Last updated on July 6th, 2026
Small drones have forced a lot of militaries to accept an uncomfortable truth: expensive jammers, missiles, and radar systems do not solve every close-range drone problem. When a small quadcopter or FPV drone gets through the outer layers and drops low over troops, vehicles, or positions, the fight becomes immediate. That is where the anti-drone shotgun has carved out a real role.
This is not about replacing electronic warfare or layered air defence. It is about giving troops a cheap, portable, last-ditch answer to a fast, low-flying threat that may only be in view for a couple of seconds. That is why military interest in 12 gauge counter-drone systems and specialised anti-drone ammunition has grown so quickly.
Quick Answer
- Why are militaries using shotguns against drones? Because they are cheap, portable, simple, and effective at very close range against small UAVs that slip past other defences.
- What makes the difference? Specialised loads such as tungsten anti-drone ammunition have pushed practical range beyond what ordinary buckshot was ever meant to do.
- What is the catch? Shotguns are still short-range tools. They are most useful inside roughly 50 to 100 metres, depending on the platform and ammunition.
Shotguns and Counter-Drone Context
Why Shotguns Have Become a Counter-Drone Tool
The reason is straightforward. Small drones are hard to hit, often hard to jam, and sometimes too cheap to justify expensive interceptors. A shotgun gives soldiers a weapon that can be carried at squad level and brought into action immediately. Against a low, close drone, a spread of shot is simply more forgiving than trying to place a single projectile on a small moving target.
The war in Ukraine has made this especially obvious. Both sides have used shotguns as last-resort anti-drone weapons, particularly against FPV drones and small quadcopters operating at low altitude. In that setting, a 12 gauge becomes a practical gap-filler between sophisticated counter-UAS systems and having nothing at all once a drone is already overhead.
The economics matter too. A shotgun and a stack of shells cost very little compared with missiles, directed-energy systems, or even some electronic warfare tools. That does not make the shotgun a complete answer, but it does explain why armies keep coming back to it as a sensible last layer.
How Effective Are Anti-Drone Shotguns Really?
This is where the article needs a bit of honesty. Anti-drone shotguns are useful, but they are not magic. With ordinary ammunition, most practical engagement distances are still relatively short. Once a target pushes out too far, shot density and pellet energy fall away quickly.
That said, close-range effectiveness is exactly why militaries care. Many dangerous drone engagements happen very quickly and at low altitude. In those moments, a man-portable weapon that can be swung onto target and fired immediately has real value. Reports from Ukraine suggest many successful shotgun intercepts happen well inside 50 metres, even when some specialised setups claim more.
Dedicated Anti-Drone Shotgun Systems
As interest in the concept has grown, manufacturers have moved beyond improvised field use and started packaging dedicated systems. The clearest example is the Benelli M4 A.I. Drone Guardian, developed under Beretta Defense Technologies and presented publicly at EnforceTac 2025. It takes the already-proven M4 platform and adapts it specifically for counter-UAS work.
The key idea is not that the base shotgun is revolutionary. It is that the barrel, choke, sighting setup, and ammunition are tuned for small aerial targets. According to Janes and Beretta material, Benelli’s Advanced Impact system uses longer forcing cones and a lengthened choke, with the goal of improving velocity, pattern quality, and useful range. Beretta says the system is intended for close counter-UAV work, with an optimal engagement range out to about 50 metres and a borderline capability out to 100 metres.
The Beretta 1301 Tactical also gets mentioned in this space because it is light, fast cycling, and practical for close-range defence roles. It does not need to be as heavily specialised to be relevant. A reliable semi-auto shotgun with the right ammunition and a shooter who has trained for the problem is already a meaningful counter-drone tool.
Another system worth noting is the Fabarm STF/12 Compact XL Range 22, which European Security & Defence identified as another shotgun configured specifically for counter-UAV work. The significance here is broader than one brand. It shows that manufacturers are treating this as an emerging category rather than a one-off gimmick.
Specialised Anti-Drone Ammunition Is the Real Story
The shotgun itself matters, but specialised ammunition is what really changes the conversation. Ordinary birdshot and buckshot were never designed around small drones at distance. The current push into anti-drone ammunition is about improving pattern density, retained energy, and practical range against light aerial targets.
