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Remington 870
A shotgun is a smoothbore long gun designed to fire a number of spherical pellets instead of a single round. Most shotguns can also fire slugs - a single, large round.
The most common shotgun gauges are 10, 12, 16, 20, 28, and .410 bore (the gauge of a .410 shell would be roughly 67).
The smaller the gauge, the larger the diameter of the bore. 12 and 20 gauges are the most common - especially within the United States - and are both exceptionally powerful.
Shotguns rarely have a large magazine capacity, generally between 4-8 shells in the magazine tube so reloading is frequent and usually slow. Another issues is that shotguns typically have more recoil than similar-sized rifles. The operation of a shotgun is also generally less user friendly depending on the action type. Shooters operating any manual type of shotgun, such as a pump-action shotgun, must ensure they fully cycle the weapon to avoid malfunctions. Operator error is the most common cause of malfunction for any tool, pump shotguns especially.
One advantage of the shotgun is stopping power. A full power buckshot load for a 2 3/4" shell will have between 7-12 pellets of 00 buck which will stay in a a group about the size of a pie plate for about 10-30 yards depending on the type of shotgun, the choke or lack of one, and its overall barrel length. Each pellet of 00 buck is roughly the size of a .32 caliber bullet.
Shotgun rounds at close range are extremely high-energy - the energy of a 300 grain slug moving at 2000 feet per second will be about 3623 joules.
Shotgun Types[]
Break-action shotguns[]
A classic double-barrel break-action shotgun
Popularized by Western movies and video games, break-action shotguns have hinged barrels. They are reloaded by opening the hinge and exposing the breech, allowing for used shells to be manually removed or ejected out by a spring and unfired shells to be inserted. Break-action shotguns usually hold one or two rounds, corresponding with the number of barrels that are on the gun. These are arguably the simplest type of modern firearm design, and are likely to be fairly easy to find and are easily attained due to their popularity among hunters and sport shooters, however, double barrel shotguns tend to be more expensive then pump shotguns due to the level of craftsmanship.
A sawed-off break-action shotgun. This is illegal in many jurisdictions
Break-action shotguns are simple and sturdy, but their low capacity of one or two shells and the lengthy process of reloading (though reload time can be lowered with training and practice). Break-action shotguns are usually as long as most full-length rifles, making them excellent for medium range hunting, but this trait also makes them difficult to maneuver in tight spaces.
Break-action shotguns are sometimes modified by shortening the barrel and/or removing the stock, making the weapon significantly lighter and more compact, at the price of a shorter effective range. Such a shotgun is said to be "sawed-off" - if shortened below a certain point, the legal term is "short-barreled shotgun" or "SBS". In the US, this limit is 18" of barrel, and 26" in overall length. Due to the perceived popularity of such weapons with criminals in the past, this style of shotgun is either illegal or highly restricted in most jurisdictions - of course, the law is not going to stop you when the zombies attack.
Most break-action shotguns have their two barrels laid out side-by-side, but some have the two barrels one above the other. This is called an "over and under" shotgun, but occasionally referred to as an "over-under" or "O/U" shotgun. These are very popular with sports shot-gunners because they are very well-balanced, though professional shooters usually have the shotgun carefully fitted to them.
A break-action shotgun is a good choice as they are powerful, simple to operate and require little maintenance. However, the trade-off is the low shell capacity - only one or two shotgun shells, necessitating frequent reloads. This distraction may result in an unexpected death by zombie bite or raider gunfire.
While a break-action shotgun is not exactly the best choice, it is not a bad one either. If you find one, take it until you find a better weapon.
Bolt-Action Shotguns[]
Bolt-action shotguns are operated the same as bolt-action rifles - manually charging the bolt to chamber new rounds from the magazine. They are usually chambered in 20-gauge or .410 caliber, but they can be found in 12 gauge as well. As they are manual-action, they are reliable and easy to maintain. Bolt-action shotguns typically feed from very small magazines and are no more accurate than any other sort of shotgun.
A viable option for those who live in states (or countries) that don't allow pump-action or semi-automatic shotguns. Many of these shotguns are cheaper than pump-action - or even break-action - counterparts. These weapons are a decent choice for surviving with, but be on the lookout for a higher-capacity firearm.
As these shotguns are manual-action, maintenance is usually easy and reliability is high.
Lever-Action Shotguns[]
Winchester Model 1887, a typical lever-action shotgun
Lever-action shotguns operate on the same principle as their lever-action rifle kin - the operation of the weapon is performed by the "lever" that also constitutes the trigger guard. In North America, the popularity of "lever-action" shotguns is beginning to rise because of the sport of "cowboy-action shooting".
Lever-action shotguns are very similar to pump-action shotguns, in that a tube underneath the barrel holds the shells and the lever operates the bolt. When opened, the bolt moves back in the receiver, the extractor of the bolt removes the shell inside of the chamber (unload), cocks the trigger and hammer, and strips an unfired shell out of the magazine tube, staging it to be loaded into the chamber. When the lever is lifted, closing it, the bolt slides forward, locking this unfired cartridge into the chamber, making the shotgun ready to fire. If the shooter squeezes the trigger, the hammer falls, firing the shotgun, and unlocks the action so that the cycle can be repeated. A Winchester Model 1887 in 12 gauge holds 5 shells in the magazine tube, though this depends largely on what gauge the shotgun is chambered for - .410 shotguns may occasionally hold more.
