I came across this article reporting that the St. Louis Police are adopting (or perhaps, "returning to" is more accurate) shotguns. (H/t The Truth About Guns). Anyway, the interesting part is this:
"When you get out of a car with (a shotgun) and you hear the sound of the racking action, everyone knows the next thing you're going to hear is an exceptionally large bang," said Sgt. David Bonenberger, president of the St. Louis Police Officers' Association. "It's a confidence thing. It means business."
The department abandoned shotguns years ago in favor of short-barreled rifles that use the same 9 mm pistol ammunition as its semi-automatic handguns.
"After testing and training, we found the 9 mm configuration to be inadequate," Lt. Mike Deeba said Wednesday. "The shotgun is cheaper than the rifles and more effective in shorter distances, and most shootings occur within 15 yards of the officer."
While pistols and rifles fire a single bullet with each shot, a typical 12-gauge police shotgun shell fires a tight pattern of about eight bullet-sized balls.
New .223-caliber rifles will be issued to supervisors to provide greater long-distance shooting capability that also can penetrate body armor, officials said.
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