• SUBSCRIBE
Athlon Outdoors Supersite
Tactical Life Website
Ballistic Website
Personal Defense World Website
Skillsetmag Website
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • AR Pistols
    • AR Rifles
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 9mm
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
        • Thermal Vision
        • Night Vision
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Fixed Blade
      • Folding Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
    • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
      • Military Lifestyle
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS
No Result
View All Result
Athlon Outdoors
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • AR Pistols
    • AR Rifles
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 9mm
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
        • Thermal Vision
        • Night Vision
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Fixed Blade
      • Folding Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
    • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
      • Military Lifestyle
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS
No Result
View All Result
Athlon Outdoors Super Site
No Result
View All Result
  • TL
  • PDW
  • BM
  • Skillset
 
Welcome to GLOCKTOBER! Click here for all things GLOCK.

Penn Arms Striker: A Shotgun For Specialized Police Work

ShareTweetPin
Penn Arms Striker shotgun

"Striker shotguns are classified under the National Firearms Act as “destructive devices” and thus require federal registration, even for police use."

Andy MassimilianbyAndy Massimilian
November 1, 2016
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Penn Arms Striker shotgun
“Striker shotguns are classified under the National Firearms Act as “destructive devices” and thus require federal registration, even for police use.”
Penn Arms Striker gun
A bomb technician with the Flagstaff, Arizona, Police Department arms an Andros F6A robot with a Penn Arms Striker during a training exercise.
Penn Arms Striker foregrip
The Striker’s foregrip makes it easy to control and point the shotgun in close quarters.

Penn Arms Striker barrel
The author’s test model sported a steel barrel shroud, though production guns come equipped with muzzle brakes.
Penn Arms Striker stock
The stock hinge locks solidly in place and makes it easy to mount a sling as needed.
Penn Arms Striker folding stock
Strikers are available with various stock options, including fixed models, collapsible AR-15-style units, folding stocks (shown) or none at all.

The Penn Arms Striker is one of the most interesting tactical shotguns on the market.

Holding 12 rounds in a drum magazine, the Striker is considered a clockwork revolver. This type of action uses a spring-advanced magazine that rotates with each press of the trigger.

Striker shotguns are classified under the National Firearms Act as “destructive devices” and thus require federal registration, even for police use. The Striker is part of the Launchers product line of Penn Arms, which is owned by Combined Systems, Inc. Penn Arms also makes 37mm, 38mm and 40mm launchers as well as less-lethal munitions.

Breaching Beast

Penn Arms Striker gun
A bomb technician with the Flagstaff, Arizona, Police Department arms an Andros F6A robot with a Penn Arms Striker during a training exercise.

The Striker is a specialty shotgun best suited to breaching, mounting on robotic platforms or riot control using less-lethal loads and volley fire. Ballistic breaching involves destroying doors at the hinge or lockset area, often via specialty loads that fragment after impact. The idea is to immediately compromise the area in which the hinge or lockset is placed in the door, then attempt entry. Breaching guns are best when compact and short-barreled. A short-barreled gun is easy to sling over the back, allowing operators to use their primary weapons. Shorter guns also allow the user to accurately put the muzzle exactly where he or she wants on a door in a cramped hallway. The 12-gauge Striker’s forward grip aids in muzzle control for just this purpose.

  • RELATED STORY: Top 12 Tactical Shotguns For Law Enforcement Pros 

The Austin, Texas, Police Department, the Jefferson County, Colorado, SWAT team and others use short-barreled Strikers for breaching. With a 7-inch barrel, a vented muzzle brake and the stock folded over the top, the Striker is only 18 inches long, yet it holds 12 rounds. In contrast, a 7-inch barrel on a tube-fed shotgun may only provide three shots. Because breaching is usually not a single-shot exercise—especially if have multiple hinges or locksets to defeat—the Striker’s 12-round capacity is a real advantage. No one wants to reload when the pressure is on and the criminals know that you are at their doorstep.

The Striker is also well suited for use on robotic platforms to discharge unexploded ordnance. The advantage is that the robot needs only to activate the trigger (no pumping of the action) and has 12 rounds to do the job, as opposed to the seven that come with most semi-auto shotguns.

  • RELATED STORY: Best of the Bullpups – Top 12 Compact Rifles and Shotguns 

The Striker is highly capable for riot-control duties. Rounds used for dispersing crowds are not powerful enough to cycle semi-automatics, and with 12 rounds at the ready, putting a large quantity of crowd dispersion rounds quickly on an area target (i.e., a prison yard) is easy to accomplish with only a few officers equipped with Strikers.

