Do shotguns used in law enforcement or military typically fire shells or single projectile slugs?

Question

and is it true that a shotgun is typically more powerful at close range than an assult rifle? if so, what makes this so. i'd expect the weapon with more range to be more powerful. if not, what is the purpose of using a shotgun as opposed to a handgun?

Answer 1

Law enforcement officers generally fire buckshot and military can be that or slugs. Slugs are more for breaking down doors. The amount of trauma inflicted by a shotgun firing buckshot at close range is devastating and in my opinion is far more deadly than an assault rifle. A shotgun is also far more effective than any handgun, the shotgun causes so much damage to the body at close range. I have heard the term "sensory overload" used by gunwriters and researchers when discussing a shotgun wound. The infliction of so much trauma cause the body such severe shock that you die. Loss of blood and the destruction of organs from such a blast would also be fatal very often. I have personally fired a .357 magnum round which passed cleanly through a human bicep with very little damage, none permenant except a scar on both sides of the arm. A shotgun would have done far more damage.

Answer 2

Well civilians use shot of various sizes.The military uses shot slugs and teargas shells. The police also use the former plus beanbags.

Answer 3

Rifles over penetrate at close range which means the temporary wound cavity is not to its full potential of causing trauma.  Shotguns use a much larger projectile(s).  This means the buckshot or slug is travelling at slower speeds and upon entry causes more shearing when entering the body.  The temporary wound cavity or the entrance hole is much larger and spread out which means more trauma and sense of injury on the body.  This is desirable because it means the bad guy is more likely to go down upon the first hit.  Shotguns typically have a 80% chance or better of a single shot knock down when firing center of mass.  Rifles as I have mentioned before are less successful on center of mass shots because of the dynamics of the round and the speed allows it to transition through the body smoother.    Buckshot 00 is the typical use for shotguns giving them lethal range in close quarters with the shot spreading out at farther distances giving them increased ability to hit.  Breaching shells are a effective use in the military for literally destroying the locking mechanism in 1 shot which allows quick access through doors.  The downsides to shotguns are that the typical rounds will not beat most body armor and the range on shotguns does not live up to rifles.  However, in urban warfare, it is a good thing to have a few shotguns on hand for door breaching and room clearing.

I also would like to debug the myth of the racking, it does not pay to give away your position, nor does it make 1 urinate in fear. The military still uses mosberg 12 gauge pump action, but has recently transitioned to other forms of shotguns mainly semi-automatic.  The marine corps and other services have adopted the Benelli M-4 12-gauge which is a gas driven semi-automatic.

Answer 4

It depends on the purpose of using them. The shotgun that is primarily used by the U.S Military is the Mossberg 500. It is a 12 gauge, pump shotgun, with 6 round capacity . Most of the time we carry 9 Pellet Buckshot. However if you are on a Counter Terrorism Team that would use it to break locks and doors, we then use a special kind of slug. Yes they are more powerful at close range. When a shotgun with Buckshot is fired, the Pellets are very much closer together. As they gain distance and slow down they spread out more. There are different ranges for effectiveness depending on the Gauge , and type of ammo being used.

Answer 5

I've always worked with 12 gauge 00 buckshot. The shotgun is useful for close quarters situations due to its high stopping power and spread. Obviously, a shotgun is going to be a bit more cumbersome than a handgun so it is not a primary weapon. Some LE agencies are transitioning from the shotgun to the assault rifle, after considering round capacity.

Edit: Almost forgot a big plus for the shotgun. When a shell is racked, it makes a very distinct noise, which by itself can make a bad guy surrender.