You know, I can't believe I haven't thought of bringing this one up earlier.
How would
rubber bullets factor into the equation? Now, I'll be the last to say that I have any clue on how they actually work, but on first glance, making them available to the public while heavily restricting the supply of 'real' ammo may seem to be a good compromise between 'non-lethal' and 'defensive power' needs.
Please feel free to point out any potential issues with this idea, because like I said, I don't have the first clue on the track record of rubber bullets.