Shotgun Remington 1100

A shotgun (also known as a scattergun and peppergun,or historically as a fowling piece is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug. Shotguns come in a wide variety of sizes, ranging from 5.5 mm (.22 inch) bore up to 5 cm (2 inch) bore, and in a range of firearm operating mechanisms, including breech loading, single-barreled, double or Combination gun, pump-action, bolt-, and lever-action, semi-automatic, and even fully-automatic variants.

A shotgun is generally a smoothbore firearm, which means that the inside of the barrel is not rifled. Preceding smoothbore firearms, such as the musket, were widely used by armies in the 18th century. The direct ancestor to the shotgun, the blunderbuss, was also used in a similar variety of roles from self defence to riot control. It was often used by cavalry troops due to its generally shorter length and ease of use, as well as by coachmen for its substantial power. However, in the 19th century, these weapons were largely replaced on the battlefield with breechloading rifled firearms, which were more accurate over longer ranges. The military value of shotguns was rediscovered in the First World War, when American forces used 12-gauge pump action shotguns in close-quarters trench fighting to great effect. Since then, it has been used in a variety of roles in civilian, law enforcement, and military applications.

The shot pellets from a shotgun spread upon leaving the barrel, and the power of the burning charge is divided among the pellets, which means that the energy of any one ball of shot is fairly low. In a hunting context, this makes shotguns useful primarily for hunting birds and other small game. However, in a military or law enforcement context, the large number of projectiles makes the shotgun useful as a close quarters combat weapon or a defensive weapon. Shotguns are also used for target shooting sports such as skeet, trap, and sporting clays. These involve shooting clay disks, known as clay pigeons, thrown in various ways.

Old Gun

Franchi SPAS12

The Franchi SPAS 12 is a shotgun designed and manufactured by Franchi S.p.A, an Italian firearms manufacturer. The shotgun was manufactured from 1979 till 2000 and is used by a number of countries such as Ireland, France, Taiwan and Thailand.

The SPAS 12 is designed as a combat shotgun for use by military and law enforcement agencies. It operates in both semi-automatic and pump-action modes. In the semi-automatic mode, the shotgun can fire 4 rounds per minute with each round requiring the trigger to be pulled once. The shotgun is fired in pump-action mode when low-pressure ammunition like tear gas canisters or bean bags is to be fired.

The shotgun feeds from a seven-round internal magazine. In addition to the magazine, the shotgun also has a cut-off feature which allows a round to be introduced directly into the chamber while loading.

The SPAS 12 has a spread of 900 mm at 40 meters. Because of the wide spreading of buckshot, the shotgun can be aimed roughly at the target to hit it. The shotgun’s spread can also be varied by using an attachment known as the “spreader”. In addition, the shotgun can also be mounted with a grenade launcher for additional firepower in the field.

The SPAS 12’s stock had a shoulder hook which enables the user to fire the weapon with a single hand. However, in practice this is not so easy and requires great strength on the part of the user. The shotgun is considerably heavy and at the same time the 12 gauge round has high recoil.

Ithaca Model 37

The Ithaca Model 37 is a pump-action shotgun designed for use by civilians, law enforcement agencies and the military. Large numbers of these shotguns have been manufactured since production started in 1937. The Model 37 was designed by John Browning and John Pedersen in 1933.

After the First World War, Ithaca began to search for a shotgun to compete with the Winchester Model 12. Ithaca selected the Remington Model 17—the patents of which were to expire in 1933 and thus named the shotgun as Ithaca Model 33. However, later on it was discovered that the patents held by Pedersen didn’t expire until 1937 and thus the shotgun was re-designated as Ithaca Model 37.

There are two variants of the Model 37. These are the ‘M’ (Military) and ‘P’ (Police). Both these versions were excellent at close-range combat. Subsequently, these models were used to design the Ithaca LAPD shotgun which was designed specifically for use by law enforcement agencies.

One of the largest users of the Model 37 is the Los Angeles Police Department. The Model 37 is also used by civilians for sport and self-protection. However, the use of the Model 37 is on decline because of low availability and increasing costs. Chinese copies of the Model 37 are also becoming popular in the United States which is leading to a further decline in sales of the original gun.

Beretta RS 202-M2

The Beretta RS 202-M2 is a pump-action shotgun manufactured and distributed by the Italian firearm manufacturing company—Fabbrica d'Armi Pietro Beretta. The shotgun feeds from a six-round tube magazine and features a conventional design.

The RS 202-M2 is one of most dependable pump-action shotguns. It takes advantage of Beretta’s experience and expertise acquired in manufacturing more than a million automatic shotguns.

The Beretta RS 202P features a foldable metal stock and a perforated shroud around the barrel. However, internally its design is very conventional and doesn’t differ much from other shotguns in its class. The RS 202 can also use 8-round magazines designed by Valtro—another Italian firearms manufacturer.

The shotgun can also be mounted with aiming optics. The top of the receiver has rails for mounting aiming scopes. In addition, the shotgun’s pistol grip makes wielding the weapon very comfortable during firing.

