A Riot gun refers to a type of firearm that is used to fire less than lethal ammunition for the purpose of suppressing riots. Riot guns may be special purpose firearms designed for riot control use, or standard firearms adapted to riot control use with appropriate ammunition. Many of them are 37mm or 40mm caliber (= about 1.5 inch). An assortment of modern hand-held firearms using fixed ammunition, including military assault rifles, a sporting shotgun (fourth from bottom), a tactical shotgun (third from bottom), and a sporting rifle (top). ... Non-lethal force is force which is not inherently likely to kill or cause great bodily injury to a living target. ... Boxes of ammunition clog a warehouse in Baghdad Ammunition is a generic military term meaning (the assembly of) a projectile and its propellant. ... It has been suggested that this article be split into multiple articles accessible from a disambiguation page. ... The word calibre (British English) or caliber (American English) designates the interior diameter of a tube or the exterior diameter of a wire or rod. ...

CGI image of riot policeman with 5-shot riot gun

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Ammunition

Riot guns can fire various sorts of ammunition:

• Impact projectile. These rely on kinetic energy, e.g. rubber bullets.
• Teargas cartridge. This and the next are chemical riot control agents.
• Pepper spray
• Stun ammo
• Smoke
• Shotgun shell.
• Explosive. Largely for military use only.
• Incendiary. Largely for military use only.
• GLIMPS (Grenade-Launched Imaging Modular Projectile System). This is a 40mm caliber projectile which contains a small camera which transmits TV images of what it sees. See this link.

To avoid breaking the projectle up, riot gun cartridges are often propelled by black powder, which often when fired makes an eruption of sparks and smoke which is spectacularly large to those accustomed to modern cartridges propelled by more modern propellants: images [1] [2] [3]. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Non-lethal round. ... A riot control agent is a type of lachrymatory agent (or lacrimatory agent). ... Pepper spray (also known as OC spray (from Oleoresin Capsicum), OC gas, capsicum spray, or oleoresin capsicum) is a lachrymatory agent (a chemical compound that irritates the eyes to cause tears, pain, and even temporary blindness) that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense... Smoke from a wildfire Smoke is the airborne solid and liquid particulates and gases evolved when a material undergoes pyrolysis or combustion, together with the quantity of air that is entrained or otherwise mixed into the mass. ... A shotgun shell is a self-contained cartridge loaded with shot or a slug designed to be fired from a shotgun. ... Grenade may refer to: The well-known hand grenade commonly used by soldiers. ... For the 2008 film of the same name, see Incendiary (film). ... The word calibre (British English) or caliber (American English) designates the interior diameter of a tube or the exterior diameter of a wire or rod. ... Black powder was the original gunpowder and practically the only known propellant and explosive until the middle of the 19th century. ...

Chemical agent ammunition

Chemical agents may be dispersed in two ways:

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 (33 yards). This method is best used by operators wearing gas masks, as the chemical agent can easily be dispersed in the direction of the operator. Belgian 1930s era L.702 model civilian mask. ...

Canister projectiles

These are also called gas grenades. They are used for longer range application. They are analogous to rifle grenades, 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 (137 m). The agent in gas grenades is dispersed as a gas or an aerosol spray. A rifle grenade is a form of grenade that utilizes a rifle as a launch mechanism to increase the effective range of the grenade. ...

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 lead normally used in bullets, and are fired at lower velocities. Some say that the low mass, moderate velocity, and large surface area prevent the rounds from penetrating the skin significantly, so they merely provide a painful blow to the target: but the public media have described instances where these impact rounds have caused surface injuries or have damaged eyes. For Pb as an abbreviation, see PB. General Name, Symbol, Number lead, Pb, 82 Chemical series Post-transition metals or poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 6, p Appearance bluish gray Standard atomic weight 207. ... The public media is the sum of the public mass distributors of news and entertainment: the newspapers, and television and radio broadcasting, and suchlike. ...

