Riot gun
Encyclopedia
- In the USA "riot gun" may also mean a riot shotgunRiot shotgunA riot shotgun is a shotgun designed or modified for use as a primarily defensive weapon, primarily by the use of a short barrel. The riot shotgun is used by military personnel for guard duty and was at one time used for riot control, and is commonly used as a patrol weapon by law enforcement...
.
A riot gun or less-lethal launcher is a type of firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
that is used to fire "non-lethal" ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
for the purpose of suppressing riot
Riot
A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
s. Less-lethal launchers may be special purpose firearms designed for riot control use, or standard firearms, usually shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
s and grenade launcher
Grenade launcher
A grenade launcher or grenade discharger is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity, and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand....
s, adapted to riot control use with appropriate ammunition. Many of them are 37 mm or 40 mm caliber
Caliber
In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....
(about 1.5 inches).
Ammunition
Less-lethal launchers can fire various sorts of ammunition:- Impact projectile. These rely on kinetic energy, e.g. rubber bulletRubber bulletRubber bullets are rubber or rubber-coated projectiles that can be fired from either standard firearms or dedicated riot guns. They are intended to be a non-lethal alternative to metal projectiles...
s. - Teargas cartridge, chemical riot control agent.
- Pepper sprayPepper sprayPepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears...
, chemical riot control agent. - Stun ammo
- SmokeSmokeSmoke is a collection of airborne solid and liquid particulates and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis, together with the quantity of air that is entrained or otherwise mixed into the mass. It is commonly an unwanted by-product of fires , but may also be used for pest...
round - Shotgun shellShotgun shellA shotgun shell is a self-contained cartridge loaded with lead shot or shotgun slug designed to be fired from a shotgun....
. - ExplosiveGrenadeA grenade is a small explosive device that is projected a safe distance away by its user. Soldiers called grenadiers specialize in the use of grenades. The term hand grenade refers any grenade designed to be hand thrown. Grenade Launchers are firearms designed to fire explosive projectile grenades...
. Largely for military use. - IncendiaryIncendiary ammunition-World War I:One of the first uses of incendiary ammunition occurred in World War I. At the time, phosphorus—the primary ingredient in the incendiary charge—ignited upon firing, leaving a trail of blue smoke. They were also known as 'smoke tracer' for this reason. The effective range of...
. Largely for military use. - GLIMPS (Grenade-Launched Imaging Modular Projectile System). This is a 40 mm caliberCaliberIn guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....
projectile which contains a small camera which transmits TV images of what it sees.
To avoid breaking the projectile up, less-lethal cartridges are often propelled by black powder, which when fired may make an eruption of sparks and smoke which is spectacularly large to those accustomed to modern cartridges propelled by more modern propellants
Smokeless powder
Smokeless powder is the name given to a number of propellants used in firearms and artillery which produce negligible smoke when fired, unlike the older gunpowder which they replaced...
: see images at
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40986000/jpg/_40986448_police_afp416.jpg
http://news.bbc.co.uk/olmedia/1720000/images/_1722055_teargas_ap30.jpg.
Muzzle dispersion
This method is the simplest: the chemical agent is in the form of a loose powder, which is expelled by the propellant of the cartridge. These rounds are used at short range, and have effect from the muzzle to a range of about 30 meters (30 yards). This method is best used by operators wearing gas maskGas mask
A gas mask is a mask put on over the face to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne pollutants and toxic gases. The mask forms a sealed cover over the nose and mouth, but may also cover the eyes and other vulnerable soft tissues of the face. Some gas masks are also respirators, though the word...
s, as the chemical agent can easily be blown towards the operator.
Canister projectiles
These are also called gas grenades, and are used at longer ranges. They are analogous to rifle grenadeRifle grenade
A rifle grenade is a grenade that uses a rifle-based launcher to permit a longer effective range than would be possible if the grenade was thrown by hand...
s, providing increased accuracy and range over hand-thrown gas grenades. Gas grenades may be used by operators without gas masks, as the agent is only dispersed in the area of impact, as far away as 150 yards (140 m). The agent in gas grenades is dispersed as a gas or an aerosol spray.
