OK folks; I have been carrying and training people with most all types of small arms for 40+ years: My opinion on less lethal, it is NOT non-lethal. All less lethal ammo will kill under some circumstances. If you are not being backed up by a skilled comrade with a "lethal" load, just don't do it. And never but never, mix loads, lethal and less lethal in your magazine. If you use the "wrong" round and kill someone, that mixing will be called at least negligence and probably reckless or wanton. The first term is civil liability, the latter terms usually involve criminal liability.
If you use the less lethal ammo with lethal results, your goose is cooked, at least in a civil trial for damages(because you tried to not kill, but killed anyway, indicating you were at least careless).
Very few civilians are going to get the type of training and practice that will even minimally qualify them to use less lethal ammo effectively. The stuff costs lots of money, and its performance in the best trained hands is erratic. In the most likely HD scenario, any less than lethal ammo is contraindicated due to the circumstances of the engagement; i.e. close ranges, low or non-extant lighting, lots of stress and pressure, add to that trying to remember which round in the mag or the chamber is less lethal and which is the real thing, and you have a made to order disaster. It happens that way to real professionals, who shoot a lot(I am not talking about your local beat LEO here), and that is why very few of them use less lethal, except under the most controlled situation.
If you are authorized lethal force, use it!!! Be sad about it later, but use it if it means you and your family will be more secure. You want less lethal, get a softball.
