Mike Boyle
For over 50 years, the shotgun was the dominant police shoulder weapon. After WWII, it reigned supreme, until recently, when the patrol rifle became more common, leading many to view the shotgun as obsolete.
The move away from the traditional shotgun to a patrol rifle got me thinking about an old quote attributed to Mark Twain in which he stated, “Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” Much of the same can be applied to the shotgun. I would submit that, while its role has evolved, it still fills a very useful niche for law enforcement. The bottom line is that the tried-and-true shotgun can still perform some jobs better than anything else and that certainly includes the patrol rifle.
Many departments have indeed given up on the shotgun and taken up the patrol rifle. Quite frankly, I don’t have much of an issue with that as long as you do your homework and ensure your training is up to the task. Others have limited shotgun use to less-lethal applications and yet some departments continue to field both shotguns and rifles. As far as my own outfit, patrol officers are issued both a rifle and a shotgun which is contained in a dual rack inside the passenger compartment of their take-home vehicle.
Assets and Liabilities
The 12-gauge shotgun remains the ultimate close range power tool as it generates far more energy than a pistol or patrol rifle. For example, common police handgun cartridges put out something around 400 foot-pounds of energy while a 5.56mm NATO runs in the neighborhood of 1100 foot-pounds of energy. This all pales by comparison to the 2400 foot-pounds of mayhem from a single round of 00 buckshot or a rifled slug. Consider that a typical round of 00 contains nine .32 caliber pellets which will strike a threat simultaneously with each creating an independent wound channel. Rifled slugs are .73 inches in diameter with tremendous penetration qualities and have an even more devastating effect on an aggressor.
Like all shoulder weapons, hit potential with a shotgun is better than with a pistol. This is an important quality in highly stressed situations; problems which unfold in poor light; or when dealing with more than one assailant. A practiced hand can get a shotgun into action very quickly with good effect – certainly much faster than drawing a pistol from the holster. The end result will typically be fast neutralization with fewer rounds fired.
But, to reap these rewards, there are some issues with which to contend. To my thinking, they can be addressed with proper fit of the shotgun, ammunition selection and training. There is absolutely no question that a shotgun generates more felt recoil than a patrol rifle, but is it a disqualifier? I don’t think so. Today, all of the major ammunition manufacturers are turning out reduced recoil buckshot loads optimized for law enforcement with a recoil impulse similar to light target rounds. Pellet spread is significantly less than old-school hunting-grade buckshot which enables an officer to keep the entire pattern on the threat when fired from typical combat distance.
Having a shotgun which fits along with a quality recoil pad makes all the difference in the world when it comes to shooter comfort. Many contemporary shotguns have spacers in the stock where the length of pull (distance from the buttstock to the trigger) can be customized to the individual shooter. Aftermarket reduced length of pull youth stocks or M4-style telescopic stocks are readily available. With a proper fitting shotgun and low recoil loads, I have been able to get small, petite female officers up to speed without a complaint.
In law enforcement circles, the shotgun was often treated like the redheaded stepchild and officers were shortchanged with training. When you introduce a large, heavy firearm which operates very differently from the standard service pistol – and your training with it is minimal – the outcome is all too predictable. Heavy loads which pound the shoulder combined with poor fit are a recipe for disaster.
Unfortunately, I see the same patterns repeated with some departments which have adopted patrol rifles. While they may be user-friendly when it comes to felt recoil, the more complicated manual of arms requires some serious training. Simply put, there is no free lunch. If you don’t train hard with a shotgun or a rifle, you may come up short when it really matters.