Running The Gun

Penn Arms Striker loaded
To load the gun, turn the winder at the front of the mag (shown), open the loading gate on the right side, drop a shell into the chamber and press the lever behind the grip to advance the next chamber.

The Striker is made for 2¾-inch or shorter 12-gauge shells. The magazine rotates with each trigger pull by spring tension. Loading the Striker is similar to loading a single-action revolver. Slide the loading gate downward, then rotate the spring-loaded magazine by pressing the magazine advance button at the rear of the grip or using the winder key. This allows shells in the loading port to drop into each chamber. With the gun fully loaded, close the loading gate and wind the drum fully to apply the spring tension necessary to rotate the drum when firing. Attempting to change loads from buckshot to ball is impractical because of the time needed and probability of a mistake. The Striker’s magazine cover has several small openings that allow the operator to see if a shell is in 10 of the 12 chambers.

For more information on the Penn Arms Striker, please visit CombinedSystems.com.

Like what you’re reading? Check out the rest of this article in the October/November 2016 issue of ‘Guns & Weapons For Law Enforcement’. For information on how to subscribe, please email subscriptions@outdoorgroupmags.com or call 1-800-284-5668.

Didn't find what you were looking for?

MOST POPULAR

300 Blackout vs 308, rifles, ammunition

300 Blackout vs 308 Win: Which Round Reigns Supreme in AR-15s?

Taurus Home Defender revolver in .410.

KA-BOOM: Here Comes the Taurus Judge Home Defender!

All the best new handguns seen at SHOT Show 2023.

21 Best New Handguns [2023]

Police Sidearms, police duty pistols, Handguns, America's Largest Police Departments 2018

Police Sidearms: Handguns of America’s 10 Largest Departments

TRENDING

dick's sporting goods retail location

Dick’s Sporting Goods to Destroy All ‘Assault Rifles’ Left in Inventory

Hunting Aoudad Sheep Browning X-Bolt Hell's Canyon Speed Rifle lead

Hunting Aoudad Sheep in Western Texas with a Browning X-Bolt Rifle

Ballistic's Best Editors Selects 2021

Ballistic’s Best Editors’ Selects 2021 Awards Highlight Top Brands

Vigilance M20 pistol, reup

Vigilance M20: The New, Very Interesting-Looking 9mm SMG Platform

BROWSE BY BRAND

Skillset-Logo_yellow-153x47png
Ballistic_LOGO-217x47
CH-Logo_blue-153x47
T-L-SS-stack life-47x140
PDW_CCH_LOGO-300x101
PDW-2022-Sidebyside-logo 160x30-blk
GOW LOGO x101
AF_LOGO-184x47

SPOTLIGHT

Best Glock Pistols of All-Time, Glock 19, Glock 17, Glock 43, Glock 18, Glock 26

Best Glock Pistols of All-Time | Ranked by Ballistic Magazine

There are several opinions in the firearms world that can be contentious. A classic example is the fight over .45...

RELATED POSTS

Friday the 13th and the shooting sports

Friday the 13th and Superstition in the Shooting Sports World

...

The Watchtower Type 15M.

Watchtower Type 15M is Premium Forged and “All American Made”

...

The Heritage Tactical Rancher Carbine.

Heritage Tactical Rancher Carbine Brings the .22 LR and Mag Fun

...

Load More

TRENDING

DeSantis Ankle Holsters for Sig Sauer P938 C&L and P238 C&L

DeSantis has announced new product availabilities for two small SIG autos.

The Taurus GX4 Carry.

Taurus GX4 Carry Finds the Balance Between Capacity and Carry

Taurus USA has really created quite a stir in the industry over the past few years with all the new...

Sending rounds downrange at Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous.

Best New Hunting Guns & Gear From Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous

Traveling for work lost some of the allure it brought 30 years ago. But I still look forward to the...

holster, holsters, full-size pistol, full-size handgun, handgun, handguns, pistol, pistols

Practical Concealed Carry: How to Carry A Full-Size Pistol

Given that your carry weapon is a lifesaving tool, carrying a full-size pistol just may be the best decision you...

MOST POPULAR

The Mossberg MC2sc semi-auto pistol.

12 Best Micro-Compact Handguns for Concealed Carry [2022]

A thick veil of fog stood forever in front of me as I cruised down the highway at 6:30 in...

Police Sidearms, police duty pistols, Handguns, America's Largest Police Departments 2018

Police Sidearms: Handguns of America’s 10 Largest Departments

Law enforcement in the United States is in constant evolution and that includes various police sidearms. These days, law enforcement...

U.S. Secret Service adopts Glock G47

FIRST LOOK: Glock Just Very Quietly Unveiled the New Glock 47 Pistol

Tuesday afternoon we broke news that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection selected three Glock 9mm pistols as its new standard...

