And the police would quell a riot by firing birdshot into the legs of rioters and looters to disperse them?

We live in a Kinder/Gentler/Stupider world today.

None of my shotguns are “riot guns.” I do have a couple of short-barrel shotguns that are well-suited for defending my home. But they’re not riot guns. It is not my responsibility to quell riots.

We have just grown tolerant of dispshitery.

It is when they involve you against your will.

GSP Trooper from 71 to 92 and still have my 870 "Riot" gun. I shoot it regularly and keep it in an old keyed mount straight from the dash of one of my patrol units. It just has that "feel" that only time and familiarity can impart....

I have one.

An original Remington Model 11R.

At one time I was responsible for quelling riots, but those days involved a stick, and M9, and possibly an M16, no shotguns.
I retired from that a dozen years ago.

Notice when they were called "Riot Guns" we seemed to have fewer riots, that didn't last as long.

Col. Jeff Cooper once wrote an article on the use of suppressed .22 rimfire for riot control, as a precise way to (probably) non-lethally take the wind out of the sails of any agitators leading the crowd. He said hit them in the lower extremities as a way to (probably) not kill them, and without the crowd even knowing exactly where the shot came from. Just do it so the agitator realizes "he's bleeding and needs to go to the hospital."

Some say the Israelis adopted the tactic for a while, but it's uncertain whether they did it on Cooper's advice or not. He was pretty influential.

Biden suggests cops start shooting people in the legs instead of the torso. Maybe he's a Cooper fan.

Years ago there was news footage of riot control in a foreign country. A cargo/dump style truck would drive down the road. When the rioters would come out to engage, a dozen operators would stand up and apply rubber buckshot at close range. It looked effective.

I remember that. That was in South Africa during the apartheid era. Perhaps not the best example.

A society will get the exact amount of riots, looting and general lawlessness that it will tolerate.

Whatever happened to "You loot we shoot"?

Guns like this?
Winchester 97



Remington 31

I think the Winchester '97s were known as "trench guns".

The ones with Heat Shields over the barrel and a Bayonet Mount were the Trench Guns.

Only with the hand guard and bayonet mount unit affixed, as below (bayonet optional!).



Just for grins, here is my 1907 vintage Model 97 shotgun as improved for upper class riots in the holiday season.

A/K/A "Trench Brooms"