. Refinements over the Model 34000 include an ergonomic pistol-like shape, basic iron sights, and an integral laser sight. The power source is an array of 8 AA batteries stored in the pistol grip, much like the ammunition magazine of many semiautomatic pistols.
Specifications
Range(All are LE only unless otherwise noted): 15'(Civilian), 21', 25', 35'
Pulse Cycle(All are LE only unless otherwise noted): 5 seconds, 30 seconds(civilian)
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exit Wounds | Matthew G. Taylor | Useldinger | Used only in Drive Stun mode, and depicted with a fictional voltage selector | 2001 |
| Hannibal | Ivano Marescotti | Carlo | 2001 | |
| Collateral Damage | FBI Agent | 2002 | ||
| Paycheck | Joe Morton | Agent Dodge | All-black colour scheme | 2003 |
| National Treasure | Henchman | 2004 | ||
| The Cutter | Aaron Norris | Anthony Maylam | 2005 | |
| Death Race | Jason Clarke | Ulrich | Had a scope attached | 2008 |
| Nine Dead | John Terry | Shooter | 2010 | |
| The Sweeney | Ray Winstone | Jack Regan | 2012 | |
| Fruitvale Station | Alejandra Nolasco | BART Officer Salazar | 2013 |
Television
| Show Title | Actor | Character | Notation | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 - Season 2 | Peter Outerbridge | Ronnie Stark | 04/15/03 | |
| My Name is Earl | George Frangides | Officer Bob Smiley | S1E09 & S1E17 | 2005 |
| Burn Notice | Gabrielle Anwar | Fiona Glenanne | 2007 | |
| Heroes | Jack Coleman | Noah Bennett | 2007 | |
| NCIS | Pauley Perrette | Abby | 2007 | |
| My Name is Earl | Randy Brenner | Cop | S4E21 | 2009 |
| Sanctuary/ "Hero II" | Used without cartridge in contact mode | 2010 |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness | "K2 Impactor" | fully black finish, no blast doors | 2003 | |
| S.W.A.T. 4 | "Taser" | Has yellow muzzle and black colouration on the rest of the weapon | Laser sight is unusable, weapon cannot be used in Drive Stun mode, rubber plug for dataport is missing | 2005 |
| Secret Service | "Taser" | 2008 | ||
| Mirror's Edge | Unusable | 2008 | ||
| Bloody Good Time | "Taser" | Slightly modified | 2010 | |
| Counter-Strike: Global Offensive | Zeus X27 | 2012 |
Anime
| Title | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Metal Panic?: Fumoffu | 2003 | ||
| Aria the Scarlet Ammo | 2011 |
X26
The X26 is the smaller but upgraded version of the M26. The X26 is 60% smaller in size than the M26 but produces greater incapacitating effects due to its Shaped Pulse Technologies. The cartridges are interchangeable with the M26. The X26 also has the unique ability to be attached to rifles/carbines with an appropriate rail system, using Taser International's "X-Rail" mount.
