Shotgun

From New World Encyclopedia
A pump-action Remington 870, two semi-automatic action Remington 1100 shotguns, 20 boxes of shotgun shells, a trap (a device for throwing the clay targets into the air), and three boxes of clay pigeons or clay targets.

A shotgun is a firearm, usually with a smooth bore (as opposed to a rifled bore as in a rifle), and designed to fire a charge of spherical pellets; those pellets are usually called shot. A shotgun usually has a buttstock and is usually carried and fired by one person. Because waterfowl and other birds are nearly always hunted using shotguns, a shotgun has sometimes been called a fowling piece[1]. Shotguns are also sometimes called a scattergun[2] because the charge of pellets fired from its barrel forms a parrern that spreads out, or scatters, into an ever-enlarging circle the farther it moves from the muzzle of the firearm.

Although there are important military, police, and personal-defenses uses for shotguns, by far the most wide uses for them are in hunting small game—waterfowl; upland birds, such as pheasants, grouse, quail, doves, turkeys, and others; rabbits; squirrels; and some other small animals—and a number of shotgun sports, especially trap shooting, skeet shooting, and sporting clays shooting.

Although in the past some shotgun sports used live birds, today they invariablly use clay targets (often called "clay birds" or "clay pigeons" or simply "birds") of varying sizes—the most common being about 4¼ inches (108 mm) in diameter—that are shaped something like a Frisbee and that are thrown into the air with a trap. The trap can be a simple hand trap or a more complex spring-operated device, but is most often a motor-driven device that is mounted within a special enclosure (often called a house, or a trap house) on the shooting field. Because of their shape, these clay targets sail through the air, and because of their composition they break easily when hit by a pellet or pellets from the shotgun. In shotgun sports any break at all, even the smallest chip taken from the target, counts as a "hit" or "kill," and failure counts as a "miss" or "loss," so scoring is very simple: it's just a hit or a miss.

A shotgun is a short-range firearm. The total energy of the firing or blast is divided equally among all the pellets, so the amount of energy in any individual pellet is relatively small—the smaller the individual pellet, the less energy it has initially on firing. Moreover, spherical pellets shed their velocity (and hence their energy) quickly when moving through the air. So a shotgun is effective at less than 90 yards (82 meters) and, depending on the size of the shot—the smaller the shot the more quickly it sheds its velocity and energy—typically at a much shorter distance, say 40 yards (36 meters) or even considerably less. At short range, however—say 5 yards or less—a shotgun is the deadliest of guns, especially for humans and small animals.

Common uses

File:Shotgun-skeet.jpg
United States Navy crew members skeet shooting on the USS Missouri

Some of the most common uses of shotguns are the sports of skeet, trap, and sporting clays. These involve shooting clay disks, also known as clay pigeons, thrown in various ways. Both skeet and trap competitions are featured at the Olympic Games.

The shotgun is used for bird hunting, although it is also increasingly used in deer hunting in semi-populated areas where the range 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. 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 round is a .308 slug weighing 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 slugs, making it safer for non-combatants when fired in or around populated structures.


Types of shotguns

Today there are about six types of shotguns. The first is the single shot or non-repeater, meaning that only one shell can be loaded in the gun and it has to be reloaded before it can be fired again. There are about five types of repeater or multiple-shot shotguns, meaning that more than one shell can be loaded in the gun at a time and that at least two shots can be fired before the gun needs to be reloaded. Single shot shotguns are usually break-open designs, meaning that the barrel swings, on a hinge, away from the breech for loading and unloading. Single shot shotguns are often the least expensive, although there are expensive ones too, especially single shots made for trapshooting, and they frequently have an exposed hammer, meaning that the hammer needs to be cocked (pulled back into firing position) manually before the gun can be fired.

