Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm typically used to fire a number of small spherical pellets. The shot is usually fired from a smoothbore barrel; another configuration being the rifled "slug" barrel, which is used to fire a single projectile. Compared to many bullets, the energy of any one ball of shot is fairly low, comparable to that of an .22LR, making shotguns useful primarily for hunting birds and other small game. However, the large number of projectiles makes the shotgun, with larger shot, useful as a close-combat weapon or defensive weapon, where the short range ensures that many of the projectiles of shot will hit the target (see riot shotgun and combat shotgun). Ammunition for shotguns is referred to as shotgun shells, shotshells, loads, or just shells (when it is not likely to be confused with artillery shells). Single projectile loads are generally called shotgun slugs or just slugs.
Aside for the most common use against small, fast moving targets, the shotgun has several advantages when used against still targets. First, it has enormous stopping power at short range, more than nearly all handguns and comparable to most rifle cartridges. The wide spread of shot produced by the gun makes it easier to aim and to be used by inexperienced marksmen. Also, unlike a rifle bullet, each pellet of shot is less likely to penetrate walls and hit bystanders. It is favored by law enforcement for its low penetration and high stopping power, while many American households use it as a home defense weapon for the same reasons.
It should be kept in mind that the vaunted "wide pattern" of a cylinder/improved cylinder choked shotgun is often much overstated. The typical home defense shot is seldom over ten or fifteen feet. At these relatively short ranges, the shot charge never expands to more than a few inches. The shooter should be within twenty to thirty yards of the target to take advantage of an expanded pattern. At fifteen feet, one must have the gun pointed accurately if he intends to hit his target.
Definition
The United States legal code (18 USC 921) defines the shotgun as "a weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder, and designed or redesigned and made or remade to use the energy of the explosive in a fixed shotgun shell to fire through a smooth bore either a number of ball shot or a single projectile for each single pull of the trigger."
A rifled slug, with finned rifling designed to spin the bullet and stabilize it in order to improve its accuracy, is an example of a single projectile. Some shotguns have rifled barrels and are designed to be used with a "saboted" bullet. A saboted bullet is one which is typically encased in a two-piece plastic ring (sabot) which is designed to fall away after it passes the end of the barrel, leaving the bullet, now spinning after passing through the rifled barrel, to continue toward the target. These shotguns, although they have rifled barrels, still use a shotgun-style shell instead of a rifle cartridge. Hunting laws may differentiate between smooth barrelled and rifled barrelled guns.
Also, many people would likely call a fully automatic shotgun a shotgun, even though legally it would fall into a different category. Amongst the general populace, any gun that fires shotgun shells could be considered a shotgun. This might include the rare shot-pistol (a pistol designed to fire a standard shotgun shell). Such pistols, like sawed-off or short-barrelled shotguns, are illegal for private citizens to own in the U.S. without the proper federal tax-stamp and paperwork.
Riot gun has long been a synonym for a shotgun, especially a short-barrelled shotgun. During the 19th and early 20th century, short-barreled shotguns were used to disperse rioters and revolutionaries. The wide spray of the shot ensured a large group would be hit, but the light shot would ensure more wounds than fatalities. When the ground was paved, police officers would often ricochet the shot off the ground, slowing down the shot and spreading the spray out even further. To this day specialized police and defensive shotguns are called riot shotguns. The introduction of rubber bullets and bean bag rounds ended the practice of using shot for the most part, but riot shotguns are still used to fire a variety of less than lethal rounds for riot control.
A sawed-off shotgun refers to a shotgun whose barrel has been shortened, leaving it more maneuverable, easier to use at short range and more readily concealed. The sawed-off shotgun is sometimes known as a "Lupara" (In Italian a generic reference to the word "Lupo" ("Wolf")) in Southern Italy and Sicily.
Shotguns according to US law can also be claimed as any weapon with a shotgun shell. This is down to the fact that the first shotgun was little more than a pipe and a smaller tube filled with lead balls with gunpower mixed in. Recent changes in the law will soon be brought to effect to remove this flaw.
History
Shotguns have also been referred to as "scatterguns", "fowling pieces" or "two-shoot guns" historically, and were used as a replacement for the blunderbuss. The first recorded use of the term shotgun was in 1776 in Kentucky. It was noted as part of the "frontier language of the West" by James Fenimore Cooper. During its long history, it has been favored by bird hunters, guards and law enforcement officials.
Essentially, early muzzle-loading shotguns were identical to muskets, in that they were both smoothbore weapons that were often used to fire multiple projectiles (see "buck and ball"). However, the musket was generally a longer-barreled weapon than a true shotgun.