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

These are cylinders made of rubber, plastic, wood, or foam, and are the full bore diameter of the riot gun. 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 and Israeli forces, resulting in a number of deaths. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Non-lethal round. ... The plastic bullet is the name given to a type of nonlethal projectile fired from a specialised gun, used in riot control. ...

Beanbag rounds

These 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. A shotgun shell is a self-contained cartridge loaded with shot or a slug designed to be fired from a shotgun. ...

Rubber buckshot

These, also called stinger rounds, consist of a number of rubber balls ranging from around .32 inch (8 mm) to .60 inch (15 mm) in diameter, and are used for direct fire. The small diameter means that each ball contains far less energy than a baton round, but it also limits the range. Rubber slugs, used in 12 gauge firearms, consist of a fin stabilized full bore diameter rubber projectile. These are used for long range, accurate direct fire shots on individual targets.

Pepper Ball rounds

These are direct-fire paintball-like objects filled with pepper spray. They provide a longer range, more user-friendly way to disperse pepper spray. Pepper Balls can be fired from paintball guns. A woodsball player firing at opponents from behind cover. ... Pepper spray (also known as OC spray (from Oleoresin Capsicum), OC gas, capsicum spray, or oleoresin capsicum) is a lachrymatory agent (a chemical compound that irritates the eyes to cause tears, pain, and even temporary blindness) that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense... 2 paintball players (full) Paintball, sometimes called the national survival game is a sport that is a high tech version of the kids game capture the flag. ...

Types of riot guns

Purpose built riot guns are commonly large bore guns, formerly 25 to 27 mm, modern versions are 37 to 40 mm. Dual purpose guns are usually 12 gauge (18.5 mm) riot shotguns, firing special less lethal shotgun shells. 12 gauge is the most common size of shotgun shell. ... Mossberg 590 pump-action riot shotgun, with 20 inch barrel Remington model 870 pump-action riot shotgun held by a Florida Highway Patrol cadet A riot shotgun is a shotgun designed or modified for use as a primarily defensive weapon. ... A shotgun shell is a self-contained cartridge loaded with shot or a slug designed to be fired from a shotgun. ...

Single-shot large bore riot guns, such as the Milkor Stopper 37/38 mm riot gun, M79 Grenade launcher and ARWEN ACE, are generally break open designs. The barrels are relatively short, resulting in a carbine sized gun, and may have a shoulder stock and/or a forward handgrip to provide greater control. Pistol riot guns do exist, but they are generally only used for short range, muzzle dispersing chemical agents. Categories: Stub | Less-lethal weapons ... The M79 grenade launcher is a single-shot, shoulder-fired, break open grenade launcher which fires a 40 x46 mm grenade and first appeared during the Vietnam War. ... The ARWEN ACE is a breech-loaded less-lethal launcher designed by the British company Royal Ordnance. ... A break open 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 carbine is a firearm similar to, but generally shorter and less powerful than, a rifle or musket of a given period. ... A Browning 9 millimeter Hi-Power Ordnance pistol of the French Navy, 19th century, using a Percussion cap mechanism Derringers were small and easily hidden. ...

Multishot large bore riot guns, such as ARWEN 37, are usually in the form of a revolver 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. The ARWEN 37 is a less-lethal launcher designed during the 1960s by the British company Royal Ordnance. ... rEVOLVEr (2004) is the fourth studio album release by Swedish thrash metal band The Haunted. ... A pump-action rifle or shotgun is one in which the handgrip can be pumped back and forth in order to eject and chamber a round of ammunition. ...

Shotguns used for riot control are nearly always in 12 gauge, 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 and Mossberg 500. 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. 12 gauge is the most common size of shotgun shell. ... It has been suggested that Remington M870 Tactical be merged into this article or section. ... Mossberg 500 Field model, with a 28 inch vent rib barrel The Mossberg 500 is a shotgun manufactured by O.F. Mossberg & Sons [1]. Rather than a single model, the 500 is really a series of widely varying hammerless, pump action repeaters, all of which share the same basic receiver... Gas-operation is one of the firearm actions used in automatic firearms. ... In a recoil operated handgun, the barrel and slide are locked together during firing. ... A pump-action rifle or shotgun is one in which the handgrip can be pumped back and forth in order to eject and chamber a round of ammunition. ...