As these shotguns are manual-action, maintenance is usually easy and reliability is high.
Pump-Action Shotguns[]
Remington 870MCS, a typical pump-action shotgun
Winchester Model 1897 "Trench Gun" (with bayonet) - an older pump-action shotgun
Pump-action shotguns have a single barrel, which is mounted above a tube magazine, into which shells are inserted. New shells are chambered by pulling the pump forearm attached to the tube magazine toward the user, then pushing it back into place to chamber the cartridge. This action simultaneously ejects the most recently fired shell out of the ejection port. Pump-action shotguns can be considered the most common, and affordable type of shotgun. They are often used by civilians for hunting, skeet shooting and home defense and can be fired as fast as the user can pump the slide and pull the trigger. Reloading is a fairly slow process, however, the shooter can load shells directly into action and chamber a new round as quickly as they can get the shell to the gun and move the pump forward. This allows the shooter to fire the gun as quickly as they can load it.
Some shotguns, such as the "Remington 1740", have two barrels and one stock. Another double barrel pump-action shotgun is the DP-12 - a double barrel, bullpup (meaning the chamber is behind the trigger) shotgun.
A common pump-action shotgun is the Remington 870 - reliable, inexpensive, and popular. An experienced shooter can face most challenges with this, and aftermarket parts exist for even greater effectiveness.
As these shotguns are manual-action, maintenance is usually easy and reliability is high.
Semi-Automatic Shotguns[]
M1014, a typical semi-automatic shotgun
Semi-automatic shotguns, like semi-automatic rifles, fire a single shell each time the trigger is pulled. They then automatically eject the spent cartridge, chamber a fresh cartridge from the magazine, and are immediately ready to fire another shot. Besides this difference in operation, many semi-automatic shotguns are very similar to pump-action shotguns, with a single barrel and a tube magazine. Some of these shotguns can be operated both in semi-automatic and pump-action - the SPAS-12 and M1014 are both examples of semi-automatic shotguns with the option to change fire modes from semi-automatic to pump-action.
Other semi-automatic shotguns, such as the Russian Saiga-12, have a layout more like that of a rifle, and use detachable box magazines. Still others use other methods, such as drum magazines. The Saiga-12 is becoming more popular with civilian gun owners, because of its increasing reliability and function straight from the factory.
These shotguns are a worthy choice for a primary weapon in a zombie scenario, suitable for dealing with both zombies and raiders - however, their gas system means that maintenance can be a challenge.
Automatic Shotguns[]
Automatic shotguns continuously fire while the trigger is held, unleashing a devastating flurry of fire. Many fully-automatic shotguns are rather heavy, and the rate of fire in any automatic shotgun will deplete the magazine in a few seconds. A famous example is the AA-12 - a heavy but potent and low-recoil shotgun, able to feed from box and drum magazines.
These shotguns are rare and maintenance is quite difficult - but an expert combatant can use this to incredible effect. Their automatic nature makes them great at clearing rooms of hostile human raiders, but be wary of their high ammo consumption.
Effectiveness against zombies[]
Although glamorized as perfect zombie killing firearms, the reality is shotguns are less accurate then rifles. Their effective range is quite short with buckshot (up to 45 yards) and moderate with slugs (generally 75-100 yards). The recoil on most shotguns can be substantial, or even painful for an unskilled shooter holding the weapon improperly. Also, many shotguns are loud, even with a suppressor, though most shotguns aren't capable of fitting one in the first place. Another problem is that a typical full-sized, pump-action, 12 gauge shotgun weighs about seven to eight pounds, making it your primary weapon.
Reloading a shotgun also takes longer then almost any other modern conventional firearm. A well-practiced shooter can reload nine shells into a shotgun by hand in roughly six seconds. By contrast, an amateur shooter can load a magazine into an AR-15 or similarly styled rifle in less than half the time, and that magazine could hold dozens of rounds.
However, a shotgun's main perk is its undeniable stopping power and unrivaled versatility. With the correct ammunition loaded and a well-practiced shooter, the shotgun can potentially became highly effective in dispatching zombies. Also, being long arms, shotguns will still be more accurate than handguns so long as the spread does not become too wide to effectively hit the head. The fact that it can be loaded to hunt birds to elk, and everything in between, and that it can be loaded with specialty shells, makes it the Swiss Army Knife of firearms.
Effectiveness against humans[]
Shotguns are a decent choice for fighting human raiders in close combat. However, there are certain limitations on their effectiveness.
Shotguns are ineffective with the wrong load or at the wrong range. For example, a birdshot load at long-range is going to do little more than sting the opponent. However, a load of 00 buckshot at close-range will blow a hole in an unarmored opponent. Rapid bleed-out and trauma will do the rest, if they're not killed instantly.
Shotguns have a lower magazine capacity than modern rifles - a Remington 870 typically holds seven or so rounds, while an AR-15 can typically be found with magazine ranging from 10-30 rounds, or even higher. This may prove troublesome in close-quarters battle, but can be mitigated by inserting more shells whenever possible.
Most shotgun loads are ineffective against body armor - especially military vests containing "hard" armor plates made of metal or ceramic. As buckshot is round and most slugs have rounded heads, they fare poorly at penetrating through armor. If you find yourself fighting at close range with a shotgun against armored humans, try disabling the enemy by shooting them in the leg, then follow up with a headshot - even modern ballistic helmets will not save an opponent against a close-range shotgun blast.
See Also[]
- The lost art of Cut Shells (Video link here)