Combat Shotgun - Effectiveness

Effectiveness

A Joint Service Combat Shotgun Program report on the lethality of shotguns in war states, in support of the use of the shotgun in warfare, "the probability of hitting a man-sized target with a shotgun was superior to that of all other weapons", and goes on to support this with statistics compiled by the British from the conflict in Borneo in the 1960s.

The buckshot typically used in a combat shotgun spreads out to a greater or lesser degree depending on the barrel choke, and can be effective at ranges as far as 70 m (75 yards). 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. While each pellet is only as effective as a small caliber handgun round, and offers very poor penetration against an armored target, the multiple projectiles increases the likelihood of one or more peripheral wounds.

A number of compromises are involved in choosing a shot size:

• Smaller pellets lose velocity more rapidly and penetrate the target less
• Larger pellets means fewer pellets, resulting in a reduced probability of hits
• Heavier loads produce more recoil and less velocity than lighter loads
• Reduced recoil loads (less shot and/or lower velocity) may produce smaller patterns, which may decrease hit probability