Basic Information
A salt shell is a form of less lethal ammunition consisting of a shotgun cartridge with the shot removed and replaced with a charge of salt (often crude rock salt).
These rounds are designed to cause superficial injuries only (since the salt crystals are unaerodymanic, low mass and general poor at target penetration), but to deter the target through fear and pain (aided by the burning sensation of salt crystals dissolving in wounds). A salt shell is generally less dangerous (to the target) and more effective than birdshot, and definitely more so than buck and in some jurisdictions are considered an entirely reasonable response to tresspassers on private property and positively restrained for self defence.
In some traditions, a salt shell may also be effective against spirits and other supernatural manifestations - this is not particularly well attested, but is likely derived from the traditional purifying character of salt.
Sources
Game and Story Use
- Better against cow-tippers, crop thieves, overly persistent hobos and peeping toms than actual opponents, and probably nearly useless against (for example) heavy drug users.
- May work quite well against giant slugs however.
- Utility against the supernatural should be decided in advance - what the players are told may vary.
- This is quite likely to put in an appearance in "real America" or rural Canada - Britain, Europe and Urban America tend to be too hoplophobic and much of the rest of the world is rather more cavilier about shooting people.