The shotgun has fallen in and out of favor with military forces several times in its long history. Shotguns and similar weapons are simpler than long-range rifles, and were developed earlier. The development of more accurate and deadlier long-range rifles minimized the usefulness of the shotgun on the open battlefields of European wars. But armies have "rediscovered" the shotgun for specialty uses many times.
19th century
During the 1800s, shotguns were mainly employed by cavalry units. Cavalry units on both sides of the American Civil War employed shotguns. American cavalry went on to use the shotgun extensively during the Indian Wars throughout the latter half of the 19th century. Horseback units favored the shotgun for its moving target effectiveness, and devastating close-range firepower. The shotgun was also favored by citizen militias and similar groups. The shotgun was used in the defense of The Alamo during Texas' War of Independence with Mexico.
With the exception of cavalry units, the shotgun saw less and less use throughout the 19th century on the battlefield. As a defense weapon it remained popular with guards and lawmen, however, and the shotgun became one of many symbols of the American Old West. The famous lawman Wyatt Earp killed two men with a shotgun; his friend Doc Holliday's only confirmed kill was with a shotgun. The weapon both these men used was the short-barreled version favored by private strongbox guards on stages and trains. These guards, called express messengers became known as shotgun messengers, since they rode with the weapon (loaded with buckshot) for defense against bandits. Passenger carriages carrying a strongbox usually had at least one private guard armed with a shotgun riding in front of the coach, next to the driver. This practice has survived in American slang; the term "riding shotgun" is used for the passenger who sits in the front passenger seat. The shotgun was a popular weapon for personal protection in the American Old West, requiring less skill on the part of the user than a six-gun.
Daniel Myron LeFever
Daniel Myron LeFever is credited with the invention of the hammerless shotgun. Working for Barber & LeFever in Syracuse, N.Y. he introduced the first hammerless shotgun 1878. This gun was cocked with external cocking levers on the side of the breech. He formed his own company, The LeFever Arms Co., in 1880 and went on to patent the first truly automatic hammerless shotgun in 1883. This gun automatically cocked itself when the breech was closed. He later developed the mechanism to automatically eject the shells when the breech was opened. The LeFever Arms Co. went on to make some of the finest double barrel shotguns in America until they were bought by The Ithaca Gun Co. in 1916.
John Moses Browning
One of the men most responsible for the modern development of the shotgun was prolific gun designer John Browning. While working for Winchester Firearms, Browning revolutionized shotgun design. In 1887, Browning introduced the Model 1887 Lever Action Repeating Shotgun, which loaded a fresh cartridge from its internal magazine by the operation of the action lever. Before this time, most shotguns were the 'break-action' type.
This development was greatly overshadowed by two further innovations he introduced at the end of the 19th century. In 1893, Browning produced the Model 1893 Pump Action Shotgun, introducing the now familiar pump action to the market. And in 1900, he patented the Browning Auto-5, the world's first semi-automatic shotgun.
World Wars
The decline in military use of shotguns reversed in World War I. American forces under General Pershing employed 12-gauge pump action shotguns when they were deployed to the Western front in 1917. These shotguns were fitted with bayonets and a heat shield so the barrel could be gripped while the bayonet was deployed. Shotguns fitted in this fashion became known as trench guns by the United States Army. Those without such modifications were known as riot guns. After World War I, the United States military began referring to all shotguns as riot guns.
Due to the cramped conditions of trench warfare, the American shotguns were extremely effective. Germany even filed an official diplomatic protest against their use, alleging they violated the laws of warfare. The Germans particularly prostested the ability for American soldiers to explode the "potato-masher" type of thrown hand grenade used by the German army in the air on it's way over to the American trenchs, as if the soldiers were shooting skeet. Sometimes, the grenade was not detonated in the air but thrown back into the German trench by the force of the shot, to explode there. The Judge Advocate General reviewed the protest, and it was rejected. This is the only occasion the legality of the shotgun's use in warfare has been questioned.
During World War 2, the shotgun was not heavily used in the war in Europe by official military forces. However, the shotgun was a favorite weapon of Allied-supported partisans, such as the French Resistance. By contrast, in the Pacific theater, thick jungles and heavily-fortified positions made the shotgun a favourite weapon of the United States Marines. Marines tended to use pump shotguns, since the pump action was less likely to jam in the humid and dirty conditions of the Pacific campaign. Similarly, the United States Navy used pump shotguns as well to guard ships when in port in Chinese harbors (e.g., Shanghai.) The United States Army Air Forces similarly used pump shotguns to guard bombers and other aircraft against saboteurs when parked on airbases across the Pacific and on the West Coast of the United States. The most common pump shotguns used for these duties were the 12 gauge Winchester Model 97 and Winchester Model 12.