The first (and by far the oldest in design) repeater is the double barrel. This too is a break-open design. In a double barrel shotgun there are two barrels built together next to one another on the same shotgun frame, and each barrel is loaded with a shell. After the first is fired, the second can be fired by pulling the second trigger (in a double-trigger type of double barrel) or by pulling the trigger a second time (in a single trigger type double barrel). There are two types of double barrel shotguns, known as the side by side if the two barrels are next to each other horizontally, or over under if the two barrels are mounted one over the other vertically. The side by side is the older design. Older side by side double barrel shotguns had exposed hammers that had to be manually cocked before firing, but those are obsolete and today's guns use what is known as a "hammerless" design. The side by side and the over under each offers offers certain advantages over the other. The side by side does not have to open as far as the over under, which has to open by a much larger arc since both barrels need to be clear of the breech so both can be loaded. This means that the breech part of the shotgun can be made considerably shallower, and thus somewhat lighter in weight. But the side by side has a much wider sighting pattern—hence more confusing to most shooters—because both barrels are up at the eye at once, whereas the over under offers a single barrel sighting plane. Side by side shotguns typically are available with either double or single triggers, while over under shotguns almost always have single triggers. Double barrel shotguns, especially the better ones, are by far the most expensive shotguns available, sometimes costing many thousands of dollars even for a plain unadorned one, and going very much higher for the most expensive and well-adorned ones from the best makers. Both side by side and over under shotguns are used frequently for hunting. Skeet shooting and other shotgun sports, however, are far more often shot with over under shotguns than with side by side ones. In fact the over under is the most often used of all shotgun types in skeet shooting.

The next repeater is known as the pump action (also known as a slide action or, sometimes, a trombone action'') gun. In this shotgun a number of shells can be loaded at a time into a magazine built into the gun, and the gun action is operated by hand-pulling the forestock back and then forward. This action ejects the spent shell and puts a fresh shell from the magazine into the chamber so that the gun can be fired again by pulling the trigger. Slide action shotguns are used widely in hunting, and sometimes for shotgun sports.

The third type of repeater is known as the autoloader—sometimes mistakenly called an "automatic," but this is wrong because a true automatic is a machine gun in which the gun continues firing as long as the trigger is held and there is fresh ammunition being fed into the gun. In an autoloader, the gun mechanism uses either the gas from the firing (known as "gas operated") or the recoil from the firing ("recoil operated") to work the mechanism, ejecting the spent shell and loading a fresh one into the chamber, readying the gun for firing again when the trigger is pulled again. Gas operated autoloaders offer an advantage in reduction of recoil to the shooter because of the way the gun mechanism operates. Autoloaders are widely used for both hunting and shotgun sports.

A fourth type of repeater is the lever action shotgun. This shotgun looks and works like the lever operated rifles often seen in Western movies. Today this type is rare, and is never seen in organized matches in the shotgun sports.

The fifth type of repeater is the bolt action shotgun. This looks and operates like a bolt action rifle. This type of gun has a bolt handle. After the first shot, the bolt is manually opened, pulled back, and then shoved forward and closed again. When the bolt is opened and pulled back, this ejects the spent shell, and when it is pushed forward and closed, this takes a fresh shell from the magazine and loads it into the chamber, making the gun ready to fire again. This type of shotgun is rare today too, although less rare than the lever action shotgun. Most bolt action shotguns were relatively inexpensive and of merely utilitarian quality. This type never appears in organized matches of any of the shotgun sports.

Shotgun Gauges

Shotgun sizes are usually expressed in terms of guage. Guage was originally determined by the number of perfectly round lead balls of equal size required to make a pound. Thus, if 12 round lead balls made a pound, the diameter of those balls equaled the diameter of a 12 gauge shotgun, and if took 20 balls to make a pound, the diameter of one of those was the diameter of a 20 gauge shotgun.

The one exception to "gauge" as the term of shotgun bore size is the .410 shotgun; this designation .410 of an inch is the actual bore size of this shotgun.

Today shotgun bore sizes are standardized:

  • 10 gauge = 0.775 inch
  • 12 gauge = 0.729 inch
  • 16 gauge = 0.662 inch
  • 20 gauge = 0.615 inch
  • 28 gauge = 0.550 inch
  • .410 bore = 0.410 inch

By far the most common and widely used gauge is the 12 gauge, followed by the 20 gauge. 10 gauge is sometimes used for large or heavy waterfowl hunting. In the past the 16 gauge was very common and preferred by many shotgun shooters, but it is less commonly used today and few guns are still made for it. Ammunition in 16 gauge is also harder to find than 12 or 20 gauge.

