A stun gun is a hand-held, battery-powered device designed to deliver an electric shock to an attacker. The batteries supply electrical current to the stun gun’s circuitry, which contain transformers that boost the voltage, typically to between 50,000 and 900,000 volts, and reduce the amperage. This current charges a capacitor. The capacitor builds up a charge, and releases it to the electrodes. The electrodes are simply two prongs of conducting metal positioned in the circuit with a gap between them at the top of the stun gun. Since the electrodes are positioned along the circuit, they have a high voltage difference between them. If you fill this gap with the attacker's body (conductor), the electrical pulses dump electricity into the attacker's central nervous system. A stun gun uses high voltage and low amperage to temporarily disable an attacker for several minutes. A stun gun also interrupts the neurological impulses that control and direct voluntary muscle movement. When the attacker neuromuscular system is overwhelmed and controlled by the stun gun he loses his balance. When a stun gun touches both probes against the assailant’s body for 1/2 second, it will startle the assailant, giving him some pain, muscular contraction and shock. For 1-2 seconds, a stun gun will cause muscle spasms and a dazed mental state. For 3-5 seconds, a stun gun will cause loss of balance and muscle control, total mental confusion and disorientation, leaving him dazed. The attacker will be unable to recover for several minutes and effects may last for up to fifteen minutes. Under no conditions can you suffer a charge back to your own body, even if the assailant touches you while you are using a stun gun on him.