Researching War: Shootguns vs UAVs

Anti-UAV Defence at Squad- and Platoon Level, by Benjamin Cook

Hello everybody!

In another new rubric of the Sarcastosaur Blog, we’re starting to post research and commentary by Benjamin Cook. Currently working on his PhD in Political Science, Benjamin has ‘caught the eye’ by a series of short and to-the-point pieces about specific tactical details of this contact. We’ve found them highly interesting and are sure you’re going to follow in fashion.

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There are war commentators who say they have seen more than 1,000 hours of videos from this war. Some say they have seen more than 1,000 Russian soldiers die.

I’m sure, after 900 days since the Russian all-out invasion, I am well over these unfortunate ‘milestones’. The research I do has me spending hours each day, trying to understand this conflict, and a host of lessons from it. And so it happened I came to the conclusion: the 12-gauge shotgun is not as prevalent on the battlefield as it should be.

At this point, it might be useful to know: I am a lifelong hunter. I am personally familiar with everything I am referencing here. Beyond that I was-part owner and chief gunsmith of a gun store in the USA.

Notably: the caption under the photo refers to the gun as a “rifle” and not a shotgun. Ukrainians will use the word “rifle” to mean a long gun. This is probably a translation error. No one would bring a two-shot rifle from home an not use the semi-auto rifle at their side. This is a double barreled shotgun pictured.

In the past year I have seen several people mention - and then dismiss - the idea of using shotguns to defend against small UAVs (sUAVs). The dismissal usually goes along the lines that:

●     The gun is too heavy

●     The gun is ineffective

●     The gun would replace a more important weapon, the rifle.

●     The gun is obsolete on the battlefield

●     The gun can’t handle war conditions

None of this is true. The following will show how a Benelli M4 or M4 clone could provide a useful means of defending individuals, squads, and even up to platoon sized groups of soldiers in the open battlefield or trench. 

If you follow the Russian invasion of Ukraine you know that UAVs are ubiquitous on the battlefield. Every move on or near the front is known by both sides. UAVs don’t just gather intelligence and reconnaissance, but also deliver munitions. Both anti-personal and anti-materiel.

Occasionally I will come across a photo or video that shows a Ukrainian or Russian soldier holding a shotgun. But it has not been made the norm. I did however come across a piece about Ukraine purchasing a large number of shotguns from Turkey.  What will or has come of this, I don’t know.

The Benelli M4 shotgun was adopted by the US Marine Corps in around 1999.  It is used by militaries and law enforcement around the world. It is a reliable, gas-operated semi automatic design. It will cycle/fire rounds as fast as you can pull the trigger. It can be configured with up to 9 rounds of 2.75 inch ammo in a tube magazine, and 1-round loaded into the chamber. Though in my suggested configuration this will be a little less.

This firearm can use both 2.75 inch (70mm) and 3 inch (73mm) shells/ammunition. It can be configured in many ways, including a skeletonized version that cuts down on weight. Though I contend this will increase felt recoil and make follow up shots less accurate.

This firearm is battle tested and highly regarded. And what’s more: the patent has run out! Unsurprisingly, clones of the M4 are available from Turkish gun-makers and all Benelli parts and accessories will fit these clones. Clones that cost a fraction of the near $2000 a shotgun for an original M4.

Finally, this gun is already in Ukraine. It is already on the front lines. Indeed, you can see it held by a soldier to the right of the second photo in this feature.

Just… how often it is used and to what effect? I don’t know.

Why a shotgun?

A shot-gun shoots ammunition that holds pellets of metal. What kind of metal and how many depend on what a person is “hunting”.  If one is hunting deer or a ‘deer-sized enemy’ then a pellet that is about 7.62mm is often used (30 caliber/ 00 aka double aught buckshot) .  If one is hunting waterfowl or turkeys the use of 3-6 mm sized pellets is preferred (B, BB, BBB, T, FF, #4 buckshot). These pellets can be made of soft lead (traditional) or harder metals such as bismuth and tungsten. Typically the harder the metal, the better the penetration of skin, fur, and feathers.

Point is: once shot, these pellets spread out into a shot pattern. Anything inside this pattern should be hit by at least one pellet. The effects are - roughly - comparable to those of a cluster bomb. However, the further a target is from the shooter, the less likely it is to score a hit.

Here is as good a place as any to stop and point out that shotgun and shotgun ammo naming is based on old English. For instance, the “gunpowder” that is used in a shotgun is measured in drams or grains. You’ve already seen the zero in “00” referred to as double AUGHT. Similar to naught. Which is confusing. Also, the length measurements are imperial not metric. Based on inches.