Late 20th century to present
Since the end of World War 2, the shotgun has remained a specialty weapon for modern armies. It has been deployed for specialized tasks where its strengths were put to particularly good use. It was used to defend machine gun emplacements during the Korean War, and American and French jungle patrols used shotguns during the Vietnam War. Many modern navies make extensive use of shotguns by personnel engaged in boarding hostile ships, as any shots fired will almost certainly be over a short range. Shotguns are far from being as common amongst military forces as rifles, carbines or submachineguns.
On the other hand, the shotgun has become a standard in American law enforcement use. Shotguns are standard equipment in most United States police patrol cars, and almost all police officers are trained in their use and must re-qualify at least annually through demonstrating proficiency. A variety of specialty less-lethal or non-lethal ammunitions, such as tear gas shells, bean bags, flares, explosive sonic stun rounds, and rubber projectiles, all packaged into 12 Gauge shotgun shells, are produced specifically for the law enforcement market.
The shotgun remains a standard weapon for hunting throughout the world, for all sorts of game from birds and small game to large game such as deer. The versatility of the shotgun as a hunting weapon has steadily increased, as slug rounds and more advanced rifled barrels have given shotguns longer range and killing power. The shotgun has become a ubiquitous weapon in the hunting community. The prevalence of the shotgun's use in hunting can be easily shown in reported hunting incidents to wildlife and game officials. As an example, of the thirty-four hunting accidents were reported in Wisconsin in 2005, sixteen involved a shotgun, making it the most common weapon. The second most common being rifles of various calibers. (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 2005 [1] )
While shotguns, especially sawed-off shotguns, have received a reputation for criminal use, this is mainly a misconception. In 1994, shotguns consisted of only 9.7% of gun traces relating to a criminal investigation in the United States, and were the weapon of choice in only 5% of homicides, according to United States Justice Department statistics. Shotguns are not the preferred weapons for criminal activity, since criminals prefer weapons which are easily concealed, according to the National Crime Victimization Survey. However, the comparatively easy availability of double-barrelled shotguns compared to pistols in the United Kingdom and Australia, coupled with the ease with which their barrels and stocks can be unlawfully shortened, has made the sawed-off shotgun a popular weapon of armed robbers in these countries.
Design factors
Action
Action is the term for the operating mechanism of a gun. There are many types of shotguns, typically categorized by the number of barrels or the way the gun is reloaded. For most of the history of the shotgun, the breech loading double barreled shotgun, with two barrels, was the most common type. In this case there are several "subtypes", the over and under shotgun puts the two barrels one on top of the other, while the side-by-side shotgun puts them beside each other. Another class of break open shotgun is the combination gun, which is an over and under design with one shotgun barrel and one rifle barrel (more often rifle on top, but rifle on bottom was not uncommon). There is also a class of break action guns called drillings, which contain three barrels, usually 2 shotgun barrels of the same gauge and a rifle barrel, though the only common theme is that at least one barrel be a shotgun barrel. The most common arrangement was essentially a side by side shotgun with the rifle barrel below and centered. Usually a drilling containing more than one rifle barrel would have both rifle barrels in the same caliber, but examples do exist with different caliber barrels, usually a .22 Long Rifle and a centerfire cartridge. Although very rare, there were some three shotgun barrel drillings made.
Non break open designs use a single barrel, and are magazine fed. In pump-action shotguns, a sliding forearm handle, the pump, works the action to reload the single barrel. Lever-action shotguns, while less common, were popular in the late 1800s with the Winchester Model 1887 and Model 1901 series lever-action shotguns being prime examples. Lever-action shotguns have seen a return to the gun market in recent years with Winchester Repeating Arms producing the Model 9410 series lever-action shotgun (The Model 9410 shotgun utilises the .410 bore shotgun round and the action of the Winchester Model 94 series lever-action rifle) as well as a few other gun companies re-producing and making modern versions of the Winchester Model 1887 and Model 1901 shotguns. Gas, inertia, or recoil operated actions are other popular methods of increasing the rate of fire of a shotgun; these actions are generally referred to as autoloaders or semi-automatic shotguns. A small number of guns are available with a bolt action, but this is uncommon. Some shotguns, such as the Franchi SPAS-12 and Benelli M3, are capable of switching between semi-automatic and pump action.
Some of the more interesting advances in shotgun technology include the versatile NeoStead 2000 and fully automatics such as the Pancor Jackhammer or Auto-Assault 12 . These combat shotguns, while popular in movies and computer games due to their exotic nature, have yet to make a noticeable impression in the real world.
