On Shotguns: Shotgun Breaching For Urban Survival
We've all encountered a locked barrier at some point in our lives. Locked keys in the car? Call roadside assistance. Late night as a teen? There's a basement window for that. At the end of the day, these are all easy fixes with ample opportunity. But in an urban survival situation where self-rescue is required - and a locked door may hold you or your loved ones firmly in harm's way - a heavy-handed solution may be the only way to safety. If a lockpick or hard kick won't clear a path, perhaps it's time to knock a little louder. Enter the shotgun.
Where it Fits In Urban survival
During an urban disaster a little physical effort should see you through most inwardly facing doors (hidden hinges/opens away from you). The proliferation of hollow-core construction and cheap materials have made way for better margins, but at the cost of heightened security. Outwardly facing doors (visible hinges/opens toward you) may not immediately shift under weight, but a mechanical assist from a prybar will make quick work of the softer barriers. While we would be wise to shy away from direct action during prolonged disaster, it would be foolish for us not to consider the pitfalls of a locked door. Building fires, floods, riots, brigands and blockades - all possible scenarios that lead to dead ends. With explosive breaching out of scope for a multitude of reasons, a ballistic breach will provide the most expedient way through a stubborn door, or at least allow for a fighting chance when we can't pick, pry, or push our way through.
Gear Up
If you're running an 18 to 20-inch shotgun as your primary, there's no good reason to go shorter. Just run what you brung (sic). Most dedicated breaching shotguns are setup as 12 or 14s, as they're often squirreled away under arm. Shorter guns can be handy indoors, but practiced manipulation with a longer gun will quickly help you realize that they're not at a disadvantage, especially when trading length for round-count. While there was an early rush to include toothy stand-off devices, they had a tendency to chew up their users when stowed in the field. Overpressure and placement are rarely an issue with a standard crown so long as there is room to vent, which is why many outside of law enforcement have bucked the trend. A solid sling goes without saying, but selection and setup will be highly dependent on use. If stowed underarm, users should consider the use of a single-point sling with some sort of tether or catch for securement. This can be purpose built, or as simple as a bungie-cord wrapped around the waist. The idea is to keep the shotgun out of the way until required, because no one wants to catch a barrel to the face or groin while on the move. While the focus here is on the shotgun itself, one should also prioritize carrying a prybar. This doesn't have to be a 32-inch 'Home Alone' special. A purpose built 'flathead' carries clean at 12 or 17-inches and will bite its way through just about any job.
The Setup
While any shotgun will do - and we're talking 12-gauge here - there are some points to consider. I would hate to be the cop with an AD in his shop, as loosely captured firing pins have a habit of striking primers when thrown around. To combat this, a shotgun set for abuse should be kept 'cruiser ready'; a modification of condition 3, where the mag is full, the chamber is empty, and the safety is off. For now, we'll call this ‘breacher safe’. When it's time to go, just rack in a round and get to work. Where the shotgun is utilized as a secondary, running the gun with a dry hull between shots means that the firearm is always safe for movement. For those who commonly run a pump gun, you may need to fight that instinct to immediately shuck in a new round. But a new trick for an old dog sure beats taking a round to the leg during a fall. Autoloaders can also be rendered ‘breacher safe' through manual clearance of the chamber once fired, but will require the user to drop the hammer on an empty chamber. Safe gun handling rules all around.
Round Selection
When ballistic breaching first gained momentum, reports of ricochets and collateral had become common pass. Whether miliary or law enforcement, issued 00 buck had a tendency to over-penetrate on soft doors, and skip about when set against steel. The solution to this problem was the issuance of frangible breaching rounds - compressed slugs of sintered metal that would dump all the kinetic energy of the round and then break up. While these rounds are commercially available, they can sometimes be difficult to come by. Where unavailable, a low-recoil 2 3/4 lead slug has been shown to mitigate the common dangers in contrast with shot. Training and technique also play a major role in the safety of those on both sides of the door, but this applies to frangible rounds as well.
The Business End of SHTf Shotgun Breaching
Every school will skin this cat a little differently, so we will focus on the principles. Once it has been established that the door is locked - and all other options have been exhausted given the context - you will need to identify the interfacing mechanics. These drive directly from the centre-point of both the deadbolt and handle and reside roughly half an inch beyond the door's surface.
To create the greatest displacement, shot should be angled down and in at a 45-degree angle. There is a bit of an offset calculation, as we're looking to target the mechanics close to where the door meets the frame.
Where there is no threat beyond the door, close contact should be used to minimize wild shots and spall. Where suspected, breaching should be conducted from beyond the threshold; backhanded on the lock side, or at distance from the hinge side. If concerned about interior threats, don’t forget that those walls offer zero cover - only concealment.
Attack the handle and locking mechanisms first, as most doors give way once defeated. If concerned about a barricade, move directly to the hinges after your locks. For most standard doors, top and bottom hinges will be centered 8-10 inches from the top - slightly less on the bottom. Most internal doors do not have a centre hinge but expect to find them on your entry points (e.g. apartment doors, fire doors, etc.). If the barrier appears robust, you may wish to opt for two shots on each target before moving to the next, but in a SHTF scenario where round-count is limited, breachers should prioritize locks over hinges.
Once you're happy with your work, a solid kick should see you though most inwardly facing doors, while a mechanical lever will likely be required for those swinging out. If the door fails to budge, reassess, rinse, and repeat. Remember not to get sucked into the problem if there's trouble at your back.
When You Get Loud
We may not always have time to carefully pick or loid our way through a locked door when the SHTF - this is especially true when under running threat, such as a fire or foe. Just as we would be foolish to disregard covert entry techniques, there is a time and a place to get loud. Like any tool on the belt, knowing when and how to apply the solution will be the key to success. So, before you're left staring down a locked door and a dead-end, dust off that pump-gun, take in some training, and get acquainted with shotgun breaching. Knock, knock!