ri′ot gun`

a gun, esp. a shotgun with a short barrel, for quelling riots rather than inflicting serious injury.

[1925–30]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun

riot gun - a firearm designed to disperse rioters rather than to inflict serious injury or death

firearm, small-arm, piece - a portable gun; "he wore his firearm in a shoulder holster"

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References in periodicals archive

The American "grunt" in the center is carrying a Savage M77 riot gun.

U.S. MILITARY COMBAT SHOTGUNS PART III: From Grenada to Afghanistan

THERE'S LITTLE DOUBT that the pump or semiautomatic trench shotgun, and its close associate the riot gun, are formidable small arms.

M37 redux: Inland Mfg. reincarnates one of the rarest trench gun veterans of World War II and Vietnam

Originally, I had wanted a short-barreled Model 1897, but when I found out how hard it is to find an original Model 1897 Trench Gun or Model 1897 Riot Gun, I abandoned the idea.

Winchester Model 1897: invented and patented by John M. Browning, the Winchester Model 1897 was for a time the most popular shotgun in America

A 40mm riot gun that fires a plastic baton designed to stun at up to 25m

ON PATROL ..ARMED TO THE TEETH; Cops calm gang violence with machine guns; NEW FACE OF POLICING OUR STREETS

My intention from the start with this project was not to build a reproduction of an original Model 1897 Riot gun or a piece for Cowboy Action competition.

A takedown for today updating a classic 1897 Winchester: with all the great shotguns out there, why update a century-old pump gun? Because there's just nothing quite like a John Browning classic

The Riot Gun, with its stubby 20-inch barrel, would eventually be riding in thousands of patrol cars all across America.

Remington 870: 10 million built--still going strong

Eight-to-11 shot pistols will do them just fine, as will that old standby, the 12-gauge "riot gun."

Defense trends

She almost appears shy when she smiles and proudly shows off her three guns - a 9mm Beretta, a home-made sawn-off shotgun and a riot gun.

DANGER GIRL MAKES CRIME WHO PAY

Still, that modern military assault-rifle look is much more menacing than the farmer's old corn husker 12-gauge pump that is the main riot gun sold in the United States.

THE 12-GAUGE AK-47: INTER ORDINANCE'S EM-12B SHOTGUN

When I bought it I was told that it was a "riot gun" that was normally issued to native troops and the odd chambering was so that the gun could not be converted to any other caliber or gauge and used against the British by the natives of the occupied countries.

Martini shotgun