Gauge
The caliber of shotguns is measured in terms of gauge or bore (the British English term). The gauge number is determined by the number of solid spheres of a diameter equal to the inside diameter of the barrel that could be made from a pound of lead. So a 10 gauge shotgun has an inside diameter equal to that of a sphere made from one-tenth of a pound of lead. By far the most common gauges are 12 (0.729 in, 18.5 mm diameter) and 20 (0.614 in, 15.6 mm), although 2, 4, 8, 10, 14, 16, 24, 28, 32 gauges and .410 (10.4 mm) 9mm (.355 in.) rimfire and .22 (5.5 mm) rimfire calibres have also been produced (although 10, 12, 16, 20, 28, .410, and .22 are the only legal hunting gauges/calibers in most U.S. states). To further complicate matters, typical handgun chamberings such as 9 mm Luger, .45 ACP, .38 Special/.357 Magnum, .44 Special/.44 Magnum, and .45 Colt have been brought to market by CCI/Speer and others bearing a "shot" load--either crimped in or in a plastic casing that takes the place of the bullet. These are not generally considered "shot shells" by shotgun users, and the patterning performance is questionable since they are fired through rifled barrels. Thompson/Center makes special pistol barrels in .38/357, .44 and .45 Colt that have "straight rifled" chokes in them to reduce the spin of the shot column and produce better patterns, but they are still suitable only for pest control at very short ranges. Larger gauges, too powerful to shoulder, have been built but were generally affixed to small boats and referred to as punt guns. These were used for commercial water fowl hunting, to kill large numbers of birds resting on the water. Although relatively rare, single-shot and two-shot derringers have also been produced that are capable of firing both .45 Colt (also known as 45 Long Colt) and .410 shotgun shells in the same chamber; they are commonly known as 'snake guns', and are popular among some outdoorsmen in the South and Southwest regions of the United States.
The .410 bore is unusual in that it is measured in inches instead of gauge, and is approximately 0.410 inches (10.4 mm) in diameter—this would be approximately 67 gauge using the traditional measuring scheme. The .410 bore was created to impose maximum handicap upon skilled shooters in the game of skeet, by throwing a relatively small charge of shot. The .410 bore was not created for hunting, but some people do use it for that, especially in expensive side by side and over/under models for hunting small bird game such as quails and doves. Inexpensive bolt-action .410 shotguns are a very common first hunting shotgun among young pre-teen hunters, as they are used mostly for hunting squirrels, while additionally teaching bolt-action manipulation skills that will transfer easily later to adult-sized hunting rifles. Most of these young hunters move up to the 20-gauge shotgun within a few years, and move up to 12 gauge shotguns and full-size hunting rifles by their late teenage years. Still, many who are particularly recoil-adverse choose to stay with 20-gauge shotguns all their adult life, as it is a very suitable gauge for many popular hunting uses.
Despite the above mention of slugs and sabots most shotguns are used to fire "a number of ball shot". The ball shot or pellets is for the most part made of lead but this has been partially replaced by bismuth, steel, tungsten-iron, tungsten-nickel-iron and even tungsten polymer loads. Non-toxic loads are required by Federal law for waterfowl hunting in the US, as the shot may be ingested by the waterfowl, which some authorities believe can lead to health problems due to the lead exposure. Shot is termed either birdshot or buckshot depending on the shot size. Informally, birdshot pellets have a diameter smaller than 0.20 inches (5 mm) and buckshot are larger than that. Pellet size is indicated by a number, for bird shot this ranges from the smallest 12 (0.05 in) to 2 (0.15 in) and then BB (0.18 in). For buckshot the numbers usually start at 4 (0.24 in) and go down to 1, 0, 00, 000, and finally 0000 (.38 in). A different informal distinction is that "bird shot" pellets are small enough that they can be measured into the cartridge by weight, and just poured in, whereas "buckshot" pellets are so large that they won't all fit unless they're stacked inside the cartridge one by one in a certain particular geometric arrangement. The diameter in hundredths of inches of bird shot sizes from #9 to #1 can be obtained by subtracting the shot size from 17. Thus, #4 bird shot is 17 - 4 = 13 = 0.13 inches (3.3 mm) in diameter. Different terminology is used outside the United States. In England and Australia, for example, 00 buckshot cartridges are commonly referred to as "S.G." (small game) cartridges.
