Pepperball Gun for Self-Defense?

Is a pepperball gun effective for self-defense just a toy in comparison a  firearm?

 There are many self-defense practitioners who consider skill in the use of firearms to be the ultimate martial art in 2021. Indeed, the power of firearms to stop single or multiple attackers at a distance is unmatched by any other hand-held weapon. However, for practical reasons firearms cannot be used in all self-defense scenarios so it is vital to have alternative personal protection tools, skill in the use of improvised weapons and close combat ability.

A less-than-lethal pepperball gun or launcher can be  a viable alternative to a firearm. They offer the greatest advantage of a firearm which is the ability to thwart potential attackers at long range. Since they are less-than-lethal, potential legal ramifications of killing or causing permanent injury can be avoided. Many police forces across the nation use them for riot control because they have been proven to be effective.

A social media video I saw  depicted a self-defense scenario in which a pepperball gun would have be a better option than a firearm.  A of a gang of teenage boys were menacing a single boy in a park. The mother of the boy intervened to protect her son. Of course, the gang was not intimidated by her at all. So she whipped out handgun and brandished it at them. That made them back off, temporarily. However, they did not believe that the mother would really shoot any of them so they resumed their menacing behavior. They called her bluff. The video ended with both the mother and her son being harassed despite the gun.

The mother put herself into a very dangerous situation.  She violated the primary rule of firearm self-defense which is never brandish a firearm without the intent to use it. She could easily have been overpowered and disarmed.

Legally the gang’s behaviour did not justify the use of deadly force but their actions were threatening, nonetheless. If the mother had a pepperball gun or even one of our long range pepper sprays she could have used it to immediately disperse the gang and get her son
out of harm’s way without subjecting herself to the negative legal consequences of using her gun.

We have two models of pepper ball launchers. One, pictured above, resembles and handles like a conventional pistol and the other has a futuristic design with a laser and flashlight for easy aiming.