Arc Angel Stun Cane
VIDEO: In which I zap a colleague with 1,000,000 volts
August 23, 2014
The Gun Writer
Lee Williams
Carrying a firearm is not for everyone, and certainly not every defensive situation calls for the application of deadly force.To be clear
There’s a new non-lethal defensive tool on the market that may fill a niche.
It certainly fills a niche for those who walk with a cane.
Enter Arc Angel’s Stun Cane.
It’s a non-threatening-looking adjustable cane, with an electronic stun device incorporated into the design.
To be clear, this is not a Taser or similar weapon. There are no barbs or wires that shoot out.
The Stun Cane produces a 1-million volt pulse that requires physical contact with the bad guy to be effective.
According to the manufacturer, a one-second burst will “startle the attacker and cause some pain and a minor muscular contraction.”
A two-second burst will be “felt as a strong blow to the body and is likely to cause brief muscular spasms and may initiate mental disorientation.”
Three seconds will “cause a loss of balance and mental confusion plus neuromuscular dysfunction, temporarily disabling the attacker.”
Designed for mom
Glenn Willey, CEO/President of Arc Angel Industries, said he came upon the
Glenn Willey
idea of incorporating a stun gun into a cane because he was worried about his mother’s safety.
“A few years ago my elderly mother was concerned about reports of home invasions in her neighborhood and asked me to get her a handgun,” Willey said. “She was in her late 80s, she’s 91 now, and I was horrified at the prospect of her shooting a loaded weapon because she had never shot one in her life.”
Since his mom has mobility issues, incorporating a layer of personal protection into her cane seemed like a natural idea.
“Growing up in a military family and being a gun owner myself, I know that a stun device is not a substitute for a gun, but stun gun technology has some very practical applications,” Willey said.
He hopes his Arc Angel Stun Cane “will serve many retired folks in Florida who have a need for a non-lethal form of self-protection.”
Willey sent one of his canes for evaluation.
I liked the look of it immediately.
It’s rugged, capable of supporting 350 pounds, and it looks like a standard adjustable cane. There’s nothing nefarious to tip off the bad guys.
There’s a lanyard that loops around the operator’s wrist attached to a key. The key must be inserted for the cane to fire. If a bad guy pulls the cane away and the key pops out, it will not work.
The firing mechanism is simple – very easy to understand. Once the safety is disengaged, a red light comes on indicating the weapon is ready to fire. A small button located next to the safety triggers the electronic discharge.
According to the manual, the first charge takes 15 hours, although the device had enough energy to provide the loud “crackle” after an hour or so. The battery will take 800 to 1,000 recharges, the company says.
The unit came with a AC charger, lanyard, key and users manual.
There are other accessories available, including MagLites and mounts, a car charger and additional lanyards and keys.
Good potential
I’ve never been a fan of traditional stun guns, as they require the operator to make actual physical contact with the bad guy. During a defensive situation, distance is your friend. Besides, after Tasers came onto the maket, stun guns became somewhat moot.
Arc Angel’s Stun Cane is different.
It allows the operator to keep clear of the bad guy, more than an arm’s length away. It gives you an extended reach.
I think it would be a great deterrent for four-legged varmints, as the crackle alone would cause most canines to retreat.
T&E
Michael Braga, one of my I-Team teammates , agreed to let me blast him with the cane, twice.
He’s around 6’1″ and weighs 220 pounds.
Michael let out an audible grunt each time, and couldn’t get away from the business end of the cane fast enough.
Afterwards, he said he didn’t think the electric shock was strong enough to stop him if he had real bad intent, although by then he was familiar with the cane’s effects.
For an actual assailant, the surprise and shock would be hard to quantify.
There was some slight redness in the area of his chest where the shock occurred.
The only negative about the cane itself appears to have been caused by Florida’s hot and humid August weather. The glue holding the handle onto the metal shaft failed a bit.
MSRP is $199.95.
Make sure you check your state laws and local ordinances before ordering.
According to the manufacturers website, the Stun Cane is not shipped to the following states: Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.