Shotguns

A shotgun is a firearm generally used to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot.

These small pellets cover an extensively wider range than the common rifle. The shot is generally fired from a smoothbore barrel; however another configuration is the somewhat common rifled slug barrel. The hostage slug barrel is generally used to fire a single projectile (slugs can also be fired from smoothbore weapons). In the shotgun, the power of the burning charge is somewhat equally divided among the pellets, the overall energy of any one ball of shot is relatively low. This fact makes shotguns very useful for hunting small game and birds. The large number of projectiles, however makes the shotgun very useful as an effective defensive or close combat weapon. In this situation, the short range ensures that most of the projectiles of shot will hit the target the user is aiming at. Shot shells are the given name of ammunition for shotguns as well as shells or shotshells. Shotgun slugs or just slugs are single projectile loads.

Common Uses of the Shotgun

The most common use of the shotgun is to fire at fast moving, small targets, however the shotguns has numerous advantages when used against immobile targets. The first advantage is that the shotgun has incredible stopping power at short range, this topping power is more than virtually all handguns and very comparable to most if not all rifle cartridges. Additionally, the widespread of shot produced by the shotgun makes it much easier to aim and to be operated effectively by an inexperienced marksman. 8-27 large lead pellets are usually within a typical self defense load of buckshot and fired this will result in numerous wound tracks in the target. Additionally, unlike a rifle bullet, each pellet of the shot is far less likely and effective in penetrating walls or hitting bystanders.

Shotgun for Home Defense

The shotgun is often the choice for law enforcement for its high stopping power and low penetration rate. Many Americans use the shotgun as a home defense weapon for the various reasons mentioned and the ease of aim also mentioned above.

In a typical home defense situation, the use of the shotgun is rarely over ten or fifteen feet. At these close distances, the shot fired out of the shotgun rarely expands to more than a few inches. Even closer, or extremely close ranges, the wad and pellets will generally strike the target as a single mass.

Shotguns

Mossy Tac.Mossberg 500 Tactical

The Mossberg 500 is a shotgun manufactured by O.F. Mossberg & Sons. Rather than a single model, the 500 is really a series of widely varying hammerless, pump action repeaters, all of which share the same basic receiver and action, but differ in bore size, barrel length, choke options, magazine capacity, and "furniture" (stock and forearm) materials.

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S&W M1020 APGSmith & Wesson Model 1020 APG

MSRP:  645 At the core of the new 1000 Series is a gas cylinder mechanism that has been uniquely engineered to deliver top ...

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Smith & Wesson Model 1020 SatinSmith & Wesson Model 1020

The Smith & Wesson 1000 Series™ of semi-automatic shotguns has been designed with features that place the 1000 Series among the lightest weight and most reliable self-loading shotguns on the market.

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Elite Gold Grade I - Prince of WhalesElite Gold Grade I - Prince of Wales

MSRP:  2380 Length (mm):  45.5 The Elite Gold™ are ...

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left veiwElite Gold Grade I - English Stock

MSRP:  2380 The Elite Gold™ are side-by-side, 20 gauge shotguns that feature a patent-pending Smith & Wesson designed ...

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Elite Silver Grade I - Prince of WalesElite Silver Grade I - Prince of Wales

The Elite Silver™ are over-and-under, 12-gauge shotguns that share the same custom design features as the Gold Series, with the addition of machined, monobloc barrels.

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Elite Gold Grade I - English Stock - Double TriggerElite Gold Grade I - English Stock - Double Trigger

The Elite Gold Grade I - English Stock - Double Trigger

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Remington 870 WingmasterRemington 870 Wingmaster TC Trap

Remington 870 Wingmaster TC Trap: Beauty and Dependability all in one package.

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Franchi RenaissanceFranchi Renaissance Sporting

Its balance and swing blend in a way that makes the Renaissance Sporting an appealing over & under for clay target shooters at every level. The Renaissance Sporting combines the tradition and technology of Franchi shotguns. It represents the beginning of a new line of reliable, innovative, Italian-made over & under shotguns.

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Franchi I-12 LimitedFranchi I-12 Limited

The Franchi I-12 Limited auto-loader shotgun represents the pinnacle of the gunmaker’s art. Reliable and distinctive, the Franchi I-12 Limited incorporates all of the good looks, lightweight characteristics, and fast-handling features that Franchi shotguns are known for, along with the absolute reliability of the Inertia® Driven operating system.

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Franchi I-12 Upland HunterFranchi I-12 Upland Hunter

An affordable, new, lightweight auto-loader shotgun called the I-12 Upland Hunter joins the Franchi shotgun family. Combining tradition with technology, and maintaining the best features of Franchi’s previous auto-loading shotguns, the I-12 Upland Hunter marks the beginning of an innovative line of light, fast, reliable auto-loaders designed specifically for upland bird hunters.

