Shotgun

Lore & Background

Most early firearms, such as the blunderbuss, arquebus, and musket had large diameter, smoothbore barrels, and could fire shot as well as solid balls. A firearm intended for use in wing shooting of birds was known as a fowling piece. Fowling pieces first appeared in 16th century Europe, and in the early 17th century their barrels were extended as long as 6 ft to increase accuracy. The first recorded use of the term shotgun was in 1776 in Kentucky used in correspondence coming to and from Fort Boonesborough. During the 19th century, shotguns were mainly employed by cavalry units. Both sides of the American Civil War employed shotguns. U.S. cavalry used the shotgun extensively during the Indian Wars in the latter half of the 19th century. The military value of shotguns was rediscovered in the First World War, when American forces used the pump-action Winchester Model 1897 shotgun in trench fighting to great effect.

In Their Own Story

The corridor stank of burnt Ectoslime and wet concrete. Jak crouched behind a shattered pillar, his fingers finding the cold metal of the Shotgun he'd pulled from a dead soldier's rack two rooms back. Ahead, three Ectoblade-wielding guards rounded the corner in a tight wedge, their violet-glowing arms crackling with charge. He didn't have time for a careful Ectoshock. He didn't need to. He rose, ledged the barrel against his shoulder, and let the spread tear through the gap between them. The corridor filled with smoke and the sharp tang of ozone. He dropped the weapon, pulled his Ectoball, and kept moving.

Reader's Guide

Shotguns come in a wide variety of calibers and gauges ranging from 5.5 mm (.22 inch) to up to 5 cm, though the 12-gauge (18.53 mm or 0.729 in) and 20-gauge (15.63 mm or 0.615 in) bores are by far the most common. Almost all are breechloading, and can be single barreled, double barreled, or in the form of a combination gun. Like rifles, shotguns also come in a range of different action types, both single-shot and repeating. For non-repeating designs, over-and-under and side-by-side break action shotguns are by far the most common variants. Although revolving shotguns do exist, most modern repeating shotguns are either pump action or semi-automatic, and also fully automatic, lever-action, or bolt-action to a lesser extent. The smoothbore shotgun barrel generates less resistance and thus allows greater propellant loads for heavier projectiles without as much risk of overpressure or a squib load, and are also easier to clean. The shot pellets from a shotshell are propelled indirectly through a wadding inside the shell and scatter upon leaving the barrel, which is usually choked at the muzzle end to control the projectile scatter. In a hunting context, this makes shotguns useful primarily for hunting fast-flying birds and other agile small/medium-sized game without risking overpenetration and stray shots to distant bystanders and objects. In a military or law enforcement context, the high short-range blunt knockback force and large number of projectiles makes the shotgun useful as a door breaching tool, a crowd control or close-quarters defensive weapon. In more modern and recent conflicts (such as the Russia-Ukraine war), shotguns have been found as one of the most effective tools to repel and shoot down enemy drones. Shotguns are also used for target-shooting sports such as skeet, trap, and sporting clays, which involve flying clay disks, known as 'clay pigeons', thrown in various ways by a dedicated launching device called a 'trap'.

Did You Know?

• The term 'riding shotgun' originated from private guards armed with shotguns riding next to the driver of stagecoaches and trains to protect strongboxes.
• The first recorded use of the term 'shotgun' was in 1776 in Kentucky.
• The largest shotguns, known as punt guns, were used for commercial hunting.
• Some elaborately decorated presentation shotguns have sold for up to US$100,000.