All the best new handguns seen at SHOT Show 2023.

21 Best New Handguns [2023]

The NSSF SHOT Show is the premier event to get your hands on new gear. It gives us a first...

VIDEO SERIES: AT THE READY | SEASON 2

MORE VIDEOS

The Taurus GX4 Carry.

Taurus GX4 Carry Finds the Balance Between Capacity and Carry

The 21st Tec TEC47 Rifle.

The 21st Tec TEC47 AR-10 in 7.62x39mm Accepts AK Mags

HANDGUNS

Best Glock Pistols of All-Time, Glock 19, Glock 17, Glock 43, Glock 18, Glock 26

Best Glock Pistols of All-Time | Ranked by Ballistic Magazine

Predator – M134 Minigun.

Iconic Scary Movie Guns Just in Time for Halloween

The Taurus GX4 Carry.

Taurus GX4 Carry Finds the Balance Between Capacity and Carry

The Sig Sauer P320 FCU and Custom Shop circumvent restrictive state regulations.

Sig P320 FCU and Custom Shop Overcome Restrictive State Laws

New Graphene finish.

The Taurus GX4 Micro-Compact is Now Available in Graphene

The Pedersoli Howdah.

The Pedersoli Howdah: Recreating the Howdah’s Legacy

RIFLES - click to see all

The 21st Tec TEC47 Rifle.

The 21st Tec TEC47 AR-10 in 7.62x39mm Accepts AK Mags

The Watchtower Type 15M.

Watchtower Type 15M is Premium Forged and “All American Made”

The Heritage Tactical Rancher Carbine.

Heritage Tactical Rancher Carbine Brings the .22 LR and Mag Fun

The limited edition RISE Armament Topo Watchman rifle.

UPDATED: New RISE Armament Topo Watchman Limited-Edition

AMMO - click to see all

HEVI-Shot HEVI-Bismuth Upland loads.

HEVI-Shot HEVI-Bismuth Upland Expands Hunting Lineup

Ammo Storage, Survival Ammo, long term ammo storage, Prepper

Best Methods for Long-Term Ammo Storage

6 .410 Ammo Options for Home and Personal Defense.

.410 Ammo for Home Defense [2023]

.44 Magnum dirty harry

Your Guide to the .44 Magnum Cartridge

The Escort PS Youth 20-gauge shotgun.

The Escort PS Youth Shotgun is Now Available in .410 Bore

The 2022 Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous event.

Rendezvous Roundup: Guns & Gear at Athlon’s Signature Event

Magazines Available Now! Subscribe today for Home Delivery!
FREE NEWSLETTERS! Subscribe!
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF USE
  • CORPORATE
  • ADVERTISE
  • EDIT DESK
No Result
View All Result
  • Guns
    • Handguns
      • Semi-Automatic Handguns
      • Revolvers
    • AR Pistols
    • AR Rifles
    • Rifles
      • Semi-Automatic Rifles
      • Lever Action
      • Bolt Action
    • Shotguns
    • Airguns
    • Custom Guns
      • Handgun Build
      • Rifle Build
      • Shotgun Build
    • Specialty Guns
  • Parts
    • Handgun Parts
    • Rifle Parts
  • Accessories
    • Optics & Sights
    • Lasers & Lights
    • Suppressors
    • Holsters
    • Slings
    • Shooting Rests
    • Targets
    • Maintenance & Tools
  • Ammo
    • Handgun Ammo
      • 9mm
      • 10mm
    • Rifle Ammo
      • .223
    • Shotgun Ammo
      • 12 Gauge
    • Rimfire Ammo
    • Reloading
  • Gear
    • Apparel
    • Ears & Eyes
      • Ears
      • Eyes
    • Storage
    • Tactical Gear
      • Body Armor
    • Knives
      • Fixed Blade
      • Folding Knives
      • Tactical Knives
    • Less Lethal
    • Flashlights
    • Electronics
  • Lifestyle
    • Concealed Carry
    • Personal Defense
      • Self-Defense
      • Hand to Hand Combat
    • Home Defense
    • Sport Shooting
      • Hunting
      • Competition Shooting
    • Precision Shooting/Long Range Shooting
    • Training
      • Shooting 101
    • Survival
      • First Aid
    • Tactical & LE
    • Pop Culture
      • People
      • Rides
      • History
      • Military Lifestyle
  • News
    • New Products & Industry News
    • Gun Facts & Laws
    • Police News
    • Military News
    • Politics
  • VIDEOS

© 2023 Athlon Outdoors - Premium Firearm product and industry news, reviews and magazines" .