The Fighting Shotgun
THE urban dweller in SA scarcely goes a day without seeing a ‘riot gun’. Drive past a bank or a shopping centre, and you will see security firms collecting or delivering money; the guards are usually armed with shotguns or semi-automatic rifles, and our police and certain army personnel use riot guns.
The questions is: Just how does the shotgun measure up as a fighting weapon and can it be used in, for example, rural/farming areas as an effective defence tool?
At white-of-the-eye range, no civilian weapon is more lethal than a 12ga shotgun loaded with buckshot, unless it is a 10ga shotgun loaded the same way. The emphasis, however, is on close range. The shotgun should not be seen as a general purpose weapon, but as a part of a battery selected to fulfill specific needs. It is an excellent urban home-defence weapon, but not a replacement for the handgun. It is a very good back-up home-defence gun for the farmer but is no substitute for a semi-automatic rifle for general farm security.
The shotgun is the best compromise for security guards who may have to contend with bystanders. Buckshot loses its lethality in a very short distance, and lacks penetration after 20 or 25m,
