Breaching round

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A breaching round is a shotgun shell specially made for the purposes of door breaching. It is typically fired at a range of 6 inches (15 cm) or less, aimed at the hinges or the area between the doorknob and lock and door jamb, and is designed to destroy the object it hits and then disperse into a relatively harmless powder.^[1]

[edit] Design and construction

Breaching rounds are designed to destroy the locking mechanisms of doors without the risk of ricochet. These rounds are typically 12 gauge, frangible shotgun slugs made of compressed or sintered metal powder in a binder. Example of breaching rounds are:

• The US Military M1030 breaching round, a 12 gauge 2 3/4 inch (70 mm) shell which uses a 1.4 ounce (40 g) projectile made of powdered steel, bound with wax^[2][3]
• The Clucas MoE Hatton Round, a 12 gauge 3 inch (76mm) magnum shell which uses a 50 gram (1.8 ounce) frangible projectile, consisting of a high density material in a plastic binder^[4]

When fired, the full force of the round is delivered to the target, minimizing the risk of injury to persons behind the door being opened. If fired directly at a human target, they can cause lethal injury.

[edit] References

1. ^ Door Breaching Rounds.
2. ^ Department of the Army. FY 2008 Global War On Terror Budget Estimate Submission Cost Adjustment, PROCUREMENT OF AMMUNITION, ARMY.
3. ^ Miscellaneous Questions #17.
4. ^ Clucas Brochure.