Trends
Back in the day, the typical police shotgun was a 12-gauge plain vanilla pump-action Ithaca 37 or Remington 870 with a bead and no choke constriction. The most popular ammunition was a nine pellet 00 buckshot load which proved to be a formidable conflict resolution tool at close range, but performance suffered big-time as distance increased beyond 15 yards or so. One of the problems with open bore guns, poor sights and traditional buckshot loads is that it was next to impossible to keep all nine pellets on a silhouette target at 20 yards. Today, both the delivery system and the ammunition available to law enforcement are far superior to that of the past. In many quarters, bead sights have given way to ghost rings and even red dot optics. These types of sights are not only beneficial when firing buckshot, but they also provide the shotgun with limited rifle-like capabilities when using rifled slugs. Wooden stocks have given way to rugged, synthetic stocks with recoil pads, with some featuring spacers to optimize fit for small stature officers.
Pump shotguns remain popular, however, self-loading semiautomatics have come on strong. The fact that they function in the exact same way as an officer’s duty pistol or patrol rifle helps to flatten out the learning curve. Semiauto shotguns from Benelli, Beretta, FN®, and Mossberg® are readily available and come complete with desirable features for the law enforcement professional. Many autoloading shotguns also help dissipate felt recoil.
Ammunition, too, has come a long way. Over 30 years ago, Remington pioneered the concept of buckshot loads with a lower recoil impulse which they thought would enable law enforcement officers to train a bit harder with less apprehension. This was the foot in the door for the development of “tactical buckshot” with less recoil, but far better performance characteristics. Right at the top of the hill is Federal Premium® 132LE 00 buckshot with hard, copper wash pellets; buffering; and the revolutionary FLITECONTROL® wad which delivers dense, tight patterns to 20 yards and beyond. Muzzle velocity is advertised at 1140 fps which makes for better shooter comfort and terminal performance is every bit as good as “old-school” hunting-grade buckshot. Dedicated law enforcement buckshot is also available from Hornady®, Remington and Winchester and, in my experience, proven to be top-shelf.
Rifled slugs can effectively triple the range of the police shotgun and defeat many types of light cover. Much like buckshot, there are lower impulse slug rounds available from the major manufacturers. I remain very partial to the slugs from Brenneke® which are harder and offer great penetration. The Brenneke line includes rifled slugs with lower recoil up to powerful magnums best suited for special applications. For engaging threats inside of vehicles, Brenneke’s Special Forces Short Magnum®s have no peer.
Not Your Daddy’s Shotgun!
Mossberg has built a solid reputation in the development of combat shotguns and I would submit that their 590® family is the best pump-action smoothbore currently available. If your preference runs to pump-actions, by all means check out the new 590R™ and 590RM™ with a rotary safety and a M4-style telescopic stock.
At the 2025 SHOT Show, I took a hard look at the Mossberg line of 940® Pro Tactical SPX autoloading shotguns and came away most impressed. First introduced last year, the Pro Tactical SPX line features everything needed in a serious combat shotgun and I immediately made plans to get one. Earlier efforts such as the Mossberg Jungle Gun and the 930™ showed promise, but weren’t quite there. The new 940 series of combat shotgun addresses the shortcomings of the earlier designs and can get up and running with the best autoloaders out there.
A key attribute is the durable gas operating system which makes the 940 reliable and cleaner running. Critical components are corrosion-resistant with a nickel-boron coating on the gas piston, magazine tube, hammer, and sear. I have also grown fond of the enlarged loading port which facilitates loading along with the oversize bolt release and knurled operating handle. Like the Mossberg line of pump-action shotguns, the manual safety is located on top of the receiver, making it readily accessible to the right hand majority and southpaws alike.
The barrel of the 940 Pro Tactical is thicker than many of its competitors, making it less susceptible to damage due to rough handling. A removable Accu-Choke cylinder bore tube is standard. The barrel is bored for three inch, 12-gauge shells; however, most LE users will no doubt prefer the 2¾” variety.
Both the buttstock and fore-end of the 940 Pro Tactical are well-thought-out and crafted from a durable synthetic. The buttstock features a quality recoil pad and is adjustable for length of pull and cast. Spacers are included in the package and the end user can adjust length of pull from 12.5 to 14.5 inches. The buttstock also sports a stud for the attachment of a swing swivel and a QD port for a sling attachment. A second QD port is found on the fore-end with a second stud on the end of the magazine tube. The fore-end also is outfitted with three M-LOK® attachment points for the mounting of a light or laser. Texturing provides for a nonslip hold and a unique high wall design on the fore-end serves as a heat shield.
