Law Enforcement Shotgun Training

Shotgun Introduction

• The two most common shotguns used by law enforcement agencies in Jefferson and St. Louis Counties are the Remington 870 and the Mossberg shotguns.

Safety Principles

• Always treat the weapon as if it is loaded until you have verified that it is safe.
• Check the following areas to verify that the weapon is unloaded and safe: Safety on Chamber (Action open), Shell carrier/elevator, Magazine tube.
• Use only dummy rounds when performing any inspection or function test.

Nomenclature

• The following are the parts of a shotgun:
  • Muzzle
  • Front sight
  • Barrel
  • Magazine Cap
  • Magazine Tube
  • Action Bars
  • Chamber
  • Ejection/Load Port
  • Magazine Loading Port
  • Shell Carrier/Elevator
  • Breech Block
  • Receiver Assembly
  • Trigger
  • Trigger Guard
  • Safety
  • Stock
  • Fore-end
  • Action Release Mechanism

Operational Characteristics

• Pump Action Shotguns:
  • Operate by a working slide that opens the action, extracts and ejects a fired shell, and cocks the hammer.
  • Most pump-action weapons have an ejection port on the right side and a cross bolt safety in the trigger guard.
• Semi-automatic Shotguns:
  • Do not require any "pumping" action to fire, extract, and feed rounds.
  • Delayed blowback and recoil are the two most common operational types of semi-automatic shotguns.

Disassembly, Inspection, and Cleaning Procedure

• Follow manufacturer recommendations for the particular make and model of shotgun used.
• Check the following during inspection:
  • Cartridge interrupter/cartridge stop assembly arms
  • Firing pin/bolt assembly (extractor)
  • Ejector mechanism
  • Action arm/forearm assembly
  • Trigger assembly (elevator — carrier assembly)
  • Barrel assembly (to include front sight)
  • Magazine tube follower/spring assembly
  • Magazine tube (damage and tightness)

Function Testing

• Follow manufacturer recommendations for the particular make and model of shotgun used.
• Check the operation of the safety:
  • Place safety to "on" (safe position)
  • Close action
  • Pull trigger — hammer should not fall
  • Place safety in "off" (fire position)
  • Pull trigger — hammer should fall

Ammunition

• Common shotgun ammunition includes:
  • "00" Buck: .33 caliber, penetration of 25 feet, spread of approximately 1 inch per yard, combat range of approximately 15-18 yards
  • Rifled Slug: 1 ounce of lead, .72 caliber, penetration of 100 feet, effective range of approximately 75 yards, average marksman

Inspection and Loading Procedure (Assembly Area Load)

• Grasp shotgun with dominant hand on the pistol grip area
• Point muzzle in safe direction
• Open slide, inspect chamber, carrier/elevator, and magazine tube for any live ammunition
• Load to maximum capacity into magazine tube
• In this loading procedure, the chamber of the weapon remains empty and the weapon is de-cocked

Combat Loading Procedure

• Right-Handed Loading Procedure:
  • Hold shotgun in the shoulder-fired position with the strong hand
  • Muzzle is pointed in direction of problem with barrel parallel to the ground
  • Ammunition should be carried on the left side of a right-handed shooter
  • Load the first round into the ejection port
  • Remaining rounds will be loaded into the loading port
• Left-Handed Loading Procedure:
  • Hold weapon in dominant hand and load with right hand
  • Ammunition should be carried on the right side of a left-handed shooter
  • Load the first round into the ejection port
  • Remaining rounds will be loaded into the loading port

Unloading the Shotgun

• Unload according to manufacturer recommendation and training center policies
• Assembly Area Unloading:
  • Grasp fore-end with support hand
  • Strong hand grasps receiver over trigger guard with index finger depressing action release
  • Fore-end is slowly moved rearward to open action
  • Remove shells from the magazine tube
• Combat Load Unloading:
  • Point muzzle in safe direction, keeping weapon barrel parallel to the ground in a hip shooting position
  • Slowly open action by moving slide to the rear
  • Remove shell from ejection port
  • Remaining shells in magazine tube can be removed

Five Fundamentals of Marksmanship

• The five fundamentals are:
  • Stance
  • Grip
  • Sighting
  • Trigger Action
  • Breathing

Malfunctions and Clearance

• Identify most common malfunctions:
  • Failure to Fire
  • Failure to Unlock
  • Failure to Extract
  • Failure to Eject
  • Failure to Feed
  • Double Feed
  • Failure to Fully Close
• Corrective actions for each malfunction are outlined in the text