Defense Articles

Shotguns come in many shapes and varieties. Some shotguns are made for hunting purposes and some are made for tactical uses. This article is only concerned with shotguns intended for the purpose of hunting. Shotguns come in many different actions and gauges.

The 12 gauge is king of the hunting world. It can do most anything that a hunter calls on it to do. The 12’s big brother is the 10 gauge. This gauge is used mainly for high flying geese and ducks. Turkey hunters also use this gauge because of it’s superior knockdown power.

You still can find 16 gauges on the used gun market. The 20 and 28 gauge shotguns have their uses mainly for bird hunters. The 410 gauge is a minuscule number that should only be used by experienced hunters if lethal hits are to be considered.

Shotguns come in many fascinating actions. The pump and semi automatic shotguns probably rule the roost here in the United States. The semi’s come in several configurations

One version uses a piston in the forearm that bleeds off gas from a fired shell that is used to cycle the action. This permits a fired shell to be expelled and a new shell to be made ready for firing. Inertia driven shotguns are operated by the rearward force of the recoil which activates a mechanism that does the same thing as the semi’s. It expels a fired shell and inserts a new shell into the chamber. Bolt action shotguns have been made to suit the gun lovers fancy. Prices vary in shotguns with this action. Double barreled shotguns are made for general use along with cowboy action shooting and bird hunting. Over and under shotguns have two barrels. One barrel is positioned above the other with each barrel usually having its own defined choked barrel. Single shot shotguns are also offered to the public in prices ranging from the economical to the very pricey.

Shotgun barrels come in many different lengths and sizes. The shorter barrels are usually used for close cover bird hunting. The longer barrels are used for longer range situations like high flying geese and ducks. Studies have been made that suggest a 24 inch barrel is all that you need to achieve maximum speed from a fired shell. I still like longer barrels for distance shooting because the longer barrels enable you to establish a better sight picture on your target. Some of these barrels are ported to reduce felt recoil. Barrels are offered in many configurations for their intended uses. There are rifled barrels for deer hunters. Slug barrels also fit into this category. Stainless steel barrels and coatings from camouflage and blue to green are also offered.

Chokes are used on guns to give the gun a desired patterning effect. Full and turkey chokes offer constricted surfaces that offer longer ranges and tighter groups. Modified chokes are for general purpose use. Improved and improved cylinder offer wide patterns at close ranges.

Every airsoft fan has a favourite type of gun. Regardless of your preferences there’s a certain attraction to shotguns that appeals to us all - to that dark place inside us. Maybe it’s the way they’re portrayed in the movies. The shotgun was always shown as being a real tough guys weapon - you needed to get up close and personal to use it. Shotguns were always shown to be cool and airsoft shotguns are no different in that regard.

There’s a wide variety of shotguns available to the airsoft fan. Everything from the old reliable double barrelled shotguns to far more current styles. The double barrelled model is often sold in a gas variant model and is one of the very few gas powered airsoft shotguns available on the market today.

Some of the most popular airsoft shotguns are the old pump action style (which are spring powered) and these have the advantage of allowing you to fire bbs in rapid succession. The vast majority of airsoft shotguns are spring powered and tend to be the tactical style - used by the police and military although you can get many other styles and models.

There is also the option of choosing from the full stock or cutaway model of airsoft shotgun. The cutaway models have a pistol type grip and no stock to put against your shoulder. There’s an even share of this type of gun available to airsoft fans. What suits you most will depend on the style of shotgun you like and your own personal shooting preferences when it comes to buying your airsoft shotgun.

Despite the fact that many of these guns are spring-powered pump action models they can hold 40 or more rounds. This allows for rapid reloading and for you to get back in the fight quickly. This offers a distinct advantage over an airsoft rifle where you need to cock it from a non-firing position. The shotgun allows you to fire from the hip in a rapid firing pump action style. Airsoft shotguns are probably more suited to close quarters airsoft games - maybe a type of urban combat simulation although they would still be useful in most types of airsoft combat.