Mission Statement - De-Spinning the Pro-Taser Propaganda

Yeah right, 'Excited Delirium' my ass...

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The primary purpose of this blog is to provide an outlet for my observations and analysis about tasers, taser "associated" deaths, and the behaviour exhibited by the management, employees and minions of Taser International. In general, everything is linked back to external sources, often via previous posts on the same topic, so that readers can fact-check to their heart's content. This blog was started in late-2007 when Canadians were enraged by the taser death of Robert Dziekanski and four others in a short three month period. The cocky attitude exhibited by the Taser International spokespuppet, and his preposterous proposal that Mr. Dziekanski coincidentally died of "excited delirium" at the time of his taser-death, led me to choose the blog name I did and provides my motivation. I have zero financial ties to this issue.



Monday, January 4, 2010

Taser darts are "pyrotechnically assisted"

We've been looking for this one for a while...


As a point of reference, Taser has relied on a very old “letter of exemption” issued by the then called BATF, which interpreted federal firearms laws as not recognizing a pyrotechnically assisted, inert gas launched probes of the Air Taser cartridge, when loaded and fired from a Taser, as a “firearm”. This long ago letter issued by the chief of the Technology Branch (FTB) has been the cornerstone of Taser’s existence. [LINK]

Other jurisdictions should double-check their local laws to ensure that this sort of "blasting cap" [my term] triggered [?] system is actually legal.

And, I gotta ask:

What percentage of the muzzle velocity is actually from the "compressed gas cylinder", and what percentage is from the "blasting cap"?

I wouldn't put it past these guys to add the compressed gas as a 'cover' to the blasting cap [assisted?] taser dart launching system.


It's not uncommon for compressed gas cylinders to have a certain percentage of them with tiny leaks that result in slow leakage to zero pressure. But I've not read of any reports of taser darts failing to launch properly. Which makes me wonder...


Could the compressed gas launching system all just be a cover?

Hey, it's just a question worth asking.

(After all - Taser International is literally "a Case Study in business ethics." LOL.)

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