because in all honesty it probably works rather well as one provided it's focusable (just checked -- it is). Possibly also why it's disguised as a lipstick (don't they do cans of mace like this too?). Just defocus it a little and you can flood a perpetrator with very dazzling light. The danger being it's much more likely to reflect back at you than a bullet is to ricochet or mace is to blow back in your face.
Although highly unlawful and dangerous a high powered slightly defocussed laser could probably work rather well as an anti-personnel device from enough of a distance where you could keep it trained on them as they moved. I can see where I park my car from my flat window and if someone was snooping around it looking intent to damage it you can bet your ass I'd throw those 16340s in my 445 and have it powered up before you know it -- if anything as a warning. I hope I never need to, mind - but it is at the back of my mind as in this country we have a habit of prosecuting people who attack burglars (yes, really), and people are getting wise to it.
