Copyright 1986 Bill Clede. All rights reserved. First published in Police Marks an! "uly 1986.

A perspective on combat shotguns

Police and shotguns have gone together since the days of the wild frontier. The emphasis is on the police handgun only because it is the one most readily available. For serious business, the shotgun still holds an edge. by Bill Clede #he gentle an sports an is pictured $ith his side%by%side double barrelled shotgun. #he upland bird hunter has his pu p action shotgun. But there is another side to shotguns that provides practical service in any ore applications. &t has been called any na es' riot gun! trench gun! even sa$ed%o(( shotgun $hich is illegal in A erica. #he short barrelled shotgun $as used by ilitary (orces in both )orld )ars. A erican soldiers called the )inchester Model 9* and Model 1+ shotguns their ,trench guns, during the (irst )orld )ar. Most soldiers are ar ed $ith ri(les. Police o((icers are ar ed $ith pistols. #he sidear is convenient. &t is al$ays present. )hen suddenly con(ronted $ith a threat! the police o((icer can -uickly dra$ and e ploy his de(ensive $eapon. .es! (or ilitary or police! the handgun is a de(ensive $eapon. )hen police ust (ace do$n a ob! you can be sure the guns in their hands are shotguns. .ou also see sub achine guns. /ven police in A erica are so eti es ar ed $ith the 0eckler 1 2och MP3. Perhaps it is because & can4t hit the broad side o( a barn $ith a sub achine gun! but & 5ust don4t like the (or police $ork. &( ultiple targets are close enough! a shotgun dispenses ore pro5ectiles $ith better control. &( targets are so distant you need a sub achine gun! a ri(le $ill do the 5ob better. )hen & $as outdoor editor o( the 0art(ord 6Connecticut7 #i es ne$spaper! readers o(ten asked! ,)hat handgun should & keep (or ho e de(ense8, My ans$er $as! ,Any 1+%gauge pu p action shotgun $ith the barrel shortened to +9 inches., #he handgun is di((icult to shoot $ell. &t re-uires training and regular practice. As a retired police o((icer! & have lived $ith handguns all y li(e. & had to -uali(y on the range regularly. But i( & $ere sent into a threatening situation! and had the choice! the gun in y hands $as a co bat shotgun. :n A erica4s (rontier during the days o( the )ild )est! the (a ous la$ en all had their Colt ;3 single action revolvers and )inchester *< lever action ri(les. #hat is the popular vie$. )riting about Bat Masterson! historian =ichard :4Connor said! ,#he shotgun played a larger role in ta ing the (rontier than ay be i agined. &t $as one $eapon that gave pause to the ost con(ident o( gun en. #he ental picture o( his guts being stre$n on the ground at a never% iss range $as enough to cool o(( al ost any hothead. Many a peace o((icer ... relied ore on the shotgun as a paci(ier than the ore publici>ed si?%shooter., #he $ell%ar ed la$ an o( the 1889s $as described by )yatt /arp hi sel(. ,@ood or bad! the gunslinger belted t$o Colt ;3s on his hips! strapped his )inchester ri(le in a scabbard on the right side o( his saddle and! $ith a leather thong! hung a sa$ed%o(( shotgun (ro the saddle horn., Aoc 0olliday is re e bered (or his (avorite $eapon! a 19%gauge @reener double barrel shotgun %% and $ith good reason. )hen he 5oined Morgan! Birgin and )yatt /arp on their $ay to the :2 Corral in :ctober o( 1881! Aoc carried the ost (or idable $eapon he could

(ind (or the purpose. /ach barrel o( his big bore @reener held 18 pellets o( buckshot %% each bigger than a <+ caliber bullet. :( the si? gun en killed in that (a ous sho$do$n! the only one $ho did not (ight back a(ter he $as hit $as #o Co$ery. Co$ery took both barrels o( 0olliday4s double gun. Dheri(( Pat @arrett set the pattern (or odern la$ en(orce ent o((icers. 0e carried a short shotgun in his buggy in uch the sa e anner as police o((icers today rack riot guns in their patrol cars. Fro a police o((icer4s point o( vie$ today! the shotgun is his o((ensive $eapon. #he shotgun is a patrol $eapon! not al$ays carried but al$ays readily accessible. )hen you kno$ you are going into a potentially hot situation! the shotgun is (ar ore e((ective $ithin pistol%shot range than your handgun. )ith one 1+%gauge shotgun! you have buckshot that does the sa e thing as your pistol! ti es nine! each ti e you pull the trigger. .ou can use a ri(led slug to punch through a barricade to reach a (elon shooting at you (ro behind ,cover., :r you can lob a tear gas grenade to disperse a ob! or shoot a s all (inned pro5ectile through $indo$ glass to put tear gas into a hide%out roo or auto obile. Most police shotguns hold at least seven shells. /ach 99 Buck load has nine pellets as big as the bullets in your pistol. #hat adds up to 6< bullets you can dispense $ith seven shots. 0o$ long $ould it take to (ire 6< ti es even $ith a sub achine gun8 .ou $ould have to change aga>ines at least once. )e (ound a piece o( ply$ood at the range. #o see $hat it $ould do $e propped it up $ith a stake and (ired a skeet load into it (ro 13 (eet a$ay. #hose light E9 pellets ble$ a (our%inch hole into the panel and le(t another si?%inch radius o( (reckles $here pellets $ent into the ply$ood so deep you couldn4t see the . &( birdshot does that uch da age! $hat $ould 99 Buck do8 Fine << caliber balls penetrated the ply$ood. /ven the plastic $ad $as protruding out the back side o( the $ood. &( the perpetrator is hiding behind a car door! your 9 ay get through to hi ! but not likely. .ou can bet oney that a 1+%gauge ri(led slug $ill penetrate the door! the cri inal! and probably the door on the other side. Cet us dispel another yth about any peoples4 vie$ o( the shotgun. Certainly hunters use the shotgun4s pattern o( pellets on ducks and upland birds. But re e ber their targets are perhaps <9 to 69 yards a$ay. At close range! the shot has not had a chance to spread. :n the police training range $ith Pepper popper steel targets! $e set up a scenario o( one target behind the other $ith the head o( the target to the rear e?posed. .our (irear s instructor cannot advocate that you do this! obviously! but it sho$s $hat is possible. #he rear target represents a cri inal $ith his ar crooked around your partner4s neck. 0e is holding a cocked pistol against your buddy4s te ple. ,&4 going to kill your partner and & $ant you to $atch., the bad guy says. .ou kno$ your partner is as good as dead. .ou are standing 19 (eet a$ay! your shotgun loaded $ith buck shot is in the ready position. #he bad guy is hiding behind your partner but his head is e?posed. At that distance! you can stare at the bad guy4s (ace and put nine << caliber balls into that (ace in so ething like 9.; seconds $ithout scratching your partner4s cheek. As a con(idence e?ercise! $e did it. Can you i agine the e((ect o( an instantaneous (rontal loboto y8 #he hostage%taker $ould not have ti e (or a death reaction o( pulling the trigger. .ou can be (ast $ith a shotgun. #he &nternational Dkeet shooter develops a techni-ue o( co bining the three separate actions o( ount! point! and shoot into one s ooth otion. 0e starts (ro the =eady position. #ry it. Bring the shotgun to your cheek and pull it back into your shoulder! pointing at the target. Fo$! push it (or$ard a bit and drop the stock do$n to the level o( your strong (orear . #hat is the ready position. .ou are looking through the (ront bead sight at the target! (inger

