VIPERTEKVTS-195 Heavy Duty Aluminum Stun Gun for Self Defense Rechargeable with LED Flashlight

The media could not be loaded. PROS:- Effective performance- Great price- Good light- RechargeableCONS:- Not a fan of the metal prongs- Useless flashlight holder- Don't lose the charging cordObviously, I haven't tested this on an actual person but I managed to come across an "independent" test by SABRE® - the leading manufacturer of electronic stun devices.SABRE® classified this stungun, the VIPERTEK VTS-195 as a level III (the highest level) stun gun which produces 1 µC or greater - meaning it produces unbearable pain. For all intents and purposes, the pain compliance will only apply to those who are NOT under the influence of a controlled substance and are NOT emotionally disturbed.This stungun falls right in the middle of all the electronic stun devices that classified as a level III stungun with SABRE® (imagine that) ranking at the top.Combine this information with the fact that it is an innocuous looking flashlight with pretty good illumination and it was a no brainer that I wanted to do a review on this. Save for the novelty of it as well as the potential of having real world applications as a personal crime deterrent.If anything else, the spark test of the stungun should be enough of a deterrent! Video and audio cannot truly capture how intensely loud the spark is - it truly has to be experienced to appreciate it. Everyone I showed this to, lit up with a smile or laugh when I sparked tested the stungun. Most of them actually purchased one when hearing the price.Which brings me to the next point, the value factor of this stungun. There were several stunguns that I found on the list that SABRE® compiled which were more expensive than the VTS-195 but only ranked as a level II, or worse, level I stungun. So the value factor alone should be reason enough to purchase this if you're in the market for a real stungun.The illumination of the flashlight is really good but it's non-adjustable, meaning that you're stuck with a spotlight pattern. If you're looking for an illumination pattern that "floods" the area with light (floodlight), you won't find it here. The only issue is the shadow that is projected onto a wall due to the metal prongs that protrude across the housing - necessary to perpetuate a spark. However, it's not a deal breaker for me.SO! This thing works by first turning the on/off switch to the "ON" position. This on/off switch is located in the recessed area within the tailcap. Without the switch in the "ON" position, nothing works - not the flashlight, nor the stungun. This is a safety feature designed to prevent accidental discharges.From there you locate an oval slide switch in the middle of the body. There are 3 positions - OFF, flashlight and stungun. Slide the switch one notch from OFF to the flashlight icon and the flashlight comes on. Slide it into the final notch and the flashlight turns off but it arms the stungun. From there, there is a separate round button that must be depressed to activate the stungun or in layman's terms, make it spark. The flashlight will NOT work when the stungun is armed. I believe this is a safety feature designed to prevent accidental discharges when just using the flashlight in areas deemed safe.It comes with a roughly 8" cord that must be plugged into an AC outlet to charge the built in battery. Vipertek recommends an initial charge of 10 - 12 hours when you first get it. After that, they recommend a 1 - 2 hour charge/month to maintain the charge. Obviously, if you use the light alot or are just plain fascinated with things that arc, you will need to charge it more regularly. I set my oven timer to go off so as to not overcharge the battery which Vipertek contends will shorten the battery life. One more thing, don't lose the cord as it's a proprietary cord, meaning that you will probably not be able to find another cord to charge it BUT it is possible to find a replacement if you look around your home.I recommend that you use this stungun's spark to catch the world's cheapest flashlight holster on fire. You will get more enjoyment from that and less disappointment as it is completely useless beyond 2 or 3 hours of wearing it on your belt. Trust me, don't trust this holster or you will LOSE your stungun.Other than that, it's a really great product. I do caution that care is taken when carrying it with you when going places. As it may be entirely possible for the "sparking prongs" to snag onto a piece of clothing. This may bend one or both of the prongs, maybe break them or worse, pull the entire metal piece out of the flashlight bulb housing. If the latter were to happen, I reason that it would no longer be able to create a visible spark which may render it as useless as the cheap holster.

Great and very bright flashlight. Taser function is loud and effective at scaring off any predators. I take it with me every night to protect me and my dog. Long charge life.

My wife loves this thing. She keeps it in the door pocket of the car. You can blind you attacker AND completely flatten them. Very good quality we she has had it for over a year now. good battery life, even when using charging port.

Years in law enforcement and security I've seen my share of these products. This is my opinion and views of this model. Not to be taken as a professional rating but from personal experience.I never liked the term stun gun for these kind of products. This gives the impression that it uses a kind of projectile like a taser.It's size is decent. Fits good in the hands. However this is not an impact flashlight. Though it has the ridges like some flashlights allowing the user to strike an attacker.They are fitted with the discharge elements which in my opinion seem rather flimsy. There is a possibility that these could get entangled in the assailants clothing and get caught and the user might not be able to retain the flashlight. Or even become damaged.It seems to produce decent amount of voltage when activated. I do not have any way of measuring the amount. The light itself seems okay but I wouldn't depend on using it to determine your surroundings in perfect clarity. It could perhaps temporary blind an attacker at night.For an economy model it's pretty decent. But like any product to defend yourself always do the research. Talk to those with experience with these kind of products.

It's an outstanding defensive tool. The output for the flashlight is actually decent as well. Great item!

Very good to have on hand

I like this but 1/2 of the prong came out it fell out so then only the flashlight portion worked the stun gun part would not work when that happens it just fell out has to be really mindful because that's the part that you want to work otherwise it's just a basic flashlight