Best Non-Lethal Weapons and Ammo To Use Instead of a Gun

The rain really starts coming down right as you and your loved ones are leaving the store.

With your focus on getting out of the rain, you aren’t looking for anything but your keys.  You’re almost to your car and someone pulls a gun on you.

You stop in shock as they tell you to give them your wallet, car keys, and phone.

What do you do?

In this scenario you are justified to unholster your gun and protect yourself.

But can you really pull the trigger?  Can you take a life to save your own?

You know your life (and the life of the lazy bastard standing in the rain trying to rob you) will change forever with the squeeze of the trigger.

Do you think you would be more apt to defend yourself if you knew you could get away safely and not end the evil doer?

Let’s explore some of the less lethal options out there.

Less Lethal Ammo

You probably already have a gun, so changing the ammo might be all that it takes.

Even though you carry a gun, using it and knowing the likely outcome can make you hesitate.  Trying some less lethal ammo might help.

Less lethal ammo is any type of ammunition designed to not put a hole in someone.

These can be anything from beanbag rounds to a paintball filled with tear gas.

The point of this type of ammunition is to deter or incapacitate the attacker so you can escape.

Rubber Bullets

When someone says "rubber bullet," the first thing that pops into my head is a pencil eraser.

That’s not really what a rubber bullet is, though...these, and other kinetic impact munitions, are meant to disorient the target.

Rubber rounds are commonly used for riot control by police departments.

These bruise-makers are available in numerous calibers, although they are most common in 12 gauge shotgun shells.  Not sure what that means?  Here's our handy-dandy Guide to Shotgun Terms.

What you get with a 12 gauge rubber bullet round is a shell with several rubber coated pellets.

The number varies, but you can get many smaller pellets or a few larger pellets. They will work the same as a normal shotgun shell when it comes to the coverage of the pellet pattern. Think birdshot vs 00 buckshot.

Other Fun Rounds

Pretty self-explanatory.  You definitely want to check your local laws about these things...

• Flash Thunder Grenade Rounds: Another 12 gauge round that you could have ready in the chamber is a Flash Thunder Grenade. It’s basically a flash bang that unleashes a bright flash (over 1.5 million candle power) and a really loud bang in the neighborhood of 182 dB.
• Cayenne Pepper Rounds: There are types of less lethal rounds you can get for a shotgun that are like a bean bag round but have different ways of disorienting or incapacitating the attacker. For example, there are Pepper Blast shells that shoot cayenne pepper.
• Bean Bag Rounds

Less Lethal Weapons

Bear in mind, some of these weapons may need a firearms or concealed carry permit in your state.  Some might not be legal, period, so you will need to look into the laws before you buy them.

Here is an example of Wisconsin’s law pertaining to electric weapons.

In a nutshell, if you have your concealed carry permit, you are ok to carry.

If you are curious about your state’s laws, you can search for it quickly using the your state followed by the term legislature electronic weapons (Example: Michigan legislature electronic weapons).

Or check out this infographic:

You’ve seen your share of articles talking about the typical less lethal weapons, I’m sure.

I’m hoping some of what I’ll add in below are something a little different than the normal lists.

Don't Tase Me Bro

The Taser Pulse ($400) is a civilian-use Taser that looks like a .380 handgun.

Tipped with yellow markings give away that it’s not a gun, though.

We've tested the Taser Pulse in-hand and have a complete review of it!

[embed width="" height=""]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZKpzwJ-ikE[/embed]

While 15 feet might not seem like a lot, it is ample room for you inject them with an incapacitating amount of electricity for up to 30 seconds.

That 15 feet of space is a good head start to help you get away while they gain their focus.  Plus, you can take out the cartridge and turn it into a touch-Taser.

Taser also has a cool program where if you use the Pulse and have to leave it (and file a police report), they'll send you a replacement one for free.

What do you think about Taser?

The Alternative

Using a Less Lethal First Round is an alternative you might have if you are home or possibly in your vehicle.

The Alternative (it's real name) is an attachment that quickly slides over the business side of your pistol.

The attachment catches the round you fire inside an alloy ball that uses the power of the bullet to travel and impact your attacker.

They will feel it and it might crack a bone or two, but they shouldn’t die.

The attachment should fly off as the slide moves to chamber a new round.  If a second (and more persuasive) shot is required, there is nothing you need to do other than pull the trigger again.

This may not be ideal for all situations because you can’t holster your weapon with The Alternative attached, but it is an option to look into for home defense.

If you miss with The Alternative, there are no do-overs.

You won’t likely have the time to grab another one and slide it on.

They will be scared or pissed off.  Either way, your next round will be lethal.

Rubber Shooting Revolver

Over in Europe where they have no real ability to protect themselves with a firearm, a company called Humbert decided to make the Safegom Rubber Bullet Revolver.

