Friday, November 11, 2011

Shotguns, part 3.

  For all of the rounds here, I have only confirmed their existence in 12 gauge, not in 20 gauge (or any other gauge or bore).  All have their uses, but are best used as supplements to conventional shot and slug rounds.
  First up is the breaching slug.  This round is usually made of metal powder and resin and is designed to destroy locks without ricocheting.  When it hits, the slug dumps all its kinetic energy into the lock and bursts apart into a powder too small to hurt anyone nearby.  It causes massive injury to a human target, just like any other round, but won't penetrate as far and will flatten and spread much more.  If you have these rounds available, they're great for entering locked houses, cracking safes, and so on.  But in order to release its energy safely, the powder needs to dissipate.  If you press your shotgun's barrel against the lock you want to breach, some of the powder might ricochet back into your gun, damaging its barrel.  To avoid this, just hold the shotgun a little ways away from the lock you're trying to blast open.  These rounds aren't as accurate as solid slugs, and they aren't likely to penetrate more than one target, so you'll find the most use for them in a house or other enclosed space where a ricocheting bullet would be...problematic.
  Second is the flash-bang round.  Designed for law-enforcement use, it works just like a grenade of the same name, though with a smaller area of effect.  True to its name, this round bursts on impact with a flash of light and a disorienting bang.  It makes a great distraction, and you can buy it online or from certain surplus stores.  It isn't lethal--the worst this does is bruise its target--but is still a wonderful tool, especially because actual flash-bang grenades are hard to get and (possibly) illegal.  In any case, this round is very useful but not meant for use indoors (unless you fire it from outside).  This kind of round should only be used with hearing protection, and maybe a pair of sunglasses.  Just in case, try to close your eyes before it goes off.
  Third is the incendiary round.  This is...interesting.  I wouldn't go out to buy one, though.  If you want to set something on fire, there are less expensive ways to do it: an incendiary shell, where it's legal to buy, costs between 5 and 20 dollars.  That's for just one.  And it isn't really that efficient, because it fires its payload over a period of  3-5 seconds.  And it would be a horrible idea to eject the round before it goes out--unless you want a flaming, spinning shotgun cartridge near your head.  Also, you shouldn't fire this from a semiautomatic or automatic shotgun, for the previous reason and because it doesn't always give enough recoil to completely cycle the action.  It's a very situation-specific round, best made for lighting things on fire from afar or signalling to people.  Really, this round isn't very useful.
  Fourth is the bolo round.  Its name is derived from the word "bolas," a hunting tool which consisted of two wooden balls tied together with a strip of leather.  A hunter would whirl it over his head and then throw it at his target's legs, entangling them and tripping the animal.  This weapon was very accurate in the hands of an experienced user, and could even kill the target by strangulation if thrown properly.
  The bolo round carries the form of the bolas, but not its spirit: made of of two round slugs joined together by a long wire, it fires inaccurately but slices into soft targets with its wire, causing horrendous wound channels.  This is no sniper's round, but its effect makes the bolo round well worth considering.  Just remember to use it at close range.
  (Note: using the bolo round as an improvised amputation tool is a very, very bad idea, not least because of its random flight pattern and the possibility that it won't cut through the bone entirely.  Don't even think of trying it.)

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