The Beretta LTLX7000 takes the tried-and-true pump shotgun platform and adds a next-generation less-lethal projectile launching system.

Editors’ Note: Guns & Weapons for Law Enforcement was given the opportunity to examine a pre-production sample of this exciting new Beretta less-lethal system.

The use of less-lethal force in law enforcement has certainly had a long history, albeit not always a successful one. In the effort to capture John Wilkes Booth alive, the barn in which he was barricaded was set alight. Of course, it wasn’t the fire that did him in but getting shot when he resisted.

The need for less-lethal alternatives for subduing dangerous and violent individuals has only increased since then. Law enforcement is expected to act with a great deal of restraint, but that expectation is also now part of standard military operations in civilian areas, particularly when it comes to peacekeeping.

The three vertical dots inside the scope are used to frame a man-sized target at distance to adjust for projectile force and drop.

For soldiers trained in combat, peacekeeping requires specialized equipment and training, all of which can be in short supply. Indeed, finding a simple and measured response to dealing with unarmed but volatile crowds of civilians is exactly what the Italian army was seeking when they approached Beretta for a solution.

In Beretta’s testing, the specially designed projectiles consistently penetrated 1.6 inches of ballistic clay at various distances.