Why do they use shotguns in the military?

Question

They aren't that accurate and have limited ammo capacity. Also, buckshot won't penetrate body armor.

Answer 1

Two uses for the shotgun in the military are crowd control and close quarters combat. The shotgun buckshot shells can carry many different types of pellets and creates many different shot patterns. For crowd control during riots and such, the proportionality of response must be considered. To provide the proper response, buckshot can be filled with bean bags, a rubber slug can be used, and/or gas shells also can be used. During close quarters combat, the shotgun can use buckshot filled with flechettes or metal pellets to provide a high volume of projectiles while the short range ensures that many of them will hit a certain target. Small, fast moving targets are easily dispatched this way, even if the shooter is an inexperienced marksman. Secondly, it also has a lot of stopping power; more than almost all handguns and equal to some rifle cartridges. Third, its low penetration means that there can be less collateral damage. While it is true that shotguns have limited ammunition capacity when compared to handguns and assault rifles, it can take even a lightly armored person down in one shot, which is all a warrior needs in the field of battle. Meanwhile, handguns and rifles may require multiple hits to take a person down. Besides killing or incapacitating people, the shotgun can be used for forced entry using the disintegrator or Hatton rounds that are designed to blow out the locks without risking the life of the breecher (kicking down doors and then assaulting killed many Marine breechers in the Battle for Fallujah for example).

Answer 2

The answer to this is simple, in a confined space, the blast effect and shot spread of a shotgun is very effective, this was discovered in Vietnam, green berets carried semi automatic browning 12g weapons into tunnels and small huts, for a while this proved very good and did the job!..But it had to be stopped due to what became known as the "John Wayne" syndrome, blazing away at anything that moved caused to many friendly casualtys..Shotguns are now not considered to be a safe combat weapon!

Answer 3

They are good for close quarter combat, the shot doesn't go that far so innocent civilians are at less risk, it's spread ensures a hit, and even if it doesn't penetrate body armor it can knock the enemy down.
An M-4 bullet would penetrate the enemy and continue on to cause collateral damage.

Answer 4

Shotguns have become a more used weapon in close combat, and urban warfare. Not only does it kill effectively, it can be used for several other things, like crowd control, they put shells in with little sand bags instead of shot, it is also great for blowing up ordinance. even if you are wearing body Armour, and get hit by a shoot gun blast at close range it will knock the wind out of you along with any fight you may have you may have left.

Answer 5

I would just like to say for anyone that repeatedly has negative comments about the president, this government, our military who would say that a shotgun is used for peppering civilians...I just wish that I had the power to transport you for just 10 min to the middle of a firefight in the middle of the night when you're position is being hit by a force 3 times your size. I would then like you to make the same lame comment....you would choke on your words.

Answer 6

(1) Breach doors and obstacles in the absence of water impulse charges (you try to shoot hinges off a door with an M4? A lock off a gate with an M9?)

(2) Escorting EPWs, and other MPish duties

And that's about it. Great weapon for a point man in the jungle or someone in a trench system by the way. Then again, most of what we do now is in desert or high elevations.

Answer 7

100% for close quarter combat situations...The scatter gun does just that...it disburses the crowd with a noisy and effective tactic to do more than harm but to create havoc...by the way insurgents don't carry body armor and typically other civilian groups don't either...at least for military assignments!Your right though they are not accurate but they are a painful solution to a large crowd of *******!!!

Answer 8

Good in a close fight. And a lot of bad guys don't have body armor.

They even have buckshot for cannons, at least they did once.

Answer 9

Because they are extremely effective CQB (Close Quarters Battle) weapons. Very effective on terrorists, because the great majority of them do not wear body armor.

Answer 10

Shotguns are excellent for close-in 'send another martyr to allah' work. Nothing survives a 12 gauge head shot.