In the past there were additional gauges: 4, 8, 14, 24, and 32 gauges, and perhaps some others. Those are now obsolete and unknown, and ammunition for them is unavailable, or, in some rare circumstances, only a very few shells are available at quite high prices for each as collectors items.

Today American skeet uses 12, 20, and 28 gauges, and the .410. All those are also used for hunting sometimes, with the 28 gauge the least used. The .410 is often thought as a good beginning gun for young shooters because of its mild recoil, but it is really something of an expert's gun because the shot charge from it is small and this allows for thin patterns leading to more misses than with larger gauges.

The 28 gauge was originally made for skeet shooting, and is still used for that purpose. It is rare in general use, but is seen commonly on skeet ranges.

Shotgun Ammunition

Ammunition for shotguns is usually called shotgun shells, or shotshells, or simply shells. The term cartridge is used for rifle ammunition, but not for shotgun shells. The term "shell" is also used for artillery ammunition, but those are large guns that are not handheld, so there is usually no confusion from using the same term for the ammunition for each.

Most shotguns loads contain a number of ball shot, usually known as pellets. In the past the ball shot or pellets was almost always made of lead. But non-toxic loads are required by Federal law in the United States for waterfowl hunting, as the lead shot may be ingested by the waterfowl, which some authorities believe can lead to health problems due to the lead exposure. Because of that, lead pellets in shotgun loads have been partially replaced by bismuth, steel, tungsten-iron, tungsten-nickel-iron and even tungsten polymer loads—those replacements for lead are required for waterfowl shooting, and usually permissible elsewhere. Lead is still most commonly used for non-waterfowl hunting and for shotgun sports.

Shot is often termed either bird shot 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). Trap, skeet, and sporting clays shooting use shot of #7½ or smaller. Large bird and waterfowl hunters usually use shot of #6 or larger.

Buckshot is usually used for larger game hunting, such as deer. Buckshot is legal or even legally required for this use in some jurisdictions, and banned in others. In addition there are shotgun loads that contain a single shaped lead projectile, called a shotgun slug or just a slug. As with buckshot, slugs are usually used for hunting deer or similar-sized animals, and are legally required in some jurisdictions for such hunting (i.e. rifles are prohibited for such hunting in those jurisdictions). Buck shot and slugs also have law enforcement and military uses.

A different informal distinction for shot sizes 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 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.

Shotgun shells are loaded to different lengths. The most common length for all gauges excet 10 and .410 bore, is 2 ¾ inches, but some, especially for 20, 12 , and 10 gauges are longer, and .410 loads are either 3 inches or 2 ½ inches long. The length of load that can be used depends on the chamber of the shotgun in which the load is to be fired—the chamber must be at least as long as the longest load to be used. Besides length, different shotgun loads contain different amounts of shot, and are loaded to achieve slightly different muzzle velocities. The important points to consider when choosing shotshell loads are: (1) gauge (it is impossible—even highly dangerous—to attempt to use a shell of the inappropriate gauge in any shotgun), (2) shot type (i.e. lead or non-lead, and if non-lead then what kind of non-lead), (3) shot size, (4) shot amount (usually expressed in ounces), (5) velocity or power of the load, and (4) length of the load. Those considerations will be decided on the basis of the intended use of the shotshells. Some shotshells are designated as "low brass" or "high brass," but those are primarily marketing designations and have little to do with the actual contents or performance of the shell. Some shotshells are designed to be used in target and shotgun sports shooting, and are so designated, although some loads are designed to be multi-purpose.

The amount of powder (i.e. the designation for the resulting velocity of the load) in shotshells is often expressed as "drams equivalent"; this is a somewhat unfortunate term left over from blackpowder days, when blackpowder was measured in drams. Today's smokeless powders produce very much more power from a smaller amount of powder than was true with black powder, so if an amount of smokeless powder equal to the amount of black powder were actually used, the result would likely be an exploded gun. A better designation than "drams equivalent" is to express the power of the load in terms of muzzle velocity that the load achieves (based on testing of the loads by the shotshell manufacturer), and that is increasingly being done by shotshell manufacturers.