| Size | Diameter | Pellets/oz Lead | Pellets/oz Steel |
| BBB | .190" (4.83 mm) | 62 | |
| BB | .180" (4.57 mm) | 50 | 72 |
| 1 | .160" (4.06 mm) | 103 | |
| 2 | .150" (3.81 mm) | 87 | 125 |
| 3 | .140" (3.56 mm) | 158 | |
| 4 | .130" (3.30 mm) | 135 | 192 |
| 5 | .120" (3.05 mm) | 170 | 243 |
| 6 | .110" (2.79 mm) | 225 | 315 |
| 7 1/2 | .100" (2.41 mm) | 350 | |
| 8 | .090" (2.29 mm) | 410 | |
| 9 | .080" (2.03 mm) | 585 |
| Size | Diameter | Pellets/oz |
| 000 ("triple-ought") | .36" (9.1 mm) | 6 |
| 00 ("double-ought") | .33" (8.4 mm) | 8 |
| 0 ("one-ought") | .32" (8.1 mm) | 9 |
| 1 | .30" (7.6 mm) | 10 |
| 2 | .27" (6.9 mm) | 15 |
| 3 | .25" (6.4 mm) | 18 |
| 4 | .24" (6.0 mm) | 21 |
Pattern and choke
Shot, small and round and delivered without spin, is ballistically inefficient. As the shot leaves the barrel it begins to disperse in the air. The resulting cloud of pellets is known as the shot pattern. The ideal pattern would be a circle with an even distribution of shot throughout, with a density sufficient to ensure enough pellets will intersect the target to achieve the desired result, such as a kill when hunting or a break when shooting clay targets. In reality the pattern is closer to a Gaussian, or normal distribution, with a higher density in the center that tapers off at the edges. Patterns are usually measured by firing at a 30 inch (76 cm) diameter circle on a larger sheet of paper placed at varying distances. The hits inside the circle are counted, and compared to the total number of pellets, and the density of the pattern inside the circle is examined. An "ideal" pattern would put nearly 100% of the pellets in the circle, and would have no voids--any region where a target silhouette will fit and not cover 3 or more holes is considered a potential problem.
A constriction in the end of the barrel known as the choke is used to tailor the pattern for different purposes. Chokes may either be formed as part of the barrel at the time of manufacture, by squeezing the end of the bore down over a mandrel, or by threading the barrel and screwing in an interchangeable choke tube. The choke typically consists of a conical section that smoothly tapers from the bore diameter down to the choke diameter, followed by a cylindrical section of the choke diameter. Briley Manufacturing, a top maker of interchangeable shotgun chokes, uses a conical portion about 3 times the bore diameter in length, so the shot is gradually squeezed down with minimal deformation. The cylindrical section is shorter, usually 0.6 to 0.75 inches (15 to 19 mm). There is no good mathematical model that describes how chokes work, making the design and manufacture for chokes more art than science. The use of interchangeable chokes has made it easy to tune the performance of a given combination of shotgun and shotshell to achieve the desired performance.
The choke should be tailored to the range and size of the targets. A skeet shooter, shooting at close targets might use 0.005 inches (127 micrometres) of constriction to produce a 30 inch (762 mm) diameter pattern at a distance of 21 yards (19 m). A trap shooter, shooting at distant targets might use 0.030 inches (762 micrometres) of constriction to produce a 30 inch (762 mm) diameter pattern at 40 yards (37 m). Special chokes for turkey hunting, which requires long range shots at the small head and neck of the bird, can go as high as 0.060 inches (1520 micrometres). The use of too much choke and a small pattern increases the difficulty of hitting the target, the use of too little choke produces large patterns with insufficient pellet density to reliably break targets or kill game. "Cylinder barrels" have no constriction. See also: Slug barrel
| Constriction (inches) |
Constriction (micrometres) |
American Name | percentage of shot in a 30 in (76 cm) circle at 40 yd (37 m) |
Total spread at 40 yds (in) |
Total spread at 37 m (cm) |
Effective range (yd) |
Effective range (m) |
| 0.000 | 0 | Cylinder | 40 | 59 | 150 | 20 | 18 |
| 0.005 | 127 | Skeet | 45 | 52 | 132 | 23 | 21 |
| 0.010 | 254 | Improved Cylinder | 50 | 49 | 124 | 25 | 23 |
| 0.015 | 381 | Light Modified | |||||
| 0.020 | 508 | Modified | 60 | 46 | 117 | 35 | 32 |
| 0.025 | 635 | Improved Modified | |||||
| 0.030 | 762 | Light Full | 43 | 109 | |||
| 0.035 | 889 | Full | 70 | 40 | 37 | ||
| 0.045 | 1143 | Extra Full | |||||
| 0.050 | 1270 | Super Full |
Other specialized choke tubes exist as well. Some turkey hunting tubes have constrictions greater than "Super Full", or additional features like porting to reduce recoil, or "straight rifling" that is designed to stop any spin that the shot column might acquire when traveling down the barrel These tubes are often extended tubes, meaning they project beyond the end of the bore, giving more room for things like a longer conical section. Shot spreaders or diffusion chokes work opposite of normal chokes--they are designed to spread the shot more than a cylinder bore, generating wider patterns for very short range use. A number of recent spreader chokes, such as the Briley "Diffusion" line, actually use rifling in the choke to spin the shot slightly, creating a wider spread. The Briley Diffusion uses a 1 in 14 inch twist, as does the FABARM Lion Paradox shotgun. Oval chokes, often called "duckbill spreaders", are designed to provide a shot pattern wider than it is tall, are sometimes found on combat shotguns, primarily those of the Vietnam War era. Offset chokes, where the choke is intentionally made slightly off of center, are also made, and are used to change the point of impact; for instance, an offset choke can be used to make a double barrelled shotgun with poorly aligned barrels hit the same spot with both barrels.