Being that it’s a .38, you can bet these 6 rubber rounds will sting when they hit your target.

The rubber bullet from a handgun is definitely an option if you can find one in the States, but it might be hard to come by.

Another thing to consider is a handgun with a rubber bullet may just piss off the bad guy, not deter him.

More Than a Paintball Gun

This next one might seem cheesy to some, but hear me out before you start rolling your eyes and scroll past.

SWAT teams employ these as needed, so they aren’t for fun at bachelor parties.

The Salt Pepper Spray Gun ($350) looks more like a handgun than most paintball pistols.

Aside from looking pretty badass, it is made to shoot pepper spray/tear gas balls up to 150 ft.  Your normal pepper spray canister might get you 15 feet at best, so you quickly see the advantage.

The ammo is not a cheap date, though.  You can pick up 10 rounds for around $50.  There are other accessories you can get like a holster, an extra 7 round magazine, and even rubber practice rounds.

If you decide to go this route, you can look around for different ammo types.  There are pepper balls that are like pepper spray and others that are like metal marbles.

[embed width="" height=""]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHrKZkwUOwg&feature=youtu.be&t=1m30s[/embed]

Because the pepper balls work like a paintball, you need to hit a harder surface for the ball to break.

Once open, the powder will get into their lungs and eyes.  If you hit the target in the chest, head, or anywhere in their upper body you should be good.  If you were to hit a wall or doorway near them, it would also be a great deterrent.

While you never want to spray and pray, it would be best to hit them a couple times so you are sure to have maximum effect and you are sure they are disoriented.

Along the same idea as the Salt Pepper Spray gun is the PepperBall LifeLite, if you're interested we have a review of it along with some awesome video!

PepperBall LifeLite

$279

at Home Security Superstore

Prices accurate at time of writing

$279 at Home Security Superstore

A Knife, A Pen, Or Something Else Pokey

While a knife can be lethal, it can also get you out of an attack.  Again, check your local laws on this kind of stuff.

Leaving a mark on them might help you identify them later and give you a DNA/blood sample to turn into the police.  A knife that’s small and easy to hold onto is ideal.

Something pointy works well in a situation where the attacker is grabbing you.

Different options are available for you to attach to your keychain.  You can get a something that looks like a keychain charm with finger holes ($10), or something that looks like a pen ($8). The pen style is more for hitting a pressure point than stabbing.

If you want something with a dual function that actually IS a pen, those are out there too.  Smith and Wesson ($26) makes one that’s pretty nice.

Pepper Spray

If you are looking for something a bit more traditional, you can get a smaller spray canister on a keychain ($7). These are ideal to use if you are running or to attach it to something you are always carrying.

Sabre Red Pepper Spray

$10

at Amazon

Prices accurate at time of writing

$10 at Amazon

(Editor Eric): It's what I give to my wife and friends.  I like that it has the capacity for multiple shots so you can practice to see how exactly it shoots.  My advice is not to shoot a wall if you're close to it...it will spray back onto you.

We also now have a full review of the Best Pepper Sprays.

Stun Guns

One thing I haven’t mentioned so far is a traditional stun gun.  The reason being is these need to be used up close.

They are not a deterrent, they are last resort.

That being said, a new defense tool has come about in the last year or so...super bright flashlights.

While I’m not sold on the idea of fending off a bad guy with a beam of light (unless there was a real lightsaber involved), Ruger went a step further and combined a stun gun and a bright flashlight light ($25).

Taser makes the Strikelight that’s an average flashlight brightness, but has a stun gun too.  The Ruger is about 300 lumens and the Taser is about 80.

Check out the rest of our picks in Best Stun Guns.

Is Less Lethal a Realistic Option?

Less lethal is a deterrent, not a solution.

This list has a wide variety of options to cover very different situations. You’re not likely to carry a 12 gauge around with you every day. But as a home defense solution, it’s a good option.

The same goes for the pepper spray paintballs.

An electric shock weapon that shoots a projectile or pepper spray is good when you are out and about.  You will have some range between you and the attacker when you use your self-defense weapon.

If you are unlucky enough that they are right next to you or grabbing you...a stun gun, knife, or tactical keychain or pen will help you defend yourself.

I mentioned earlier that some of these are illegal in some states.  Before you go spending a couple hundred dollars on a less lethal weapon, make sure you won’t get arrested for having it.

You might also want to look into self-defense insurance.  It not only covers gun use at home and concealed carry, but other manners in which you protect yourself.  One of those things that you'll really wish you had even if you were in the clear.

What are your thoughts?  Do you think less lethal weapons are even an option to consider? Give us your thoughts in the comments! For more great stuff, don't forget to look at our Editor's Picks! Also, check out more gun alternatives in our round-up of the Best Gun Alternatives.