(FORTUNE Magazine) – Sure, shares of defense contractors like Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin have shot up since the Sept.11 attacks. It's only natural: America is at war. But the big guns aren't the only ones benefiting. Stocks of companies that make everything from stun guns to bulletproof vests to mace are soaring on expectations that Americans will arm up. "People are more inward looking and want to be self-secure," says Steve Tuttle, director of government affairs at stun-gun maker Taser International. The question is, Do these companies have the firepower to sustain a portfolio for the long term?

--Mark Borden