Break Action Shotguns
Come in two varients:variants: Side by side and over under
The classic side by side is the one most think of when they hear double-barrel shotgun. A side by side is easier to reload but a over under is better for accuracy. Sportsmen and hunters prefer the newer over under. Both barrels have different chokes. One has a tighter choke then the other. Try to get a newer model as some older versions require full brass shells. The drawback is the need to reload after every two shots. Never pull both triggers at the same time it will send all but a 500lb man flying | Pump Action Shotguns
Pump action shotguns are the most common for military and law enforcement variants, and often the kind that the public think of as the archetypal "shotgun." Pump action weapons require you to move the handgrip-also called a slide or pump-back and forth or, less commonly, forward and back, between shots to eject the spent shell and load the next one. These guns usually load ammunition through a gate on the bottom of the gun; simply push the shells up through the gate. |
Lever Action Shotguns
Not particularly common, as lever-action weapons are usually rifles, just as pump-action weapons are usually shotguns, but they DO exist. Lever-action shotguns usually load through a loading gate on the side of the gun; simply push the rounds in through there. Between shots, just take the lever on the bottom and move it all the way down and forward, then back. | Bolt-Action Shotguns
Bolt Action Shotguns are uncommon for the same reason Lever Action Shotguns are; both firing mechanisms are used almost exclusively for rifles. Nevertheless, Bolt-Action Shotguns still exist, and are generally either single shot, or magazine fed. To load and fire a Bolt Action Shotgun you pull the bolt back, place the round in the chamber, then close the bolt. Despite the rarity of Bolt-Action Shotguns, there is still one example of one that is being used by an active military today. The M-26 Modular Accessory Shotgun System (pictured above) is used by the US Military as a stand alone shotgun or as an attachment to the M-4. |
Semi-Automatic Shotguns
Semi-automatic shotguns are becoming more and more common. Most of them resemble pump-action shotguns without the slide. Semi-automatic shotguns, like all such weapons, fire one shell or slug with each pull of the trigger, and are generally loaded like pump-action shotguns, though some are magazine-fed. Some designs can be switched between semi-automatic and pump-action, like the Franchi SPAS 12, though you should make sure that the shells are of high enough power to move the semi-automatic action, otherwise the shell will not eject. | Shotgun's Overview and Tactics
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| Automatic Shotguns Automatic shotguns are a great rarity in the modern world. Few designs exist, such as the AA-12 seen above or the Pancor Jackhammer. Due to the great recoil, most automatic shotguns are considered unsuitable for military use, though the AA-12 is quite controllable and has been fired one-handed with little difficulty. Unfortunately, they're quite difficult to find and rather expensive. Automatic shotguns are the most powerful shotguns, easily tearing any combatant to shreds, and also make it practical to fire in the prone position or in another location where the action of pumping the shotgun is difficult. All are magazine-fed. | At close range against humans, this weapon is one of the best. Against Zombies, this is not true. A good twelve-gauge shotgun can literally blow a zombies head off. However, the longer the range, greater the pellets dispersion pattern, and the lesser chance of skull penetration. So as a mid to long rangeweapon, never rely on a shotgun. In close quarters or if cornered, this weapon is an alright choice. The downside to the shotgun is that the twelve-gauge shells are bulky and therefore burdensome when traveling.travelling.
Other popular ammo choices are birdshot and slugs. Birdshot is quite weak, obviously meant simply for shooting down birds, and has much less chance of causing fatal damage even to a human. Slugs are solid shots, much like bullets. Slugs are, as a rule, larger than bullets fired from a rifle, and the damage is more than enough to deal a fatal shot to a zombie or human. However, the smoothbore barrels of most shotguns make slugs less accurate over large distances, unlike rifles of equal power. Slugs, birdshot, and buckshot are all available in various sizes, with TriBall (12 gauge) being the most powerful buckshot shell and FF being the most powerful birdshot shell. |
