Ginger,
I have played with the TASER C2. Didn't get tased directly myself, but did tase a friend.
A few thoughts.
1) When the TASER is deployed the way police use it, it's just about foolproof. However, as we were experimenting with it, we found several potential weaknesses in the TASER when used under conditions it would be used by civilians. Multiply this comment ten-fold if you're not trained in martial arts and do not have the mindset to do whatever it takes to debilitate someone enough to prevent them from following you after the current shuts off.
2) You get ONE shot. If that shot misses entirely, you're toast. Sure, there's that 'drive stun' capability. Truthfully? It's painful but not in the slightest bit disabling. Anyone can fight through it. (Yup, even me -- I did step up for that part of the test.)
3) You get ONE shot. If one probe hits and the other misses, you can use the 'drive stun' capability of the base unit to complete the circuit and put him down. However, you're then stuck right there, in close contact with the assailant. You cannot put the unit down and run away, because as soon as you do, the TASER unit will no longer be in contact with his skin and the ride is over. You probably will not have a hand free to reach for another weapon. So you're stuck right there, continuously tasing him -- and as soon as the battery dies, he will be completely recovered and able to complete his assault with no significant aftereffects, and until that happens, you remain within his reach. What's your plan ... ?
4) If you do achieve a solid hit, the TASER unit stuns the assailant for 30 seconds. The TASER corporation suggests you use this time to put the unit down and run away. How far can you run in 30 seconds? Is it further than an enraged, fully adrenalized man can follow? The instant the 30 seconds is up, your assailant has complete control of his entire body and can do whatever he wants. And ... you left the TASER unit behind, so now he knows you're disarmed.
5) The distance requirements are tricky. The wires allow deployment at distances around 15 to 20 feet -- a long way for a self defense use. As the assailant gets closer, the easier it is to get your hit (which is excellent). However, the closer the distance from which the TASER is deployed, the closer together the probes will be on his body, and the less likely you are to get a full lock-up of his muscles. Ideally, to get a good lock up, you'd want one probe in his upper left quadrant and another in his lower right quadrant -- running electricity through his body core. When you deploy from bad breath distance, you'll have probes barely two or three inches apart. Remember, only the muscles immediately between the probes will be fully locked up. The rest of his muscles remain under his control, to a greater or lesser degree. So the closer the distance at which you use the TASER, the less effective it is likely to be; but the further away you are, the less likely you are to get both probes on his body.
6) The wires are incredibly fragile. Anyone who's been tased before knows this and probably has a plan to do something about that.
Bottom line for me? Having played with the TASER C2 and talked the experience over with intelligent, observant, well-trained friends, I would not bet my personal life on this technology.
pax
PS If you get one anyway, insist on one with the laser aiming device. Without the laser, it's useless. You won't hit anything even at bad breath distance.
Edited to add: Don't worry about shocking yourself with this technology. If both the probes are in his body, the circuit will not travel through yours even if you get your hands on him. You can shock yourself in close quarters if one probe hits him & the other hits you, or if one probe hits him and the TASER unit itself is driven into you -- but in both those circumstances, you'll both be equally affected.