Continuing, if your prey is a sUAV I think the closest analog is obviously a flying waterfowl. The speed, size, and maneuverability of these birds make them the best ‘stand in’.  For instance, the red breasted Merganser duck is the fastest waterfowl in the world. Flying straight it was once clocked at 100 mph. But, more on speed later.

To hunt a UAV I would suggest the Benelli M4 with a magazine extension. A modified choke tube that adds almost 2 inches to the barrel length. This will limit the spread of the shot pattern. A three inch shotgun shell is necessary and either #4 buckshot or between T and FF sized shot.  The shot should be made of steel, bismuth or tungsten for maximum penetration.

In terms of muzzle energy, I would suggest a powder charge that gives you at least 1300 feet per second of muzzle energy. This is super sonic and will penetrate any of the plastic parts of a drone at up to 30 yards/27 meters, and most plastic pieces at 45 yards.

Training

Sporting clays - whether Trap Shooting or Skeet Shooting - would be a great training platform. Skeet clays can travel up to 55 mph or 88.5 kph. Faster than a maneuvering FPV drone. Almost as fast as a FPV drone moving in a straight line. Remember, FPV sporting drones don’t carry extra large batteries and explosives: indeed, military FPV drones can’t fly nearly as fast as their sporting counterparts when loaded.

The idea that you must lead a flying target isn’t natural. A shooter trying to hit a moving target must anticipate or “lead” the target. Shooting where the target will be, not where it is. This is why just handing out shotguns to untrained personnel is a recipe for a failure.

Gear

I suggest that two people per squad carry a shotgun and that everyone be trained on it. Unloaded, the shotgun weighs about 9 pounds. This is before adding anything else to it. 1-2 pounds heavier than an AK-74. Much lighter than a large caliber machine gun or a 50 pound Javelin missile system. Both soldiers should have about 20 rounds on their person. And deploy forward with no less than the ability to carry 100 rounds each. And yes, these soldiers should also carry their AK-74 or other issued rifle.

The Shotgun as an Offensive Weapon

The M4 is an awesome offensive weapon. Even against enemies at close range with body armor. At close range, the M4 can be loaded with buckshot and can deliver quite an impact. Yes, it would take several well placed shots to kill your enemy quickly. But assuming you only had the shotgun available, you could take an offensive position. For an enemy without body armor, it is totally devastating. I would prefer this weapon in a trench or while clearing a house - versus a rifle, if the enemy does not have good body armor. I would be very confident with a Benelli M4 and 00 buckshot. Still, not knowing this for sure means I would always opt for the rifle against an enemy likely to have armor.

Maintenance

Ukrainians are already trained on how to maintain gas-operated weapons. Once trained on how to clean an M4, there isn’t anything special to keeping it operational in combat conditions. In most cases the Benelli M4 would probably prove more reliable than a standard issue AK-74. Certainly anything issued early on in the war.

Operation

The M4 with a choke tube extension should be able to consistently hit targets at 30 yards. To “kill” the target the shot placement would need to cause any one or all of the following.

●     Electrical/battery failure

●     Optical/communications failure

●     Flight failure, loss of momentum or altitude

●     Premature destination of ordinance

This means there are several ways to overcome an enemy UAV.  You are not just hoping for a perfect placement of a single projectile.

The squad designated shotgunner would work in tandem with another squad member as a spotter to increase the likelihood of spotting an enemy UAV in time to destroy it before it is too close. ‘Too close’ - depends on the UAV. If it is carrying a munition like a grenade that means too close is 15 yards (roughly 14 meters). If it’s carrying something like a Claymore mine, 50 yards (45 meters) is too close. But, at 50 yards the “shot pattern” only gives a Claymore a 30% chance of hitting its target. All this to say: the sooner you see the target the better.

A well trained shooter with a few engagements under their belt could probably consistently hit fast moving targets up to 40+ yards (37 meters). And the videos where we see a drone chasing someone around and around, this would be a fail for the drone operator now. This is the perfect situation for a good squad shotgunner. Another perfect situation is the approach of the UAV. A lateral shot is difficult. The head on approach shot it the easiest. And most dangerous.

Caveats**

As previously said, just handing out a shotgun to a squad on the front isn’t a good plan. Training is necessary. On-the-job training may be necessary but, it’s less than ideal. This is not a perfect solution for all situations. Stationing a person on the back of a vehicle might give you a better than zero chance of defending from a UAV, but attack angle and speed might be so much to the drone’s advantage that nothing can be done. This is a small-unit solution meant to counter known sUAVs. This doesn’t do anything to help with detection.

Conclusion

I am supremely satisfied that a quality shotgun (M4), a well trained shooter, and the proper ammunition would be very effective against known small UAVs. This could significantly increase survivability and force the enemy to change tactics.