Barrel length
Shotguns generally have longer barrels than modern rifles. Unlike rifles, however, the long shotgun barrel is not for ballistic purposes; shotgun shells use small powder charges in large diameter bores, and this leads to very low muzzle pressures (see internal ballistics) and very little velocity change with increasing barrel length. According to Remington, modern powder in a shotgun burns completely in 10-14-inch barrels.
Since shotguns are generally used for shooting at small, fast moving targets, it is important to lead the target by firing slightly ahead of the target, so that when the shot reaches the range of the target, the target will have moved into the pattern. On uphill shooting, this means to shoot above the target. Conversely, on downhill shooting, this means to shoot below the target, which is somewhat counterintuitive for many beginning hunters. Of course, depending on the barrel length, the amount of lead employed will vary for different barrel lengths, and must be learned by experience.
Shotguns made for close ranges, where the angular speed of the targets is great (such as skeet shooting, or upland bird hunting) tend to have shorter barrels, around 24 to 28 inches (610 to 710 mm). Shotguns for longer range shooting, where angular speeds are less (trap shooting; quail, pheasant, and waterfowl hunting) tend to have longer barrels, 28 to 34 inches. The longer barrels have more inertia, and will therefore swing slower but steadier. The short, low inertia barrels swing faster, but are less steady. These lengths are for pump or semi-auto shotguns; break open guns have shorter overall lengths for the same barrel length, and so will use longer barrels. The break open design saves between 3.5 and 6 inches (90 and 150 mm) in overall length, but in most cases pays for this by having two barrels, which adds weight at the muzzle, and so usually only adds a couple of inches (50 mm). Barrels for shotguns have been getting longer as modern steels and production methods make the barrels stronger and lighter; a longer, lighter barrel gives the same inertia for less overall weight.
Shotguns for use against larger, slower targets generally have even shorter barrels. Small game shotguns, for hunting game like rabbits and squirrels, or shotguns for use with buckshot for deer, are often 22 to 24 inches (560 to 610 mm).
Shotguns intended for all-round hunting are a compromise, of course, but a 28-29 inch barrel pump-action 12-gauge shotgun with a modified choke can serve admirably for use as one-gun intended for general all-round hunting of small-game such as quails, rabbits, pheasants, doves, and squirrels in semi-open wooded or farmland areas in many parts of the eastern US (Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee) where dense brush is less of a hindrance and the ability to have more reach is important. For hunting in dense brush, shorter barrel lengths are often preferred when hunting the same types of game.
Shotguns intended for defensive use are as short as 18 inches (457 mm) for private use (the minimum shotgun barrel length allowed by law in the United States without special permits). Shotguns used by military, police, and other government agencies are exempted from regulation under the National Firearms Act of 1934, and often have barrels as short as 12 to 14 inches (305 to 356 mm), so that they are easier to handle in confined spaces. Non-prohibited private citizens may own short-barreled shotguns by purchasing a $200 tax stamp from the Federal government and passing an extensive background check (state and local laws may be more restrictive). Defensive shotguns will often have no buttstock or will have a folding stock to reduce overall length even more when required.
Common uses
Some of the most common uses of shotguns are the sports of skeet, trap, and sporting clays. These involve shooting clay disks also know as clay pigeons thrown in various ways. Both skeet and trap are Olympic Games.
In hunting circles, the shotgun is used for bird hunting, although it is also increasingly used in deer hunting in semi-populated areas where the long-distance travel of the rifle bullet may pose too great a hazard. Many modern smooth bore shotguns using rifled slugs are extremely accurate out to 75 yards (70 m) or more, while the rifled barrel shotgun with the use of sabot slugs are typically accurate to 100 yards (90 m) and beyond -- well within the range of the majority of kill shots by experienced deer hunters using shotguns.