The sights on the 940 Pro Tactical SPX consist of a green fiber-optic front sight and a fixed ghost ring rear sight crafted from steel. I’m sure a great many users would be more than satisfied with this arrangement; however, I would have much preferred a ghost ring sight which could be adjusted for windage and elevation. This is especially important if your ammunition preference runs to rifled slugs.
However, the ghost ring can be removed and a micro red dot can be fitted in its place. An RMSc footprint optic can be directly mounted to the receiver and extra plates are included for the mounting of other popular patterns. Considering that I often favor rifled slugs, I will no doubt go down this road in the near future.
The Mossberg Pro Tactical SPX can be had with either a seven or four round magazine. A Vang Comp six shot carrier card with a hook and loop attachment system is attached to the left side of the receiver, ensuring you will have plenty of ammunition readily available for any emergency.
My 940 Pro was finished in basic matte black; however, OD Green and Flat Dark Earth Cerakote® finishes are available as an option.
Extras
As the Mossberg Pro Tactical is a very well outfitted shotgun, it was good to go right from the box. To make it truly ready, I needed to add a light and a sling. Because I live in a state which restricts magazine capacity of personal autoloading shotguns, my 940 is the 4+1 model. This issue was easily addressed by adding a +2 magazine tube extension from Choate Machine & Tool which boosts capacity, yet keeps me in compliance with the law.
To affix a light to the gun, I purchased the aluminum Offset M-LOK Light Mount from Magpul® which I easily added to one of the attachment points on the fore end. An orphan Inforce WML which I had on hand was a perfect match and will no doubt aid decision-making and target acquisition in reduced light.
All police shoulder weapons, including shotguns, should be equipped with a sling. Tasmanian Tiger offers a few different slings suitable for serious shoulder weapons and I thought one would be just the ticket for the new 940. My well seasoned Beretta 1201 is equipped with the TT Gun Sling, a traditional two point type, while my Remington 870 wears a TT Single Sling. Both guns are heavily utilized in my shotgun classes and the Tasmanian Tiger slings have worked out very well.
Final Thoughts
There is no getting around the fact that the role of the police shotgun has changed. Shotguns may in fact evolve to be the specialist’s tool rather than a shoulder utilized weapon for patrol. But, shotguns aren’t going away anytime soon. Ammunition is better than ever and shotguns like the new 940 Pro Tactical SPX are very well-thought-out designs destined to find favor with law enforcement.
Good results can easily be achieved with a commitment to training. If your responsibilities include getting officers squared away with the shotgun, avoid high round counts in training and use low recoil ammunition whenever possible.
The fact remains that shotguns generate more recoil than a patrol rifle so, to minimize impact to my students, I also use inert dummy rounds when teaching and refining basic operational skills. I have also found that, by using steel reactive targets in shotgun training, the shooter is rewarded with positive feedback when hitting and keeps the mind off of unpleasant aspects such as recoil.
In the 21st century, shotguns still rock. With a properly set up gun and good ammunition, law enforcement professionals who still rely on this proven tool are hardly at a handicap. A properly trained officer armed with a shotgun can prevail over seemingly insurmountable odds. Don’t sell it short!
Captain Mike Boyle served with New Jersey Fish & Wildlife, Bureau of Law Enforcement, and has been active in use-of-force instruction for over 40 years. He is an instructor in multiple firearms and less-lethal disciplines and has been a police academy assistant director, instructor and rangemaster. He is the author of three books; three training videos; and hundreds of magazine articles on firearms, training and tactics. Mike served 21 years on the Board of Directors of IALEFI and is a member of NLEFIA and ILEETA. He continues to work part-time as a law enforcement training specialist and resides in Forked River, NJ.