NCJ Number
202408
Journal
Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine Volume: 27 Issue: 6 Dated: June 2003 Pages: 16-18,20,21
Date Published
June 2003
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article compares the features of the new X26 Taser gun, which is about to hit the market, with the traditional M26 Taser, which is currently used by police departments.
Abstract
The Taser M26 is effective, safe, and easy to use, but its size and bulk are uncomfortable on a duty belt loaded with standard police equipment. The new Taser X26 has been designed to address this problem; it is smaller and more effective than the M26. The X26 uses patent-pending technology that reduces the power requirement of the X26 to one-fifth that of the M26 while increasing its effectiveness in causing immediate incapacitation of threatening suspects. The reduced voltage requirements permit the manufacture of a smaller Taser gun. Although voltage has been reduced in the X26, its efficiency has been increased due to a "shaped pulse," which delivers an initial charge larger than that of the M26 to break the resistance of clothing and skin, but then reduces the charge without compromising its continued incapacitative effect. In extensive testing on animals, the X26 has been found to achieve temporary incapacitation without any permanent effects on the subject. The X26, which comes with a holster and rechargeable battery, is $150 to $200 more expensive than the M26; the total price is $799 per unit.