Ferret rounds
These are specialized gas grenades designed to penetrate light barriers, such as windows, hollow core doors, and interior walls, and disperse chemical agents on the far side.Impact rounds
Impact rounds come in a variety of shapes, sizes and compositions for varying roles. Impact rounds are made out of materials of much lower density than the leadLead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
normally used in bullets, are larger, and are fired at lower velocities. Rounds are designed with low mass, moderate velocity, and large surface area to prevent the rounds from penetrating the skin significantly or causing severe injury, so they merely provide a painful blow to the target: but instances have been reported where rubber or plastic bullets have caused significant injuries to the body or eyes, and in some cases caused death.
One broad classification of impact rounds is direct fire and indirect fire rounds. Direct fire rounds can be fired directly at the target, ideally targeted low on the target, away from vital organs that are more prone to damage from the impact. Indirect or skip fire rounds are intended to be fired into the ground in front of the target, where they dissipate some energy, and then rebound into the target.
Baton rounds
Baton roundBaton round
A baton round is a generally non-lethal projectile fired from a riot gun. There are three types:* Bean bag round* Plastic bullet* Rubber bullet...
s, often called rubber or plastic bullets, are cylinders made of rubber
Rubber bullet
Rubber bullets are rubber or rubber-coated projectiles that can be fired from either standard firearms or dedicated riot guns. They are intended to be a non-lethal alternative to metal projectiles...
, plastic
Plastic bullet
A plastic bullet or plastic baton round is a non-lethal projectile fired from a specialised gun. Although designed as a non-lethal weapon they have still caused several deaths. They are generally used for riot control...
, wood, or foam, and are the full bore diameter of the launcher. Baton rounds may fire one long baton, or several shorter batons. Harder or denser baton rounds are intended for skip fire, while softer or less dense batons are intended for direct fire. Baton rounds are the subject of significant controversy, due to extensive use by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i forces, resulting in a number of deaths.
Beanbag rounds
Beanbag rounds consist of a tough fabric bag filled with birdshot. The bag is flexible enough to flatten on impact, covering a large surface area, and they are used for direct fire. Beanbag rounds may be wide and flat, designed for close range use, or elliptical in shape, with a fabric tail to provide drag stabilization, for longer range use. (See also flexible baton roundFlexible baton round
A bean bag round, also known by its trademarked name flexible baton round, is a baton round fired as a shotgun shell used for less lethal apprehension of suspects.-Description:...
, a trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
for a type of beanbag round.)
Rubber buckshot
Pepperball rounds
Pepper-spray projectiles, commonly called pepperballs, are direct-fire paintballPaintball
Paintball is a sport in which players compete, in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by tagging them with capsules containing water soluble dye and gelatin shell outside propelled from a device called a paintball marker . Paintballs have a non-toxic, biodegradable, water soluble...
-like capsules filled with a pepper spray
Pepper spray
Pepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears...
solution of capsaicin
Capsaicin
Capsaicin 2CHCH=CH4CONHCH2C6H3-4--3- ) is the active component of chili peppers, which are plants belonging to the genus Capsicum. It is an irritant for mammals, including humans, and produces a sensation of burning in any tissue with which it comes into contact...
. They provide a longer range, more user-friendly way to disperse pepper spray. Many sorts can be fired from paintball marker
Paintball marker
A paintball marker, also known as a paintball gun, is the main piece of equipment in the sport of paintball. Markers use an expanding gas, such as carbon dioxide or compressed air, to propel paintballs through the barrel. Some paintball players refer to the piece of equipment as a "marker" rather...
s. Other sorts are designed to be fired from specially-designed pepperball guns whose muzzle velocity is greater than a paintball marker: if the velocity is not high enough the projectile will not break. As with paintball impacts, the capsule's impact is mildly painful and by itself can discourage rioters, but the pepper spray incapacitates and discourages more rioters than the capsule's impact.
Types of less-lethal launchers
Purpose-built launchers are commonly large bore guns, formerly 25 to 27 mm, modern versions are 37 to 40 mm. Dual purpose guns are usually 12 gaugeGauge (bore diameter)
The gauge of a firearm is a unit of measurement used to express the diameter of the barrel. Gauge is determined from the weight of a solid sphere of lead that will fit the bore of the firearm, and is expressed as the multiplicative inverse of the sphere's weight as a fraction of a pound . Thus...