However, given the relatively low muzzle velocity of slug ammunition typically around 1,500 feet per second (450 m/s) and blunt, poorly streamlined shape of typical slugs (which cause them to lose velocity very rapidly, compared to rifle bullets), a hunter must pay close attention to the ballistics of the particular make of ammunition to ensure a humane killing shot on a deer. Fortunately, shotguns are normally used to hunt whitetail deer in the thick brush and briars of the south-eastern and upper midwestern US, where, due to the dense cover, ranges tend to be very close--25 meters or less. At any reasonable range, shotgun slugs make effective lethal wounds due to their tremendous mass, reducing the length of time that an animal might suffer. A typical 12 gauge shotgun slug is a blunt one-ounce hunk of metal that could be described as a .729 caliber (19 mm) that weighs 432 grains (28 grams); For comparison, a common deer-hunting rifle cartridge is a .308 that weighs 150 grains (9.7 g), however the dynamics of the rifle cartridge allow for a different type of wound, and also a much further reach.
In the US, law enforcement agencies often use riot shotguns, especially for crowd and riot control where they may be loaded with nonlethal rounds such as rubber bullets or bean bags. The shotgun is also commonly used for home defense in the United States. It has excellent stopping power, is easier to aim than a handgun, and has an intimidating reputation for deadliness. When loaded with smaller shot, a shotgun will not penetrate walls as readily as bullets or slugs, making it safer for non-combatants when fired in or around populated structures.
Ammunition
The extremely large caliber of shotgun shells has led to a wide variety of different ammunition. Standard types include:
- Shot (also known as Birdshot in the smaller shot sizes) is the most commonly used round, filled with lead or lead substitute pellets. Shot shells are described by the size of the pellets within. Size Eight is the smallest size normally used for hunting, and is used on small birds such as doves. Sizes Two, One, BB, BBB, and T are used for hunting large waterfowl such as geese. In Europe and in other "metric" countries, the shot size is simply the diameter of the pellet given in millimetres.
- Buckshot, is larger than birdshot, and was originally designed for hunting larger game, such as deer. While the advent of new, more accurate slug technologies is making buckshot less attractive for hunting, it is still the most common choice for police, military, and home defense uses. Like birdshot, buckshot is described by pellet size, with larger numbers indicating smaller shot. From the smallest to the largest, buckshot sizes are: #4, (called "number four"), #1, 0, ("one-aught"), 00 ("double-aught"), 000 ("triple-aught") and 0000 ("four-aught"). A common round for defensive use would be a 12 gauge 2 3/4" length 00 buck shell, which contains 9 balls of roughly .33 caliber. New "tactical" buckshot rounds, designed specifically for defensive use, use slightly fewer shot at lower velocity to reduce recoil and increase controlability of the shotgun.
- Slug rounds are rounds that fire a single solid slug. They are used for hunting large game. Modern slugs are moderately accurate, especially when fired from special rifled slug barrels.
Specialty ammunition
The unique properties of the shotgun, such as large case capacity, large bore, and even the lack of rifling has led to the development of a large variety of specialty shells, ranging from novelties to high tech military rounds.
- Bean bag rounds fire a nylon bag filled with birdshot or a similar loose, dense substance. The 'punch' effect of the bag is useful for knocking down aggressors and are used by police to subdue violent suspects. These rounds are sometimes used by wildlife officials to non-lethally subdue wild animals. Bean bag rounds are also sold under the trademarked name of flexible baton round.
- Bird bombs are low-powered rounds that fire a firecracker that is fused to explode a short time after firing. They are designed to scare animals, such as birds that congregate on airport runways.
- Blank shells contain only a small amount of powder and no actual load. When fired, the blanks provide the illusion of a real load, with most of the same characteristics, but no projectile leaves the gun barrel. It should be noted, however, that it is still dangerous to stand in front of a shotgun firing blanks, as wadding, powder particles, and hot gases will be expelled (not to mention, of course, the risk that the shooter has mistakenly loaded a "live" shell instead of a blank).
- Brenneke and Foster type slugs have the same basic configuration as normal slugs, but have increased accuracy. The hollowed rear of the Foster slug improves accuracy by placing more mass in the front of the projectile, therefore inhibiting the "tumble" that normal slugs may generate. The Brenneke slug takes this concept a bit further, with the addition of a wad that stays connected to the projectile after discharge, increasing accuracy. Both slugs are commonly encompassed by fins, which increase stability in flight.
- Cubic shot is lead shot with a cubic rather than spherical shape. This makes the shot tumble as it flies through the air, resulting in a much wider dispersion than spherical shot. Cubic shot is used for "brush loads", used for hunting game in heavy cover where shots are taken at fast moving game at short range.
