The Firearms Blog is reporting that Lightfield Less Lethal Research announced the production of a .410 round called the Home Defender that is loaded with rubber buckshot. The company has long made rubber rounds (mainly in 12 ga) designed for law enforcement and wildlife control but the popularity of the Judge has created a market for self-defense loads in .410 that Lightfield hopes to take advantage of.

A Lightfield company rep told The Firearms Blog how they envisioned their rounds being used:

Our main premise for this line was giving shooters a choice. For example,a Taurus Judge loaded w/ 2 rubber buck followed by 3 lead loads gives the shooter a chance to send a painful warning. If those warnings are not heeded, then you have shown the intruders intention if the lead comes into play.

This sounds a little like Lawyer Gunning, an attempt to create some sort of legal cover for shootings that don’t happen in states where you have a strong Castle Doctrine. I guess the theory is that you can scare off an intruder with the rubber buck, but if he keeps coming you’ve already given him time to run and declared your intention clear enough that he knew he was going to be shot.

The problem with this theory may not seem obvious to everyone. The Judge was developed and marketed as an anti-car jacker gun. Observe:

So the pistol is basically optimized for extremely close ranges. Ranges in which rubber buckshot will still probably kill a person when it hits them. Testimony at your trial that the coroner removed bright orange rubber balls from a home invader’s throat and chest will not make it look like you’re a responsible gun owner, but a weirdo using exotic ammunition on people.

Because police have taken to dispersing crowds there’s a theory out there that rubber balls fired from guns won’t kill you. Untrue. If you prefer to shoot a person with “less lethal” ammunition for whatever reason, and intend to do it at close ranges I suggest doing what police departments tend to do and use paintball markers with rubber balls in them. You can buy .68 and .43 rubber “training” balls for your markers now and indeed can buy pepper balls form some companies online. Unless you’re an avid airgunner or paintball player and collect these kinds of weapons anyway you’d be just as well off with a baseball bat.

For “less than lethal” self defense .410 users will be better off wounding a person with birdshot than hoping they won’t die after shooting them with what is essentially a novelty round.