The year was 1965, and for police officers, the long gun of choice was the shotgun. This was the era of six guns in .38 Special and pump shotguns in 12 gauge. We’re talking wood and blued steel. High Standard was one of many companies competing for law enforcement contracts, and their Ad Men came up with a brilliant idea. Publish a pamphlet for Law Enforcement called the Practical Shotgun Course.
The Practical Shotgun Course was not just a guide but a strategic tool. It provided basic information on shotgun usage and a course of fire for police training. The pamphlet was a means to educate police agencies about the importance of the right gun and a little training and, of course, to subtly promote High-Standard shotguns as the best riot guns available.
High Standard’s marketing ploy seemed to have paid off. They went on to publish three pamphlets, starting with the original Practical Shotgun Course in 1965, followed by a Supplement to that guide in the same year, and a second edition of the first pamphlet three years later. Fortunately, these valuable resources were preserved as PDFs, and I stumbled upon them, realizing their potential for a blast to the past article.
The Practical Shotgun Course 1st Edition
I won’t go line for line through the pamphlets, but I will pick some basic things that amuse or impress me.
The article quickly explains why the riot gun works. There isn’t any information that’s egregious or too out of date. I found the fourth reason why police should pick the riot gun funny. It states that little practice is needed to retain skill. That’s a joke and a half. Shotguns take work and practice to use.
The safety aspect is covered, and the same safety rules and practices are used today. When we dived into shooting tips, I was impressed. The Practical Shotgun Course advises using an aggressive boxer-like stance with the body leaning forward to help fight recoil. There is no bladed stance mentioned here. The information on mounting and aiming the gun still rings true to this day.
Finally, we get into the actual Practical Shotgun Course. The course uses five targets that are numbered and set up in a staggered arrangement at least 15 yards wide. There are four stages listed.
The Course of Fire
Stage 1 -50 Yards – 3 Rounds Fired – Slugs – Kneeling Position
The course shows an officer shooting from behind cover. The course instructor is supposed to tell the officer which numbered targets to engage and in what order.
Stage 2 – 35 Yards – 2 Rounds Fired – Slugs – Standing aimed
At 35 yards, the shooter will aim and fire twice. The instructor will provide which targets and in what order to engage.
Stage 3 – 25 Yards – 5 Rounds Fired – 00 Buckshot – Aimed
At 25 yards, the shooter will aim and fire five shots at the target numbers provided by the instructor.
Stage 4 – 15 Yards – 5 Rounds Fired – 00 Buckshot – From the Hip
At 25 yards, the shooter will hold the gun at hip level and fire five shots at the target numbers provided by the instructor.
The pamphlet mentions trying to accomplish the entire course of fire in two and a half minutes as an extra challenge. No pass/fail standards are mentioned, and scoring isn’t any more specific than hitting the target.
I like that the instructor dictates the targets engaged. This keeps the student thinking. I do think hip-firing the shotgun at 15 yards is silly. At 3 yards, sure, but at 15 yards, you don’t have an excuse not to aim.
The Supplement
The Practical Shotgun Course Supplement acts solely as an advertisement for High-Standard shotguns and accessories. There is no training or shooting tips. We are told why High Standards are the best riot guns. We get a one-page explanation of non-specific ammo types.
From there, we get various law enforcement products an agency can adopt with their High-Standard shotguns. These include locking car mounts, non-lethal grenade launchers, and riot control devices, including a bayonet.
The Second Edition
The Second Edition of the Practical Shotgun Course came out in 1968. It’s almost identical to the first for the most part. What changed was High Standard adding the semi-auto bullpup Model 10 shotgun to their catalog. Radical described how different the Model 10 was from other shotguns.
This guide acts like a manual to show police how to carry the gun, aim it, hip fire it, load it, etc. It also discusses the benefits of the Model 10 and its integrated light. According to High Standard, it’s the ultimate police shotgun. It’s easy to carry, concealable for stakeout and even works well with bicycle cops.
The Modern World
These pamphlets are well put together, easy to read and the pictures make sure even Jarheads like me understand what I’m looking at. I would love to see a gun company do this more often, but it seems unlikely in the modern age. These are excellent little reads and offer you a view of 1960s shotguns and policing.