A recent addition to the class of riot guns is the pepper ball gun, an example of which is the FN 303. This is essentially a paintball marker, either purpose built for riot control, or modified from a commercial paintball marker. The pepper ball guns use special pepper spray ammunition based on paintball 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. Pepper Ball (sometimes spelled as PepperBall) is a projectile weapon made up of a powdered chemical that irritates eyes and nose. ... The FN 303 is a semi-automatic less-lethal launcher manufactured by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal. ... This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... Pepper spray (also known as OC spray (from Oleoresin Capsicum), OC gas, capsicum spray, or oleoresin capsicum) is a lachrymatory agent (a chemical compound that irritates the eyes to cause tears, pain, and even temporary blindness) that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense... A woodsball player firing at opponents from behind cover. ...

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 riot guns are classified as firearms in the US, and are subject to BATFE regulations. Since firearms over .50 caliber (12.7 mm) with rifled barrels are considered destructive devices under the National Firearms Act, only smoothbore riot guns may be sold to civilians. 37 mm guns are smoothbore, and can be sold to civilians; a common form found on the civilian market are M203 grenade launcher replicas, which can be used to fire 37 mm practice rounds. 40 mm guns are usually rifled, and may fire 40 mm grenades. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE or ATFE) is a law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. ... Rifling of a Canon de 75 modèle 1897 A 35 caliber Remington, with a microgroove rifled barrel with a right hand twist. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Smoothbore refers to a firearm which does not have a rifled barrel. ... M203 generally refers to the U.S. Militarys designation for a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher that attaches to the M16 assault rifle or the M4 Carbine. ... A grenade launcher is weapon that fires or launches a grenade to longer distances than a soldier could throw by hand. ...

Riot shotguns are regulated in the same manner as other shotguns. Riot control ammunition may be restricted by different laws in various jurisdictions, to a lesser or greater degree than normal shotgun shells. A shotgun shell is a self-contained cartridge loaded with shot or a slug designed to be fired from a shotgun. ...

Types

• And see http://37mm.com/launchers/
• This link (in German) describes a pistol-like weapon which can scatter 24 small pieces of CN gas or CS gas over 25 meters = about 80 feet square. It is called a Reizstoffwerfer = "irritant thrower", but that is a generic, not the name of the make.

The ARWEN 37 is a less-lethal launcher designed during the 1960s by the British company Royal Ordnance. ... The ARWEN ACE is a breech-loaded less-lethal launcher designed by the British company Royal Ordnance. ... The FN 303 is a semi-automatic less-lethal launcher manufactured by Fabrique Nationale de Herstal. ... M203 generally refers to the United States Army designation for a single shot 40 mm grenade launcher that attaches to the M16 assault rifle or the M4 Carbine. ... M203 Grenade Launcher. ... The M79 grenade launcher is a single-shot, shoulder-fired, break open grenade launcher which fires a 40 x46 mm grenade and first appeared during the Vietnam War. ... Image File history File links From http://tri. ... Categories: Stub | Less-lethal weapons ... 4 views of the Milkor Stopper riot gun This work is copyrighted, and used with permission. ... The TW73 is or was a make of teargas grenade gun. ... Not to be confused with hydrogen cyanide, HCN. CN, or chloroacetophenone, is a gas used as a riot control agent. ... CS or 2-chlorobenzalmalononitrile (also called o-Chlorobenzylidene Malononitrile)(chemical formula: C10H5ClN2) is a substance that is used as a riot control agent and is claimed to be non-lethal. ... A trade name, also known as a trading name or a business name, is the legal name of a business, or the name which a business trades under for commercial purposes. ...

See also

• flexible baton round, a trademark for a type of beanbag round.
• Category:Teargas solution squirters

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Shotgun shell. ... For other senses of this word, see Trademark (disambiguation). ...

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 40mm riot gun
  • image of 6-shot 40mm riot gun
  • image of looking into end of cylinder
  • image of 40mm riot cartridges