.jpg){kind=link}
Specifications
Range(All are LE only unless otherwise noted): 15'(Civilian), 21', 25', 35'
Pulse Cycle(All are LE only unless otherwise noted): 5 seconds, 10 seconds(civilian)
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Notation | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District 13: Ultimatum | Cyril Raffaelli | Damien | 2009 | |
| Salt | Angelina Jolie | Evelyn Salt | 2010 | |
| Piranha | Elisabeth Shue | Sheriff Julie Forester | 2010 | |
| Thor | Kat Dennings | Darcy Lewis | 2011 | |
| Courageous | Police | 2011 | ||
| Cosmopolis | Patricia McKenzie | Kendra Hays | With XDPM and spare cartridge | 2012 |
| 21 Jump Street | Channing Tatum | Jenko | holstered | 2012 |
| 21 Jump Street | Jonah Hill | Schmidt | holstered | 2012 |
| Fruitvale Station | Chad Michael Murray | BART Officer Ingram | 2013 | |
| Fruitvale Station | Kevin Durand | BART Officer Caruso | 2013 |
Television
| Show Title | Actor | Character | Notation/Episode | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSI: NY | NYPD Officer | "Uncertainty Rules" (S06E16) | 2004-Present | |
| Future Weapons | Less-Than Lethal | 11/29/07 | ||
| Prison Break - Season 2 | Wade Williams | Brad Bellick | with yellow finish and XDPM | 2006 - 2007 |
| My Name is Earl | Ethan Suplee | Randy | 11/08/07 | |
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | George Eads | Nick Stokes | 05/01/08 | |
| FlashForward | NCAP Guard | 05/27/10 | ||
| Law & Order: Los Angeles | Skeet Ulrich | Det. Rex Winters | "Harbor City" | |
| Deadliest Warrior | 04/20/10 |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Bond 007: Blood Stone | "Stun Gun" | Used by Bangkok police | 2010 |
| Ghost Recon: Future Soldier | "UB Stun Gun" | can be mounted on ACR, 5.56A-91, AK-200, AKM, AN-94, HK417, Mk 14 Mod 0 and TAR-21 | 2012 |
Taser X12 LLS
The Taser X12 LLS (for Less Lethal Shotgun) was the result of a collaboration between Taser International and Mossberg that took a standard Mossberg 500-series shotgun and modified it by giving it ghost ring iron sights, a rifled barrel set to a custom 1:18 twist rate, yellow furniture to indicate that it was a dedicated less-lethal weapon, a Picatinny rail, and the Radial Ammunition Key to prevent the firing of lethal 12-gauge shells. Its associated ammunition, the Taser XREP (EXtended Range Electro-Muscular Projectile) shell, on the other hand, can be fired out of any 12-gauge shotgun. The XREP ammunition was released in 2007, with the LLS released in 2009, and both were available to Law Enforcement only.
Given the high cost of the ammunition (the shells were essentially flying, self-contained stun guns good only for a single hit, and may or may not have been recyclable after use), issues with effectiveness in the field, and concerns about its ability to cause inadvertent lethalities, TASER International discontinued sales of the Taser X12 and the Taser XREP ammunition in April 2012. It is therefore unlikely that either will appear in live-action productions after that date.
Specifications
Range: Max of 100'
Pulse Cycle: 20 seconds
Fire Mode: Pump-action
Television
| Show Title | Actor | Character | Notation/Episode | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii Five-0 (2010) - Season 1 | Alex O'Loughlin | Lt. Cmdr. Steve McGarrett | "Powa Maka Moani" (S1E17) | |
| Hawaii Five-0 (2010) - Season 1 | Daniel Dae Kim | Chin Ho Kelly | "Powa Maka Moani" (S1E17) | |
| Future Weapons | "Less-Than Lethal" | 11/29/07 | ||
| Strike Back | Philip Winchester | Sergeant Michael Stonebridge | S03E08 | 2012 |
Taser X3/X2 Defender
The Taser X2 and X3 are the newest tasers on the market. They use "Smart Cartridges" which differ from those used by the M26 and the X26 by virtue of being slimmer and having the ability to emit a "warning arc" of electricity to intimidate a potential target or otherwise allow the X2 or X3 to be used in "Drive Stun" mode without needing to be fired or unloaded.
The weapon themselves are fully ambidextrous, have a more detailed LCD screen than the X26, dual visible aiming lasers, an aiming light, plastic blade sights on top, and a new button on the side of the gun to trigger the "warning arc," engage "Drive Stun" mode, or to keep applying electricity to any target(s) previously hit. The difference between the X2, and X3, as their names state, are the amount of cartridges they hold.
The Taser X3 was introduced in 2009 and discontinued around 2013, most likely due to its higher weight, bulk, and comparatively low sales. The Taser X2 was introduced in 2011 and currently remains in production.
Specifications
Range: 15'(Training and Civilian versions), 25', 30'
Pulse Cycle: 5 seconds
Television
| Show Title | Actor | Character | Notation/Episode | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Day of the Triffids (2009) | Eddie Izzard | Torrence | Episode 1 | 2009 |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghost Recon: Future Soldier | "Stun Gun" | Black finish, incorrectly shown to be single-shot | 2012 |