(18.5 mm) riot shotgun
Riot shotgun
A riot shotgun is a shotgun designed or modified for use as a primarily defensive weapon, primarily by the use of a short barrel. The riot shotgun is used by military personnel for guard duty and was at one time used for riot control, and is commonly used as a patrol weapon by law enforcement...
s, firing special less-lethal shotgun shell
Shotgun shell
A shotgun shell is a self-contained cartridge loaded with lead shot or shotgun slug designed to be fired from a shotgun....
s.
Single-shot large bore launchers, such as the Milkor Stopper 37/38 mm riot gun
Milkor Stopper 37/38 mm riot gun
The Milkor Stopper is a riot gun used for riot control, designed to fire a 37mm cartridge, which can be a teargas canister or a rubber shot cartridge or explosive. It fires one shot before reloading. It opens at the breech like ordinary shotguns ....
, M79 Grenade launcher
M79 grenade launcher
The M79 grenade launcher is a single-shot, shoulder-fired, break-action grenade launcher that fires a 40x46mm grenade which used what the US Army called the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low, and first appeared during the Vietnam War...
and ARWEN ACE
ARWEN ACE
The ARWEN ACE is a breech-loaded non-lethal launcher designed by the British Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield, then part of the Royal Ordnance Factories...
, are generally break open
Break open
A break-action firearm is one whose barrels are hinged, and rotate perpendicular to the bore axis to expose the breech and allow loading and unloading of ammunition. A separate operation may be required for the cocking of a hammer to fire the new round...
designs. The barrels are relatively short, resulting in a carbine
Carbine
A carbine , from French carabine, is a longarm similar to but shorter than a rifle or musket. Many carbines are shortened versions of full rifles, firing the same ammunition at a lower velocity due to a shorter barrel length....
sized gun, and may have a shoulder stock and/or a forward handgrip to provide greater control. Pistol
Pistol
When distinguished as a subset of handguns, a pistol is a handgun with a chamber that is integral with the barrel, as opposed to a revolver, wherein the chamber is separate from the barrel as a revolving cylinder. Typically, pistols have an effective range of about 100 feet.-History:The pistol...
launchers do exist, but they are generally only used for short range, muzzle dispersing chemical agents.
Multishot large-bore launchers, such as ARWEN 37
ARWEN 37
The ARWEN 37 is a non-lethal launcher which fires 37 mm non-lethal rounds designed for riot control. It has a 5-round rotary drum magazine. "ARWEN" is an acronym for "Anti Riot Weapon ENfield"....
, are usually in the form of a revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
holding five or six rounds in the cylinder. Unlike normal revolvers, the cylinder of a revolving riot gun is too massive to be turned easily by the trigger pull, and is usually turned by a pre-tensioned spring or by a pump action.
Shotguns used for riot control are nearly always in 12 gauge
Gauge (bore diameter)
The gauge of a firearm is a unit of measurement used to express the diameter of the barrel. Gauge is determined from the weight of a solid sphere of lead that will fit the bore of the firearm, and is expressed as the multiplicative inverse of the sphere's weight as a fraction of a pound . Thus...
, as that is the gauge in which nearly all riot control rounds are made. Generally riot shotguns are used, such as some models of the Remington 870
Remington 870
The Remington Model 870 is a U.S.-made pump-action shotgun manufactured by Remington Arms Company, Inc. It is widely used by the public for sport shooting, hunting, and self-defense. It is also commonly used by law enforcement and military organizations worldwide.-Development:The Remington 870 was...
and Mossberg 500
Mossberg 500
Mossberg 500 is a series of shotguns manufactured by O.F. Mossberg & Sons. The 500 series comprises widely varying models of hammerless, pump action repeaters, all of which share the same basic receiver and action, but differ in bore size, barrel length, choke options, magazine capacity, and...
. Due to the reduced power of riot control rounds, there is insufficient energy to cycle the actions of gas operated and recoil operated firearms, so riot shotguns are manually operated, usually pump action. The advantage of using a riot shotgun for riot control is that the shotgun is a dual use firearm, and can switch quickly to and from the riot control role by changing the ammunition. The downside is that it can fire lethal projectiles, and so extra care must be taken in its use to prevent the wrong ammunition from being used.
