
 Any projectile traveling at or near typical bullet speeds is potentially
lethal.  Even blanks [which have no projectile] can cause death if the
muzzle is in close proximity to the victim.  I have heard of rubber or
plastic bullets being used effectively during riot situations [where the
intent is crowd control, rather than close range self defense]; i've also
seen reports of deaths caused by them [the British in Northern Ireland].
 Use of a firearm for self defense is appropriate and lawful only in the
gravest of situations; at that point, i consider deadly [lethal] force to 
be a proper reaction [and so does the law].  
 Furthermore, use of less effective [but still potentially lethal] force
has its own set of problems.  It may well take more applications of the
less effective force to stop the incident; this places all parties at some
risk; the victim because the attack has not stopped, and the assailent 
since the aggregate damage done by the multiple applications may well be
more deadly.