The most prominent name here is Norma AD-LER, a 12 gauge tungsten load developed specifically for anti-drone use. Beretta Defense Technologies lists it as a 12/70 shell, and European Security & Defence reports that the preferred load packs 350 tungsten pellets measuring 2.7 mm, with a stated effective range out to 100 metres. That is a much more specific and current picture than simply saying “tungsten shells go farther”.
European Security & Defence also cites Benelli test data claiming that up to 25 pellets struck mini-UAV sized targets at 75 metres, which helps explain why this ammunition is attracting so much attention. Whether every unit will get that exact result in field conditions is another question, but the underlying point stands: the ammunition is now being engineered specifically around drone interception.
Other specialised developments, including ALDA-style tungsten loads and more experimental net or entangling concepts such as SkyNet-style shells, show how much effort is now going into this category. The bigger point is that militaries are no longer just improvising with standard shells. They are treating anti-drone ammunition as its own serious niche.
Training Still Matters More Than the Hardware
One thing this topic sometimes glosses over is how hard it still is to hit a drone. Even with a shotgun, small aerial targets are fast, unstable, and easy to misjudge. This is why military training programs have started treating anti-drone shotgun work more like advanced moving-target shooting than a simple point-and-blast exercise.
Army Recognition’s reporting on Ukrainian special forces makes this point clearly. The shotgun is only one part of the solution. Structured drills, target tracking, and repeated close-range engagement training are what turn it into something useful. In other words, the rise of the anti-drone shotgun is not just a gear story. It is also a doctrine and training story.
That means clay-style training, learning how much lead to apply, understanding the real pattern performance of a given shotgun and load, and being realistic about when a drone is already too close or too far away. The hardware matters, but the operator still matters more.
Where Anti-Drone Shotguns Actually Fit
The right way to think about these systems is as part of layered drone defence. They are not there to replace jammers, radar, or missiles. They are there because small drones keep slipping into spaces where those tools are not enough on their own.
- Best use case: low, close drones that breach outer defences.
- Weakness: larger, faster, or higher-flying UAVs still need heavier systems.
- Main advantage: cheap, portable, immediate, and usable at squad level.
- Main development to watch: better purpose-built ammunition, not just better shotguns.
Anti-Drone Shotgun Legal and Safety Context
This article is best read as a high-level overview of why shotguns appear in counter-drone discussions, not as a practical instruction guide. Drones, firearms, airspace rules and property damage laws are tightly regulated, and normal civilian shooters should not treat counter-drone stories from military contexts as permission to act.
| Context | What it means | Safe takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| Military or security use | Dedicated teams operate under specific rules, training and command structures. | Do not copy operational examples into civilian settings. |
| Private property concern | Drone nuisance does not automatically justify firearm use. | Use legal reporting and official channels. |
| Equipment discussion | Hardware is only one part of a layered response. | Legal authority and safety come first. |
For normal sporting shooters, the relevant adjacent reading is safer and more practical: hearing protection, LPVO selection and the first rifle buyer guide.
Anti-Drone Shotguns FAQ
Can civilians shoot down drones?
Do not assume so. Drone, firearm, public safety and property laws can all apply. If a drone creates a concern, use official reporting channels and seek advice from the relevant authority.
Is this a normal sporting-shooting topic?
No. The counter-drone use case is mostly a defence, law-enforcement or specialist security topic. Sporting shooters should focus on lawful range, hunting and safety practices.
Final Verdict
Anti-drone shotguns are no longer just a battlefield improvisation story. They are becoming a recognised part of how militaries think about close-range counter-UAS defence. The combination of proven shotgun platforms, specialised ammunition such as Norma AD-LER, and focused training has turned the 12 gauge into a serious last-layer answer to a modern problem.
The important thing is keeping the claim in proportion. A shotgun will not solve every drone threat. But when a small UAV is already low, close, and dangerous, a portable system that can be carried by ordinary troops and brought into action immediately is exactly why this old technology has found a new role.
PRECISIONRIFLE