TASER Guns are the number one form of less than lethal self defense.  Would you much rather shoot and kill someone? or TASER them using a temporary high-voltage low-current electrical discharge?  Myself being a United States Marine would use the TASER. 
A TASER half-second shock duration will cause intense pain and muscle contractions, startling most people greatly.  Two to three second TASER shots will often cause the subject to become dazed and drop to the ground, and over three second TASER will usually completetly disorient and drop an attacker for at least several seconds.