The National Police Chiefs Council, together with the Home Office Policing Minister, held a Taser 10 Media Event on 2nd October 2025, demonstrating the TASER 10 Conducted Energy Device to internal and external media teams to further inform the public that the TASER 10 has been approved for use in the UK.
The new Taser 10 model is a 10-shot Taser for use by UK police. The Taser 10 Medical Statement has been published, produced by the Scientific Advisory Committee on the Medical Implications of Less-Lethal Weapons (SACMILL). The Medical Statement presents technical details of the weapon and outlines the medical implications of the use of Taser 10 when it is used in accordance with published operational guidance provided to users. It gives advice on the risk of injury from Taser 10 striking specific areas of the body, as well as advice on operational use, training, and accountability. It emphasises that additional data should be captured by police to ascertain any unforeseen injuries or impacts, and to inform SACMILL of any need to refine the statement.
Some 16 ‘early adopter’ UK police forces are expected to begin training of operational officers almost immediately, with numbers trained growing steadily in the coming months. A number of forces have already placed orders for the Taser 10 weapon and the first operational use of Taser 10 is expected in the coming month.
Background
In January 2023, AXON Inc (maker of the Taser© range of projectile electric shock weapons) announced the Taser 10, a new 10 shot Taser. In a fanfare of publicity, AXON claimed this weapon was going to be a ‘game changer’. Taser 10 was commercially available and operational in small numbers at the beginning April 2023. AXON announced that Taser 10 was ‘stable’ in March 2024.
UK policing is a major user of Taser weapons, which are central to UK police use of force options. The UK is one of AXON’s key customers and AXON is the sole supplier of ‘conducted energy devices’ (Taser is a type of projectile electric shock weapon) to the UK police. This monopoly position means that UK police have no choice but to adopt new Taser weapons, as previous models (such as Taser X2) are removed from sale and support due to AXON’s business cycle of introducing new devices.
In June 2022 the UK started a process of assessing Taser 10 for eventual deployment by UK police. Testing of Taser 10 commenced in June 2023. Initial testing of the available Taser 10 model through User Handling Trials highlighted various problems with the weapon and testing was paused in November 2023. AXON made technical changes and announced that Taser 10 was ‘stable’ in March 2024. Technical testing of Taser 10 commenced in June 2024 and was finalised in early July 2025.
Taser 10
The T10 is the same size and profile as the Taser 7 (T7), but instead of the T7’s two cartridges (each with two probes), the T10 has 10 cartridges, each with a single probe, which can be individually aimed and fired sequentially. This means if a probe misses the target, or fails to penetrate skin, a second, third, or more probes can be fired without reloading the weapon.
Reloading a new magazine would give an additional 10 probes. A single trigger pull fires a single probe, with the first probe fired without any electrical output. To achieve incapacitation of the targeted person, a minimum of 2 probes must be fired to complete the electrical circuit. Note that this is fundamentally different to all previous Taser models where a single trigger pull launches two probes to achieve the effect. Officers will now have to pull the weapon trigger twice in rapid succession to launch two probes in order to achieve the desired effected (neuromuscular incapacitation – NMI). This so called ‘double tap’ process challenges existing use of force and firearms guidance, which emphasises a single shot and re-assess the threat. It is possible that a single T10 probe would achieve behaviour change in the target and therefore negate any strict necessity for a second probe to be fired. It remains to be seen whether this is observed operationally, and whether officers would be able to react quickly enough to a behaviour change and not fire a second probe.
The ability to aim individual probes should assist officers in probe placement and probe spread, possibly increasing the chance of successful NMI being achieved and incapacitating the target. Each probe is uniquely marked with a serial number, which could assist in accountability measures.
Probes
Individual cartridges are loaded into the weapon magazine. Probes are launched by an electrically initiated pyrotechnic charge when the trigger is pulled. All previous Taser models used a nitrogen gas charge to launch probes. T10 probes are heavier and are fired at a higher velocity than previous models, resulting in a higher impact energy on the target. Taser 10 is capable of firing all 10 probes (which would require 10 trigger pulls). In any incident where T10 is fired, if more than 4 probes were fired at one person (the number that existing models have) there should be additional oversight and investigation. Concerns would include that use of T10 was not strictly necessary, that it was not effective, or that the officer has not used the weapon correctly.
