Another SOCOM (Special Operations Command) weapon has become popular with regular troops in Iraq. It's a 12 gauge shotgun that replaces the 40mm grenade launcher under an M-16 or M-4 rifle (using the same attachment hardware), and firing a special shotgun round for blowing down doors. The Knight's Armament Company (KAC) "12-gauge `Masterkey' breaching module" has a three round magazine, a ten inch barrel and weighs nine pounds. The shotgun can be used alone, with the addition of a special stock attachment. Usually, one or two rounds will knock down most doors. The large number of raids U.S. troops perform in Iraq, makes this weapon popular. Many units simply take along shotguns, loaded with the solid shot "breaching rounds." But the KAC system means one less piece of equipment to carry, and gives the user an M-16 rifle to use as well.