outside the trigger guard. Dhould the gun discharge inadvertently! the shot $ould go over the target4s head. But you are only a split%second a$ay (ro delivering a $ell%ai ed shot! should you need to. A(ter learning to ount the gun! the instructor put us through a series o( one%shot drills. Mount! point and shoot. But everyone paused be(ore pulling the trigger to check the sights. #he instructor kept ha ering us to shoot as soon as the gun $as ounted. ,& $ant to hear the gun (ire as soon as the butt hits your shoulder!, he said. .our subconscious ind $orks one%third (aster than your conscious ind. &t kno$s $hat a good sight picture looks like. .ou don4t have to take the ti e to look. Dpeed is only one advantage. :nce this ounting techni-ue $as $ell practiced! $e $ent into an indoor range. A single light bulb in the ne?t roo cast a (aint glo$ on the range so you could 5ust tell $here the targets $ere. .ou could not see the sights. .et! (ro the ready position! everyone in class put every shot on center ass. Police o((icers practice reloading their pistols -uickly. #hey need to learn ,co bat loading, a shotgun. &( you have (ired several shots and are covering a suspect! your gun is in the ready position. :pen the action. #hat is the loading position. 2no$ing you have a shell in the cha ber! you can get shells (ro your pocket and stu(( the one at a ti e into the loading port $ith your $eak hand. .ou can (eel the ri end o( the shell to kno$ it is pointed in the right direction. &( you have (ired the shotgun dry! you4d be better o(( $ith a baseball bat unless you can get t$o shells into the gun $hile keeping your attention on the target. 0old the gun in the loading position $ith your $eak hand on the (ore%end. )ith your strong hand! grab t$o shells. Arop one into the open e5ection port and close the action. .ou could (ire at this point i( you had to. #hen stu(( the second shell into the loading port. #hen! i( you have ti e! you can load ore shells into the aga>ine as described above. Duppose you are covering a suspect! you are standing in the ,intervie$, position $ith the shotgun at ready. Duddenly! the cri inal4s acco plice steps out (ro his hiding place to the side. Must you shu((le your (eet around to shoot8 Fo! that takes too uch ti e. Cook at the target! pivot your $hole body $hile ounting the gun! and (ire. #raining on the range is good as (ar as it goes! but range habits can be deadly. .ou can run a prescribed #actical Cover course all day long! dashing (ro one predeter ined cover position to another. #rans(erring those techni-ues to a realistic co bat situation is di((erent. &n an instructor class & attended! $e ca e o(( the #actical Cover course and $ent to the edge o( a $oodlot. ,For sa(ety4s sake! a student instructor $ill be right behind you!, the instructor e?plained. ,#hat4s so you don4t turn and shoot back at a target you ay have passed. )hite arkers indicate the general direction you should ove. Fro there! you4re on your o$n., All o( a sudden! you don4t kno$ $here the targets are. More than a (e$ o( the students reverted to hunting techni-ues. .es! & sneaked slo$ly straight across a clearing %% inviting lethal conse-uences. #he (irst steel target & sa$ $as too (ar a$ay. &t didn4t (all. & had to get closer! $atching (or other adversaries along the $ay. Finally! & re e bered to use the tactics learned earlier. #he con(usion o( (acing a situation di((erent (ro the regi en on the range taught us an i portant lesson that $ill never be (orgotten. #he co bat shotgun is versatile. )ith ri(led slugs! it is popular in A erica (or deer hunting. )ith bird shot! it is suitable (or closer shots in upland bird hunting. And (or a ho e de(ense gun! it is better than a handgun that the ho eo$ner $ill not spend the ti e to learn to shoot $ell.