- Disintegrator or Hatton rounds are designed to blow out deadbolts, door locks and door hinges without risking the lives of those beyond the door. These rounds are packed with a mixture of dense metal powder (often lead) and wax, which can destroy a lock then immediately disperse. They are used by SWAT teams to quickly force entry into a locked room. Amongst police, these rounds are nicknamed 'master keys', and their use is known as 'Avon calling'.
- Fire sirens are small weighted whistles that produce a very high decibel whistle noise.
- Fireball or Dragon's Breath rounds fire a zirconium based incendiary mixture, resulting in a large fireball. These rounds are banned in many locations, since they pose a tremendous fire hazard and have few legitimate hunting or home defense uses.
- Flare rounds are sometimes carried by hunters for safety and rescue purposes. They are available in low and high altitude versions. Some brands claim they can reach a height of up to 600 feet (180 m).
- Flechette rounds contain aerodynamic darts, typically from 8 to 20 in number. The flechette provide greatly extended range due to their aerodynamic shape, and improved penetration of light armor. American troops during the Vietnam War packed their own flechette shotgun rounds, called beehive rounds, after the similar artillery rounds. See flechette for more information.
- Frag-12 rounds are experimental grenades fired from 3 inch (76 mm) 12 gauge shells. The grenade is fin stabilized, using folding fins, and is full bore diameter. The round has a maximum range of 150 to 200 meters. The high explosive version can penetrate .25 inches (6 mm) of cold rolled steel, while the armor piercing version can penetrate twice that thickness with its shaped charge. A fragmentation version is also available for antipersonnel use.
- Gas shells spray a cone of gas for several meters. These are primarily used by riot police. They normally contain pepper gas or tear gas. Other variations launch a gas grenade-like projectile.
- Rock salt shells are hand loaded with rock salt, replacing the standard shot. Rock salt shells were used by rural civilians to defend their property, and were the forerunners of modern less-than-lethal rounds. The brittle salt was unlikely to cause serious injury at long ranges, but would cause stinging light injuries. The use of these charges is mainly anecdotal, though there was a documented case in 2004[2].
- Rubber slugs or rubber buckshot are similar in principle to the bean bag rounds. Composed of flexible rubber or plastic and fired at low velocities, these rounds are probably the most common choice for riot control. Shapes range from full bore diameter cylinders to round balls of varying sizes, to a patent pending design "star round" that resembles a small koosh ball.
Legal issues
United Kingdom law requires that a shotgun not be capable of holding more than three rounds; if it holds more it is classed as a firearm and requires a Firearms Certificate to own one. In the United States, most states prohibit shotguns from being capable of holding more than three shells including the round in the chamber when used for hunting; for home defense, however, the magazine plug may be removed, and shells up to the limit of the magazine (typically five to seven shells) plus one in the chamber may be used.
Additionally in the United States, shotguns which have barrel lengths of less than 18 inches (457 mm) as measured from the breechface to the muzzle when the weapon is in battery with its action closed and ready to fire, or have an overall length of less than 26 inches (660 mm) are classified as short barreled shotguns (AKA "sawed-off shotguns") under the 1934 National Firearms Act and are heavily regulated.
Within Australia all shotguns are considered firearms and are subject to registration and licensing. A shotgun that has a break action is normally Class A, regardless of gauge unless it has mixed barrels (eg a 12 gauge barrel and a centrefire rifle barrel) in which case it is considered Class B. Bolt-action shotguns and lever-action shotguns as also classed as Class B firearms. Pump-action and self-loading shotguns are categorised as Class C and Class D firearms with both pump-action and self-loading shotguns being prohibited from legal ownership among the majoirty of Australia's licenced firearm owners (with exemption to farmers and professional hunters). A pump-action or self-loading shotgun that holds up to 5 rounds is considered a Class C firearm while pump-action and self-loading shotguns that hold more than 5 rounds is considered a Class D firearm. For more information see Gun politics in Australia.
References
- Jack O'Connor (1949, 1965). The Shotgun Book. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 0394501381.
{{cite book}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - Elmer Keith (1950). Shotguns. Pennsylvania: The Stackpole Company. ISBN 0935632581.
- Bob Brister (1976). Shotgunning, The Art and the Science. New Jersey: New Win Publishing. ISBN 0-8329-1840-7.
- Michael McIntosh (1999). Best Guns. Alabama: Countrysport Press. ISBN 0-924357-79-4.
- Bruce N. Canfield (2004). "Give Us More Shotguns!". American Rifleman.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - Marines Magazine article on the experimental Frag-12 high explosive shotgun round.
- Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory spec sheet on experimental Frag-12 round