A recent addition to the class of riot guns is the pepper ball
Pepper ball
A pepper-spray projectile, also called a pepper-spray ball, pepper-ball or pepper-spray pellet is a projectile weapon made up of a powdered chemical that irritates eyes and nose...
gun, an example of which is the FN 303
FN 303
The FN 303 is a semi-automatic non-lethal riot gun designed and manufactured by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal. The FN 303's projectiles have been specifically designed to break up on impact, reducing risks of penetrating injuries...
. This is essentially a paintball marker
Paintball marker
A paintball marker, also known as a paintball gun, is the main piece of equipment in the sport of paintball. Markers use an expanding gas, such as carbon dioxide or compressed air, to propel paintballs through the barrel. Some paintball players refer to the piece of equipment as a "marker" rather...
, either purpose built for riot control, or modified from a commercial paintball marker. The pepper ball guns use special pepper spray
Pepper spray
Pepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears...
ammunition based on paintball
Paintball
Paintball is a sport in which players compete, in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by tagging them with capsules containing water soluble dye and gelatin shell outside propelled from a device called a paintball marker . Paintballs have a non-toxic, biodegradable, water soluble...
technology, consisting of a gelatin capsule filled with the riot control agent. The guns use compressed gas and provide semiautomatic fire, and the pepperballs act just like paintballs, fracturing on impact and splattering the chemical agent on impact. These can be used for direct fire, to break the balls on the target, or indirect fire, breaking near the target and spraying the agent into the target's vicinity.
Police have been known to use paintball guns loaded with paint projectiles, to mark particular rioters so that police can easily identify and arrest them later.
Some weapons discharge teargas as a solution in water: see :Category:Teargas solution squirters.
Legal issues
Large-bore launchers are classified as firearms in most countries. Shotguns intended for riot use are semi-automatic shotguns subject to relevant regulations. Riot control ammunition may be restricted in various jurisdictions, to a lesser or greater degree than normal shotgun shellShotgun shell
A shotgun shell is a self-contained cartridge loaded with lead shot or shotgun slug designed to be fired from a shotgun....
s.
U.S.
In the U.S. large-bore launchers are subject to BATFEBureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is a federal law enforcement organization within the United States Department of Justice...
regulations. Since firearms over .50 caliber (12.7 mm) with rifled
Rifling
Rifling is the process of making helical grooves in the barrel of a gun or firearm, which imparts a spin to a projectile around its long axis...
barrels are considered destructive devices under the National Firearms Act
National Firearms Act
The National Firearms Act , 73rd Congress, Sess. 2, ch. 757, , enacted on June 26, 1934, currently codified as amended as , is an Act of Congress that, in general, imposes a statutory excise tax on the manufacture and transfer of certain firearms and mandates the registration of those firearms. The...
, only smoothbore
Smoothbore
A smoothbore weapon is one which has a barrel without rifling. Smoothbores range from handheld firearms to powerful tank guns and large artillery mortars.-History of firearms and rifling:...
riot guns may be sold to civilians; a common form found on the civilian market are M203 grenade launcher
Grenade launcher
A grenade launcher or grenade discharger is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity, and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand....
replicas, which can be used to fire 37 mm practice rounds. The 40 mm guns are usually rifled, and may fire 40 mm grenade
40 mm grenade
The 40mm grenade is a military grenade caliber for grenade launchers in service with many armed forces. There are two main types in service: the 40×46mm, which is a low-velocity round used in hand-held grenade launchers; and the high-velocity 40×53mm, used in mounted and crew-served weapons. The...
s; explosive grenades rely on the spin both for stabilization and for arming the fuze.
Lethality
Riot guns have been documented to be lethal in some cases. The death of American baseball fan Victoria SnelgroveVictoria Snelgrove
Victoria Snelgrove was a junior majoring in journalism at Emerson College. She had transferred from Fitchburg State College in the fall of 2003. She was hit with a crowd-control round and mortally wounded by Boston police officer Rochefort Milien on October 21, 2004 when she was eight days away...
is one such incident.