The actual shotshell consists of five parts: (1) the outer shell or casing with its (usually) brass or steel base; the outer shell today is usually made of plastic, although thick cardboard-like paper was used in the past and some paper shotshells are still made; (2) the primer, which is a small percussion cap set in a hole in the center of the base of the shell; this primer is struck by the firing pin of the shotgun when fired and provides the ignition for the gunpowder; (3) the gunpowder itself; this is placed inside the shell case at the bottom, just above the primer; (4) a wad or wads that separates the powder from the shot; today these are usually made of plastic and are one-piece, meaning that there is a base to the wad that fits over the gunpowder, a length of body between the bottom and the top, and a shot cup that holds the shot itself; in the past wads were often of paper or cardboard or kapok or similar material and there were numerous such pieces, often of different materials and somewhat different shape, within a single shotshell; (5) the shot itself, or the payload, resting atop the wad and just under the mouth of the shell. Today's plastic shotshells have a crimped mouth, but paper shotshells had a top wad over the shot with a rolled crimp on the mouth of the shell body holding the top wad in place. Slugs have the front of the slug visible, and are held in place in the loaded shell with a rolled crimp even if the body of the shell is made of plastic.

Table of Birdshot Size
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
Table of Buckshot Size
Size Diameter Pellets/oz
000 or LG ("triple-aught") .36" (9.1 mm) 6
00 ("double-aught") .33" (8.4 mm) 8
0 or SG("one-aught") .32" (8.1 mm) 9
SSG .31" (8.0 mm) 12
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 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 (76cm) 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 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. 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, typicallyuses the least amount of choke. A trap shooter, shooting at distant targets, uses a tighter or fuller choke. 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

Table of shotgun chokes
for a 12 gauge shotgun using lead shot
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          

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.

Shotguns made for close ranges, where the angular speed of the targets is great (such as skeet or upland bird hunting) tend to have shorter barrels, around 26 to 28 inches (660 to 710 mm). Shotguns for longer range shooting, where angular speeds are less (trap shooting; 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 tend to use longer barrels. The break open design saves between 3.5 and 6 inches (90 and 150 mm) in overall length. Barrels for shotguns have been tending to gett 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 shorter barrels. Small game shotguns, for hunting game like rabbits and squirrels, or shotguns for use with buckshot or slugs 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 quail, 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.

Shotgun slug hunting

Shotgun slugs often have with finned rifling designed to spin the bullet and stabilize it in order to improve its accuracy. Some shotguns—these are usually used for deer hunting in jurisdictions that forbid hunting with rifles and require the use of shotguns with slugs for this hunting—have rifled barrels and are designed to be used with a "saboted" bullet, one which is typically encased in a two-piece plastic ring (sabot) designed to peel away after it exits 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 and may in fact still fire regular multipellet shotgun shells, but the rifling in the barrel will affect the shot pattern. Hunting laws may differentiate between smooth barrelled and rifled barrelled guns.


Shotgun shooting

In either hunting or shotgun sports, shotguns are usually used to shoot moving targets. This means that the shooter needs to learn to swing or move the shotgun withe the motion of the moving target during the shooting, lead the target, meaning shoot ahead of the target so that the shot and the target meet together at the same time, and follow through the shot, meaning to keep the gun moving properly during the shooting sequence and not stop the swing at the time of shooting. Shotgun shooting, then, is not shooting by aiming as is done with a rifle, but more like hitting a moving target with a moving instrument, as in hitting a baseball with a bat. Good shotgun shooting typically takes a large amount of practice and a great deal of shooting, in order that the shooter learns how much to lead the target, how to swing or move the shotgun properly, and how to follow through on the shot. Different orientations of target and target motion in relationship to the shooter—whether animal in a hunting situation or clay bird in a shooting sport—each require different hold, swings, leads, and follow through.

Today the very best shooters in American skeet are able to shoot 100 or even 400 straight, meaning hit 100 targets without missing one, or shoot 100 targets with each of four shotgun sizes—12, 20, and 28 gauges and .410 bore—without missing one.

Shotguns used for defensive purposes

Aside from 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. A typical self-defense load of buckshot contains 8-27 large lead pellets, resulting in many wound tracks in the target. 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 along with the aforementionned ease of aim.