The main advantage with the Beretta RS 202 is that it can fire a range of ammunition types. In addition, it also has a variable choke and a shot expander that allows the firer to alter the spread of buckshot fired by the shotgun.

Mossberg ATPS 500

The Mossberg ATPS 500 is a pump-action shotgun designed and manufactured by O.F. Mossberg & Sons since 1960. Other shotguns in the same series as the Mossberg 500 include the 590, the 505 and the 535.

The Mossberg 500 has a conventional design without any advanced design features. It is available in civilian, military and security variants. All of these versions have the same basic design, except for a few changes.

The shotgun is designed to fire the 12 gauge round. However, versions for the 20 gauge round and the .410 bore ammunition have also been designed. The shotgun feeds from a six-round tubular magazine and has very good firepow

The Mossberg 500 was designed primarily as a military weapon. This becomes evident from the inbuilt bayonet mounting and rails for mounting optical scopes. The shotgun can also fire solid ammunition. However, since the barrel has no rifling, it may not be accurate for long distances.

The Mossberg 500 has a long history of service with the United States armed forces. It continues to be in service with various branches of the US military. In 1999, the US Army officially adopted the M1014 Combat Shotgun. However, it continues to use the Mossberg 500 and new orders continue to be placed.

Variants of the Mossberg ATPS 500:

>> Field Models: These are designed for sporting and hunting. These come in a variety of barrel lengths and furniture. Some versions also have rifled barrels.

>> Special purpose Models: These are for self-defence, police use and for use by the military. These have shorter barrels and some versions come with pistol grips for better handling.

>> Law enforcement Models: These have heavier barrels, metal safeties and trigger guards. These are designed to pass stringent requirements of the US Army and are more robust.

Remington M870

The Remington M870 is a pump-action shotgun designed by L. Ray Crittendon, Phillip Haskell, Ellis Hailston, and G.E. Pinckney and manufactured by the Remington Arms Company Inc. It is widely used by civilians for target practice and hunting. In addition, it is also used by law enforcement agencies for riot control and by the military.

The M870 is a 12 gauge shotgun and feeds from a seven-round tubular magazine located under the barrel. Subsequently, other versions for 16, 20 and 28 gauge were also developed. Versions with variable barrel lengths were also designed. The P variant of the M870 has a foldable metal stock.

The M870 is primarily designed for close-quarter combat. Its pistol grip makes it very easy to aim and fire in close-combat situations. In addition, it also has a very high stopping power to intimidate even the toughest of the attacker.

The M870 is comparatively a costly weapon. However, it is one of most popular shotguns to be ever manufactured. Till date, more than four million units of the M870 have been sold. It holds the record of the best selling shotgun is history.

Several other shotguns have been designed on the basis of the M870. These can be broadly classified as under:

Introduction to Shotguns

A shotgun is a shoulder-fired firearm that fires a number of small spherical pellets (known as shot) or a solid bullet (known as slug). Shotguns come in a range of calibres and operating mechanisms. These are very popular with law and enforcement agencies and civilians for hunting and sporting purposes.

The barrel of the shotgun is not rifled i.e. it is a smooth bore. Due to this shotguns are not accurate and have lower ranges. After the advent of rifles, shotguns lost their popularity. However, shotguns proved to be very useful in trench warfare during the First World War and thus their popularity and use saw a revival. Since then, shotguns are being used in a variety of roles by civilians, law enforcement agents and military personnel.

When the shotgun is fired, the energy of the exploding propellant gets distributed across the pellets and so the stopping power of each pellet is very low. This makes the shotgun very useful in hunting smaller game such as fowl. However, when fired a close ranges, the shotgun offers a large stopping power albeit low penetration. Since the pellets spread out over an area, the shotgun has to be pointed only approximately at the target to make a hit.



Many different types of shotguns have been designed. They range from small sized shotguns to massive punt guns. In addition, shotguns operating almost on every firing mechanism are available. Shotgun designs are unique on the basis of the firing shot. The shotgun shell is usually short, wide, with straight walls and operates on low pressure when compared to assault rifle rounds.

Shotgun ammunition is commonly known as shells, shot shells or shotgun shells in the United States. In the United Kingdom, there are called "cartridges". Shotguns are also known as pepper guns and scatter guns.

Shotguns are typically used against small and moving targets. Since the pellets of the gun spread over an area, the gun has to be aimed only approximately at the target. However, shotguns are not accurate over longer distances. In addition, they also lose penetration power with distance. Shotgun ammunition which have lesser number of pellets or a single slug have higher penetrating power but at the expense of lower probability of hitting the target.

Shotguns offer a number of advantages over other handguns and rifles. First and foremost, the shotgun offers tremendous stopping power at shorter ranges. Secondly, it is easier to aim which makes it very easy to be used by an inexperienced firer. Thirdly, it causes multiple wounds to the target which will disable him/her instantly. Additionally, shotgun pellets cannot penetrate walls reducing the chances of hitting bystanders. Due to these reasons, law enforcement agencies across the globe prefer to use shotguns.