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Saiga 12Saiga 12

The Saiga-12 is a Kalashnikov-pattern 12 gauge combat shotgun available in a wide range of configurations. Like the Kalashnikov rifle variants, it is a rotating bolt, gas-operated gun that feeds from a box magazine.

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Winchester 1300 PictureWinchester 1300

This gun is among the quickest operating shotguns with slide action in the world. This gun can fire three shots in only .56 seconds and is rightly valued for its high speed and dexterity.

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Benelli Nova PicturesBenelli Nova

The Benelli Nov is a popular, standard pump action shotgun, frequently used by defense enthusiasts and hunters.

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Barrett M98 PicsBarrett M98

The Barrett M98 is a semi-automatic, an extended-range, sniper rifle, first introduced at the 1998 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Browning Auto-5 PicsBrowning Auto-5

The Browning Auto-5 was produced by legendary shotgun designer John Browning and was a recoil-operated autoloading shotgun. The shotgun was the first fully successful autoloading shotgun ever produced.

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HK CAWS PicsHK CAWS - Close Assault Weapons System

The HK CAWS was Heckler & Koch's initial entry into the United States military's elite Close Assault Weapon System program.

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Beretta 1201F shotgun (hunting version)Beretta 1201 FP

The Beretta 1201 FP is a semi-automatic shotgun, produced and developed in around the late 1980s or early 1990s by Beretta, the Italian arms manufacturing and production company more formerly known as Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta.

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Browning Citori 525Browning Citori 525

The Browning Citori is a an "over and under" type double-barreled shotgun, with one barrel above the other.

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XM26 Under M4 Carbine PictureXM26 Lightweight Shotgun System

The XM26 Lightweight Shotgun System (LSS) is a developmental under-barrel attachment type shotgun for the M16/M4 family of United States service firearms.

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Mossberg Maverick 88 Field All Purpose PictureMossberg Maverick 88 Field

The Maverick 88 is a simplified Mossberg 500 (synthetic forearm and stock, cylinder bore, cross-bolt safety). Accessories are generally compatible with Mossberg 500.

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Barretta Xtrema 2Beretta Xtrema 2

The Beretta AL391-Xtrema2 is a semi-automatic shotgun produced and developed by Beretta, an Italian firearms manufacturer.

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Mossberg 590Mossberg 590

The Mossberg Model 590 shotgun is a militarized variant of the popular game shotgun commonly known as the Mossberg Model 500.

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Franchi SPAS-15Franchi SPAS-15

The SPAS-15 is a 12 gauge, dual-mode shotgun designed and manufactured by the Franchi S.p.A. company of Italy.

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Remington 1100Remington 1100

The Remington 1100 is a semi automatic, gas-operated shotgun, popular among clay target shooters and waterfowlers.

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Remington 870Remington 870

The Remington Model 870 is a popular pump action shotgun made in the United States. The Remington 870 is widely used by civilians for hunting, target shooting, and self defense and by law enforcement as a defensive weapon.

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A shotgun is a firearm generally used to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot.

These small pellets cover an extensively wider range than the common rifle. The shot is generally fired from a smoothbore barrel; however another configuration is the somewhat common rifled slug barrel. The hostage slug barrel is generally used to fire a single projectile (slugs can also be fired from smoothbore weapons). In the shotgun, the power of the burning charge is somewhat equally divided among the pellets, the overall energy of any one ball of shot is relatively low. This fact makes shotguns very useful for hunting small game and birds. The large number of projectiles, however makes the shotgun very useful as an effective defensive or close combat weapon. In this situation, the short range ensures that most of the projectiles of shot will hit the target the user is aiming at. Shot shells are the given name of ammunition for shotguns as well as shells or shotshells. Shotgun slugs or just slugs are single projectile loads.

Common Uses of the Shotgun

The most common use of the shotgun is to fire at fast moving, small targets, however the shotguns has numerous advantages when used against immobile targets. The first advantage is that the shotgun has incredible stopping power at short range, this topping power is more than virtually all handguns and very comparable to most if not all rifle cartridges. Additionally, the widespread of shot produced by the shotgun makes it much easier to aim and to be operated effectively by an inexperienced marksman. 8-27 large lead pellets are usually within a typical self defense load of buckshot and fired this will result in numerous wound tracks in the target. Additionally, unlike a rifle bullet, each pellet of the shot is far less likely and effective in penetrating walls or hitting bystanders.

Shotgun for Home Defense

The shotgun is often the choice for law enforcement for its high stopping power and low penetration rate. Many Americans use the shotgun as a home defense weapon for the various reasons mentioned and the ease of aim also mentioned above.

In a typical home defense situation, the use of the shotgun is rarely over ten or fifteen feet. At these close distances, the shot fired out of the shotgun rarely expands to more than a few inches. Even closer, or extremely close ranges, the wad and pellets will generally strike the target as a single mass.