The Police Shotgun is Still a Viable Tool for Patrol

While conducting officer survival training for a law enforcement class last week we were working on fighting from and through vehicles. The question of engaging targets and stopping power at distances beyond 25 yards came up. The challenge voiced was this: with agencies restricting officers to one long gun per vehicle, which one should we carry - the M4/AR-15 Patrol Rifle or the Shotgun?

In my humble opinion as an experienced law enforcement officer and firearms instructor the shotgun is the most versatile and possibly the most underused firearm in our law enforcement inventory. Given the versatility of the 12-gauge shotgun, whether in pump action or semi-auto, it can fill multiple roles for the patrol officer and the tactical operator.

My concern is that by putting our focus on this new need for rifles, we have overlooked the versatility and firepower we had all along in the shotgun. The shotgun can and will fill a great number of roles if we only take the time to train and equip it properly.

Now that I have espoused the virtues of the Shotgun, before someone questions if I stand by my own observations, I personally carry the Remington 870 Marine Police model. Yes, I have a patrol rifle available, but they each have strengths and weaknesses. Obviously I’m focusing on the strengths and values of the shotgun – pump or semi-auto.

The next question I always get asked is should we use the Slug or 00 Buckshot? And which one is better for LE on patrol? Weather you use standard 00 buckshot, which is (9) .32 caliber pellets, or LE Tac 8 buckshot that is (8) .32 caliber pellets, remember that you must pattern your buckshot. For every yard of travel there is approximately 1 inch of spread from the standard LE smooth bore shotgun. Why is this important? The average human torso is 18 inches wide but at 25 yards you get 25 inches of spread with your pellets. Remember if only one (1) of those .32 caliber pellets fails to hit its intended target and hits an innocent bystander we have severe criminal and vicarious liability issues to contend with.

The big advantage of using a slug is that it has a much longer effective range than buckshot. Additionally, shotgun slugs retain their energy better and typically penetrate much deeper than buckshot. A shotgun shooting a slug is also much more precise than shotgun shooting buckshot, which means we can engage targets beyond 25 yards. The standard police shotgun can be accurate out to 75 yards. My agency qualifies at 50 yards with the shotgun on a regular basis.

Thanks to the variety of ammunition available, shotguns also have the ability to use less lethal ammo which includes rubber bullets, rubber BBs and OC (pepper spray) to name just a few. Even that short list of less-lethal options goes to show the versatility of this law enforcement tool.

Something that caused me concern during the course, and should concern all officers, is when we started working with the pump shotguns veteran and rookies alike had reduced competence in handling the shotgun while manipulating it. I don’t think their initial academy training was technically deficient, but it was sorely lacking in repetition, by which one becomes familiar and proficient with the shotgun. Training is the key. I believe someone once said, “You will not rise to the occasion, you will default to your level of training,” so my question is, how good is your training?

Because of the shotgun’s limited ammo capacity, an officer needs a handy way to access more shells, like side-saddles, buttstock holders or pouches. If you are firing a shotgun, whether pump or semi-auto, you need to be constantly stoking the tube magazine to keep the gun topped off. Proper training on how to ‘COMBAT LOAD” a shotgun is an absolute necessity.

My father taught me that my handgun is tool for fighting your way back to the long gun that you should have already had if you were getting into a gunfight. I believe he told me that he learned the saying from Clint Smith of Thunder Ranch.

It is my firm belief that a properly trained officer or deputy with a shotgun and proper ammunition will absolutely rule the day in close quarters battle, so let’s not overlook this tool. With today’s law enforcement encounters becoming more and more violent we need to use the proper tool for the job. The law enforcement shotgun is that tool.

Deputy Tom Perroni has over 30 years of operational experience in executive protection, law enforcement, SWAT, emergency medical care and other public safety roles. He has been an instructor for various disciplines for over 30 years, 15 of them as a Firearms Instructor. He currently serves as the assistant training officer for his agency and the owner/operator of the Commonwealth Criminal Justice Academy.