If you had to go through a door and there was the potential for a threat to be on the other side of that door, what gun would you take? What’s your entry weapon? That’s a tough question to ask. A handgun makes sense due to its small size. A short carbine has been proven to drop threats. Submachine guns and shotguns both have their benefits as well. An entry weapon is a finicky thing.
In the modern era, the entry weapon of choice is some form of AR carbine. It’s a 5.56 gun with a barrel that falls somewhere between 10.3 and 16 inches. Most people don’t even use the term entry weapon anymore because it’s the same weapon the entire stack of SWAT police officers are employing.
However, there was an era before the carbine became the ultimate entry weapon, and police and military forces were still trying to figure it out. Entry weapons became a firearm genre, one that’s admittedly micro-sized, but a perfect candidate for an episode of weird gun genres.
What Makes an Entry Weapon?
Any gun going through the door is an entry weapon, right? Basically. But let’s discuss a weapon that’s built for that exact task. The idea behind these specialized weapons was fairly simple. How do we give the point man the most effective weapon possible that’s also not going to get in the way when he kicks open that door?
It needs to be compact, but fight-stopping. The point man has an incredibly dangerous job, so you want him to be well-armed and capable. Thus, the idea of a dedicated entry weapon became popular starting in the late 50s and up into the early 2000s. It faded away when everyone figured out a fairly standard-sized 5.56 carbine worked well.
Finding a gun dedicated as an entry weapon isn’t easy. There were only a few firearms that billed themselves as such.
The High Standard Model 10
Police officer Alfred Crouch developed the idea of a shotgun-based entry weapon. His idea was to take a Remington semi-auto and bullpup it. In the mid-1960s, he sold the idea to High Standard, and High Standard took their C1200 Supermatic shotgun and bullpupped it. This became the High Standard Model 10.
The Model 10 was a semi-automatic, 12-gauge shotgun with an overall length of about 26 inches. The gun held four to six rounds. A shotgun is a good entry weapon. Shotguns excel at close quarters and pack a punch. Plus, in the 1960s, the rifle had barely entered police service, and the idea of SWAT or similar teams was still brand new.
The long gun of police use was the shotgun, and boy, was it long. The High Standard Model 10 was short, super short, and held between four and six rounds. They made some sales to law enforcement. However, it was never all that reliable.
They did take some interesting steps forward in gun design with integrated weapon lights and decent ergonomics. That paired with silly features like a rotating stock that could be braced against the bicep to shoot from the hip. It couldn’t be fired from the left hand cause the charging handle would smack you in the mouth.
The DPMS Kitty Kat Panther
The Kitty Kat was an attempt to create an entry carbine the size of a submachine gun. As far as I can tell, the DPMS Kitty Kat Panther predates guns like the Mk18 and similar short carbines. The Kitty Kat featured a 7.5-inch barrel and fired the 5.56 round.
The gun featured a carry handle upper, but would later evolve into an A3 and PDW format that was more modern with a flat-top upper. Earlier models had the standard CAR-15 stock, but those evolved into M4-type stocks later on.
The Kitty Kat guns are extremely lightweight and easy to wield. The 7.5-inch barrel doesn’t generate great ballistics, but for across-the-room, it has way more punch than a 9mm from a pistol or subgun. The Kitty Kat guns even saw some experimentation by Special Forces, but I can’t find any information on it being formally adopted or used outside of testing and training.
The Kitty Kat Panther walked, so the modern carbine we see as the universal entry weapon could run. In fact, the Kitty Kat’s small size would still make for an excellent entry weapon.
The Benelli M4 Entry
Last, but not least, the most modern entry weapon, or at least the oldest, is the Benelli M4 Entry. The Benelli M4 Entry is a Benelli M4 with a 14.5-inch barrel and a five-round magazine tube. It comes with the Benelli M4 stock, which everyone loves.
The Benelli M4, if you live under a rock, is a gas-operated semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun. It uses an ARGO gas system with a dual piston design for incredible reliability in the worst conditions possible. The ARGO gas system has made the M4 legendary for its reliability, and its military service in the GWOT cemented that reputation.
Surprisingly, the M4 Entry is available and can often be purchased by the average Joe. They pop up all the time and are solid, handy little guns. It’s a semi-auto SBS with excellent reliability.
The Entry Method
Maybe it’s just playing too much Ready or Not that’s got me locked on Entry Guns. I’ve dived into the idea and concept, and it’s a little sad that a boring carbine took over such a unique role. It makes sense, but making sense is rarely fun.
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