AXON states that however many probes are fired, only a maximum of up to 4 ‘pathways’ will be charged. The weapon automatically selects which 2,3 or 4 probes have the best connection ‘pathway’, charges them and changes their polarity with up to 44 pulses per second, which is designed to attain ‘neuro muscular incapacitation’ (NMI) more effectively. If more than four probes are fired, only 4 at any one time would be charged.
The weapon delivers a default 5 second electric shock, the user can then choose to deliver an additional 5 second shock or, by holding up the ‘selector switch’, can prolong the charge as long as the switch is held up, or the batteries last. Repeated and extended shocking of persons with previous models has led to deaths and has been heavily criticised by human rights and medical organisations.
Voltage
Taser 10 delivers a maximum voltage of 1,000 volts (currently used models T7 and Taser X2 deliver 50,000v). This means that the T10 charge will not jump an air gap to produce a ‘warning arc’ nor will the charge penetrate clothing, and thus the probe must penetrate the skin for the weapon to deliver NMI. One positive result of this design change is that, unlike earlier models, Taser 10 cannot act as a direct contact electric shock weapon – a mode of use (drive stun) that has previously raised serious concerns and been criticised by Omega and other human rights organisations.
The T10 barb length is nominally around 11mm (in front of impact absorber), but the overall length is 15mm, the longest of any Taser device. If the ‘impact absorber’ (small white part at base of barb) is fully compressed – then the full 15mm barb length could potentially penetrate the skin. This would present an increased risk of internal injury, e.g. to body organs.
The T10 has a longer and narrower probe, and longer barb with 3 fish-hooks down its length.
The need for skin penetration to achieve incapacitation, and the necessity to drive through clothing, has resulted in Taser 10 probes being heavier and launched at higher velocity, meaning that peak impact energy will be higher than previous models. This raises the risk that ‘full depth penetration’ of the barb may impact internal organs. This risk would be increased in small or slightly built individuals, with an even greater risk in children. A deeper barb penetration may also lead to greater injury when it is removed, highlighting an increased importance for anyone who has received T10 barbs to be examined by a specially trained healthcare professional, and for specific advice on removing barbs to be adhered to.
Training of Health Care Professionals (who are all now supplied by Private Healthcare Providers PHPs), who should examine anyone subject to a taser probe, must continue to be trained by the FFLM, Faculty of Forensic and legal Medicine, the independent faculty of medicine, and this training must not be taken in house by PHPs. The FFLM advice can be found here.
Taser 10’s reduced voltage allows for thinner and lighter wires, and a narrower probe. Probes are launched by activation of a pyrotechnic charge (not nitrogen as in previous models), and at a higher velocity, resulting in increased accuracy, better probe placement (and incapacitation), and a maximum range of 45ft/13.71m (though whether this is achieved in operational use remains to be seen). This claimed range is almost double that of any previous model, and means that police should be able to have more time to assess and de-escalate the situation, and possibly avoid using the weapon at all. UK data on use of Taser weapons shows that most Taser firings are at 0-5m range, and it is unclear how the increased range of Taser 10 will impact operational policing and Taser use.
The nature of the Taser 10 weapon with its 10-shot capability, heavier probes and longer barbs, and the need to penetrate the skin, raises some serious concerns. The UK testing data is the first of its kind to be released, even though T10 has been in operational use in the USA and some other States, since April 2023. As it is not yet in widespread operational use, there is little ‘real world’ data on use and effectiveness – or injuries and risks – available.
Children are at a heightened risk from the Taser 10; as the probes are fired at a higher velocity than previous designs and impact harder on the target, there is a greater risk that the barb might penetrate a child’s organs. We note with concern that there has not been a separate Child Rights Impact Assessment prior to authorisation, and therefore the UK is in breach of its obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Taser 10 is a new weapon, with new modes of use and tactical scenarios. There need to be updated guidelines for its use and enhanced training curriculum and courses. This should go alongside stricter policy and oversight of its use, to hold police to account for their use of Taser weapons.