Riot shotgun

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A riot shotgun is a shotgun designed or modified for use as a primarily defensive weapon, primarily by the use of a short barrel.^[1][2] The riot shotgun is used by military personnel for guard duty and was at one time used for riot control, and is commonly used as a patrol weapon by law enforcement personnel, as well as a home defense weapon by private citizens.^[3][4] For offensive military shotgun use, see combat shotgun.

Contents 1 Characteristics 2 Riot vs. combat shotguns 3 Less lethal alternatives 4 Entry and breaching shotguns 5 See also 6 References

[edit] Characteristics

The primary characteristic of a riot shotgun is a "short" barrel (generally 14", 18-18.5", or 20" in length) which makes the shotgun more compact and easy to handle, easier to store inside a police vehicle, and more suitable for quickly aiming at stationary targets. Generally they have an open choke, to cause the shot to spread quickly, and they may be equipped with bead, rifle, or ghost-ring sights. The ability to use shotgun slugs extends the range and penetration capability of the shotgun. Police officers in the US commonly secure a shotgun in their vehicles to supplement their handgun, if greater firepower is needed.^[5]

The multiple projectile ability of a shotgun greatly increases the probability of a hit on an assailant, and the multiple projectiles increase the likelihood of a disabling hit. A typical police load would be a 12-gauge 2 3/4-inch (70 mm) 00 ("double-aught") buckshot shell consists of 9 .33 caliber (8.5 mm) round balls, each of which is similar in size and velocity to a lightweight handgun bullet. This shot spreads out to a greater or lesser degree depending on the barrel choke, and can be effective at ranges as far as 75 yards (70 m). The delivery of the large number of projectiles simultaneously makes the shotgun the most effective short range weapon commonly used, with a hit probability 45% greater than a submachine gun, and twice as great as an assault rifle.^[6]

[edit] Riot vs. combat shotguns

The division between the riot shotgun and the combat shotgun is blurry, and may be more a matter of application than design. A combat shotgun would be used in military combat situations as a primarily offensive weapon, where a riot shotgun would be used in law enforcement or civilian situations as a primarily defensive weapon. Common additions to a combat shotgun would be provision for attaching a bayonet, and the addition of a ventilated heat shield over the barrel to prevent the operator's fingers from being burned by a hot barrel (during extended gunfights).

Riot shotguns are also more limited in range than combat shotguns by the nature of their use. A combat shotgun is considered effective out to 75 yards (70 m) because on average at least 1 pellet of a 9 pellet 00 buckshot load will hit a human sized target at that range. This is enough to degrade the combat effectiveness of an enemy soldier, but it is not enough to reliably disable an assailant in a defensive situation. For that, there must be multiple hits to the target, enough that one or more pellets will hit a vital region. Generally this is well under 40 yards (37 metres) with a cylinder bore barrel. Beyond this range, slugs and good iron sights are recommended, extending the range to over 100 meters.^[6][7]

[edit] Less lethal alternatives

The latter part of the 20th century saw a new role for the riot shotgun, with the advent of a wide variety of less lethal ammunition for police use. These vary from the early "bean bag" shooting flexible baton rounds and other impact munitions, to tear gas and, expected to be released in January 2008, a 12 gauge electroshock weapon from TASER International. Using the shotgun as the delivery system allows the officers to quickly choose a lethal or a less lethal weapon, so responding officers can adapt to changing situations; one officer can be equipped with less lethal munitions, while others, equipped with buckshot, can provide a backup in case the less lethal rounds fail to stop the target. ^[8][9][5]

[edit] Entry and breaching shotguns

The entry shotgun or breaching shotgun is a role that can be filled by a standard riot shotgun, or one further modified for these purposes. They may have an extremely short barrel and often only a pistol grip rather than a buttstock, or a folding or collapsing buttstock if it is provided with one. It is often used with breaching rounds, as its extremely short length is ideal for quickly disabling locks and entering the forced door, and may be equipped with a special "standoff" device at the muzzle for use when breaching. Since these shotguns would in most areas be classified as short barreled shotguns, they are highly restricted under gun control laws such as the National Firearms Act and generally only used by police and military.^[10][11][5]

[edit] See also

• Riot gun
• Musketoon
• Blunderbuss

[edit] References

• "Give Us More Shotguns!" by Bruce N. Canfield, American Rifleman, May 2004