Types
| Name | Caliber | Capacity | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARWEN 37 ARWEN 37 The ARWEN 37 is a non-lethal launcher which fires 37 mm non-lethal rounds designed for riot control. It has a 5-round rotary drum magazine. "ARWEN" is an acronym for "Anti Riot Weapon ENfield".... |
37 mm | 5 | Drum magazine |
| ARWEN 37 ARWEN 37 The ARWEN 37 is a non-lethal launcher which fires 37 mm non-lethal rounds designed for riot control. It has a 5-round rotary drum magazine. "ARWEN" is an acronym for "Anti Riot Weapon ENfield".... S "Shorty" CQB |
37 mm | 5 | Short barrel, no stock |
| ARWEN ACE ARWEN ACE The ARWEN ACE is a breech-loaded non-lethal launcher designed by the British Royal Small Arms Factory Enfield, then part of the Royal Ordnance Factories... |
1 | single shot, telescoping stock | |
| CM-55 gas gun | 37 mm | 1 | |
| Cobray 37 mm launcher | 37 mm | 1 | price $150–$200, aluminum barrel, retractable stock |
| Defense Technology 37 mm Launcher | 37 mm | model dependant | single-shot and multi-shot versions, |
| DPMS M-37 flare launcher | 37 mm | 1 | price $200–$400 |
| Federal Labs 37 mm rotary gas gun | 37 mm | 6 | price $1700–$2000, rotary drum magazine, top-folding stock |
| FN 303 FN 303 The FN 303 is a semi-automatic non-lethal riot gun designed and manufactured by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal. The FN 303's projectiles have been specifically designed to break up on impact, reducing risks of penetrating injuries... |
18 mm | 15 | Drum magazine |
| Heckler & Koch Heckler & Koch Heckler & Koch GmbH is a German defense manufacturing company that produces various small arms. Some of their products include the SA80, MP5 submachine gun, G3 automatic rifle, the G36 assault rifle, the HK 416, the MP7 personal defense weapon, the USP series of handguns, and the high-precision... launcher |
37 mm | 1 | retractable stock |
| M203 grenade launcher M203 grenade launcher The M203 is a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilize the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low. Though versatile, and compatible with many rifle models, the M203 was... |
40 mm | 1 | underslung attachment for rifles |
| M79 grenade launcher M79 grenade launcher The M79 grenade launcher is a single-shot, shoulder-fired, break-action grenade launcher that fires a 40x46mm grenade which used what the US Army called the High-Low Propulsion System to keep recoil forces low, and first appeared during the Vietnam War... |
40 mm | 1 | break-action |
| MGL-MK1 40 mm multi-launcher | 40 mm | 6 | rotary drum magazine |
| Milkor Stopper 37/38 mm riot gun Milkor Stopper 37/38 mm riot gun The Milkor Stopper is a riot gun used for riot control, designed to fire a 37mm cartridge, which can be a teargas canister or a rubber shot cartridge or explosive. It fires one shot before reloading. It opens at the breech like ordinary shotguns .... |
37/38 mm | 1 | break-action |
| MK40 40 mm under barrel launcher | 40 mm | 1 | fits under rifle barrel |
| Ramo RT 37 | 37 mm | 1 | |
| MK40 40 mm under barrel launcher | 40 mm | 1 | 1-shot, fits under rifle barrel |
| Russian single shot launcher RGM-40 "Kastet" | 40 mm | 1 | 1-shot |
| Sage Control Ordnance SL1 | 37 mm | 1 | |
| Sage Control Ordnance SL6 | 37 mm | 6 | rotary magazine, |
| TW73 TW73 The TW73 is a make of teargas grenade gun. It is now called the Mehrzweckwerfer MZW 73/91 because there is now other ammunition than teargas grenades like rubber shot bullets available. It was developed in Switzerland, built on the wooden stock of an old military carbine... |
1 | breech loading |
External links
- Image of one-shot teargas grenade gun in use
- Defense Technology, manufacturer of riot guns and ammunition
- How Stuff Works page on riot control:
- image of single-shot 40 mm riot gun
- image of 6-shot 40 mm riot gun
- image of looking into end of cylinder
- image of 40 mm riot cartridges
