Shotgun Most Effective Short-Range Weapon in Combat
Check this out. Real-world combat use of the shotgun shows
45% better hit probability than a submachine gun (yes, a real one)
200% better hit probability than an automatic rifle (yes, a real one)
The facts show the shotgun is the most effective short-range defensive firearm a civilian can own. And yes, it's safer for innocents in the area -- especially in urban situations.
What the British Military Says About Shotguns
"Shotguns and shotgun cartridges are designed or chosen to
produce a desired projectile pattern at a specific distance. Their
military purpose is the simultaneous projection in the direction
of a close-range target of a number of projectiles in order to
increase the probability of striking the intended target.
This objective has been borne out in combat. British examination of
its Malaya experience determined that, to a range of thirty yards
(27.4 meters), the probability of hitting a man-sized target with
a shotgun was superior to that of all other weapons. The probability
of hitting the intended target with an assault rifle was
one in eleven. It was one in eight with a submachine gun firing
a five-round burst. Shotguns had a hit probability ratio twice as
good as rifles.
A 1952 British study by the Commander of British
Security Forces, compiled from combat action reports, tests,
and other studies (including medical), reconfirmed the previous
finding that the shotgun was a highly-effective combat weapon
at ranges out to seventy-five yards (68.6 meters).13 Traveling at
velocities one-third to one-half that of a modern military rifle
bullet, with a poor ballistic coefficient (particularly when compared
to the good ballistic coefficient of modern military rifle
bullets), shotgun buckshot also diminish risk of injury from
projectile over-penetration (through walls or doors) to civilians
who are not taking a direct part in the hostilities or to friendly
force combatants during military operations in urban terrain.
These reasons confirm the military necessity for shotguns."
Source: OCTOBER 1997 THE ARMY LAWYER ï DA-PAM 27-50-299
http://www.loc.gov/rr/frd/Military_Law/pdf/10-1997.pdf
This makes us rethink our use of the pedestrian shotgun for self-defense.