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. At extremely close ranges, the pellets and wad will strike the target as a single mass.


Other specialized types of shotguns

Riot shotgun or Riot gun has long been a synonym for a shotgun, especially a short-barrelled shotgun. During the 19th and early 20th century, these 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. 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. Because of the traditionally nefarious uses for such weapons, many countries establish a legal minimum barrel length.

Coach Guns, almost always of side by side double barrel design, are similar to sawn-off shotguns, except they are manufactured with an 18" barrel and are legal for civilian ownership in some jurisdictions. Coach guns are also more commonly associated with the American Old West or Australian Colonial period, when they were used by an person sitting next to the driver on a statgecoach who had the job of warding off bandits who attempted to rob the coach. The term "riding shotgun" comes from that. Today coach guns are sometimes used for hunting in bush, scrub, or marshland where a longer barrel would be unwieldy or impractical.

A backpacker shotgun has a short barrel (often less than 15" barrel length) and either a full-size stock or pistol grip, depending on legislation in intended markets. The overall length of these weapons is frequently less than 36 inches, with some measuring up at less than 25 inches. These weapons are typically break-action .410, single-barrel designs with no magazine and no automatic ejection capability. Backpacker shotguns are popular for home defense purposes and as survival weapons. Other examples include a variety of .410 / rifle "survival" guns manufactured in over/under designs. Some such guns are over under shotgun/rifle combinations, sometimes known (in Europe but not the United States) as drillings. Generally, there is one manually-cocked external hammer and an external selection lever to select which caliber of cartridge to fire. A notable example is the Springfield Arms M6 Scout, a .410 / .22 backpacker drilling issued to United States Air Force personnel as a "survival" gun in the event of a forced landing or accident in a wilderness area. Shotgun/rifle combination guns with three or even four barrels are available from a number of makers, primarily European—they are almost unknown in the United States. These provided flexibility, enabling the hunter to effectively shoot at flushing birds or more distant small mammals while carrying only one gun.

History

Confederate cavalryman with muzzleloading shotgun

Since early firearms, such as the blunderbuss, arquebus and musket tended to have large diameter, smoothbore barrels, they would function with shot as well as solid balls. A firearm intended for use in wing shooting of birds was known as a fowling piece. The 1728 Cyclopaedia defines a fowling piece as:

Fowling Piece, a portable Fire Arm for the shooting of Birds. See Fire Arm.
Of Fowling Pieces, those are reputed the best, which have the longest Barrel, vis. from 5 1/2 foot to 6; with an indifferent Bore, under Harquebus: Tho' for different Occasions they shou'd be of different Sorts, and Sizes. But in all, 'tis essential the Barrel be well polish'd and smooth within; and the Bore all of a Bigness, from one End to another...[3]

For example, the contemporary Brown Bess musket, in service with the British military from 1722 to 1838, .75 inch smoothbore barrel, roughly the same as a 12 gauge shotgun, and was 62 inches long, just short of the above recommended 5 1/2 feet. On the other hand, records from the Plymouth colony show a maximum length of 4 1/2 feet for fowling pieces[4], shorter than the typical musket.

Shot was also used in warfare; the buck and ball loading, mixing a musket ball with three or six buckshot, was used throughout the history of the smoothbore musket. 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.

With the adoption of the smaller bores and rifled barrels, the shotgun began to emerge as a separate entity. Shotguns have long been the preferred method for sport hunting of birds, and the largest shotguns, the punt guns, were used for commercial hunting. The double-barreled shotgun, for example, has changed little since the development of the boxlock action in 1875. Modern innovations such as interchangeable chokes and subgauge inserts make the the double barreled shotgun the shotgun of choice in skeet, trap shooting, and sporting clays, as well as with many hunters. A double from a well respected maker, such as Kreighoff or Perazzi, can cost US$5,000 to start, and reach prices of US$100,000 for presentation grade examples[5]. Far less expensive is the pump action shotgun, such as the Mossberg 500, Remington 870 or Winchester 1300, many models of which retail for under US$350[6].

During its long history, it has been favored by bird hunters, guards and law enforcement officials. 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 Cody Lyons 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 revolver.

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 open' 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. The Browning Auto-5 remained in production until 1998.

World Wars

File:M1897shotgun.jpg
Winchester Model 1897 pump shotgun, modified for use in World War 1

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 Judge Advocate General reviewed the protest, and it was rejected because the Germans protested use of lead shot (which would have been illegal) but military shot was plated. This is the only occasion the legality of the shotgun's use in warfare has been questioned.

Two "doughboys" used shotguns in Medal of Honor actions in 1918: Sgt. Lloyd Seibert and First Sgt. Johannes Anderson, who used a sawed-off weapon.

File:Ww2marineshotgun.jpg
United States Marine carrying a Winchester M97 shotgun during World War II

During World War II, 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. Pump and semi-automatic shotguns were used in marksmanship training, particularly for bomber gunners. The most common pump shotguns used for these duties were the 12 gauge Winchester Model 97 and Model 12.

Late 20th century to present

Since the end of World War II, 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 firearm 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 firearm in the hunting community. The prevalence of the shotgun's use in hunting can be easily shown by the number of hunting incidents reported to wildlife and game officials. Of the thirty-four hunting accidents reported in Wisconsin in 2005, sixteen involved shotguns, making them the most common hunting firearm. The second most common was rifles of various calibers. (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 2005 [1])

Shotguns are not the preferred weapons for criminal activity, since criminals prefer weapons, usually handguns, which are more 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.


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 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.


Legal issues

In the United Kingdom, a shotgun that has a magazine capacity of two rounds or less requires a Shotgun Certificate (SGC) to own. These cost £50 and can only be denied if the chief of police in the area believes and can prove that the applicant poses a real danger to the public, or if the applicant has been convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term of three years or more (unless they have been acquitted) or if the applicant cannot securely store a shotgun (gun clamps, wire locks and locking gun cabinets are considered secure). The round number restrictions apply only to the magazine, not the chamber, so it is legal to have a single-barreled semi-auto or pump-action shotgun that holds three rounds in total, or a shotgun with 5 separate chambers that holds 5 rounds. However, revolver guns do not fall into this category so multi-chamber shotguns would need to also be multi-barrel. For a shotgun to be held on an SGC, it must have a barrel length of at least 24 inches. An SGC holder can own any number of shotguns meeting these requirements so long as he can store them securely. No certificate is required to own shotgun ammunition, but one is required to buy it. There is no restriction on the amount of shotgun ammunition that can be bought or owned.

However, shotgun ammunition which contains fewer than 6 projectiles requires the appropriate Firearms Certificate (FAC). Shotguns with a magazine capacity greater than 2 also require the appropriate Firearms Certificate to own. An FAC costs £50 but is much more restrictive than an SGC. A new 'variation' is required for each new caliber of gun to be owned, limits are set on how much ammunition a person can own at any one time, and an FAC can be denied if the applicant does not have sufficient 'good reason'. 'Good reason' generally means hunting, collecting or target shooting - though other reasons may be acceptable.

In the United States, federal law prohibits shotguns from being capable of holding more than three shells including the round in the chamber when used for hunting migratory waterfowl such as ducks and geese. For other uses, a capacity of any number of shells is generally permitted. Most magazine-fed shotguns come with a removable magazine plug to limit capacity to 2, plus one in the chamber, for hunting migratory waterfowl. Certain states have restrictions on magazine capacity or design features under hunting or assault weapon laws.

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). 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.

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.

According to US law, a shotgun can be any weapon which fires a shotgun shell. This is because the first shotgun was little more than a pipe and a smaller tube filled with lead balls with gunpower mixed in.

Within Australia, all shotguns manufactured after January 1, 1901 are considered firearms and are subject to registration and licensing. For more information see Gun politics in Australia.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  1. Fowling piece. Retrieved 2007-05-12.
  2. scattergun. Retrieved 2007-05-12.
  3. scanned 1728 Cyclopedia page containing the entry on fowling piece
  4. Firearms in Plymouth Colony
  5. Blue Book of Gun Values, 13th Ed., S. P. Fjestad
  6. Mossberg retail prices,

External links

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