Assault with pomp. The five most effective combat shotguns. Basic information about modern shotguns The consequences of using a shotgun

Smoothbore repeating shotguns are the most popular type of weapon in Hollywood action films. But even on this side of the screen, “shotguns” are very popular among shooting enthusiasts. They are used for hunting, sports shooting or self-defense. Thanks to a volley of buckshot, the area of ​​impact increases, which eliminates the accuracy of aiming. First used in the battles of World War I, such guns are still widely used by security forces today. In this article, we will talk about the most popular and best shotguns.

10. Kel-Tec KSG

The KSG smoothbore shotgun from the American company Kel-Tec is very popular today. His unusual design, reminiscent of the South African "Neostead" shotgun, and excellent characteristics, made it possible to do this firearms regulars in the arsenals of many shooting enthusiasts.

This shotgun was first presented to the public at ShotShow 2011 and a year later became available to everyone. The shotgun with manual pump-action reloading has compact dimensions, an original high-capacity double-tube magazine and a lightweight sight. Purpose of Kel-Tec KSG: army, police, private collectors and connoisseurs of this type of weapon.

9. SRM Model 1216

This American-made tactical shotgun has a 12 gauge and a 4-chamber magazine. The weapon began production in 2008 and has gained great fame over its 10-year history. Today there are three modifications of this shotgun, differing in magazine capacity and barrel length.

The main difference between this model and other guns of this type is the unusual design of the bolt and magazine. Small dimensions and a plastic body allowed the manufacturer to reduce the weight of the shotgun. In the likeness of the M16 rifle, the body of the gun consists of two parts, fastened with transverse pins.

8. UTAS UTS-15

This repeating shotgun from Turkish gunsmiths from UTAS is well known to everyone who is interested in this type of weapon. It was originally created for the military and police. Main feature The UTS-15 is a twin magazine.

As with the Kel-Tec KSG shotgun, UTAS engineers took the original "Neostead" design as a basis. They kept the bullpup layout, but changed the working mechanism of the gun, making it more efficient and productive. Thanks to this, the UTS-15 has high firepower in a fairly compact size.

The popularity of this shotgun is indicated by the fact that it is used in computer games Battlefield 4, GTA V and Warface.

7.AA 12

Fighting in the lush tropical vegetation of Vietnam, the American army appreciated all the advantages of 12-gauge repeating smoothbore shotguns. But at the time of these hostilities, gunsmiths could only offer the Winchester M1912 to the needs of the army. A model that was already somewhat outdated by the start of hostilities in Vietnam. Maxwell Atchisson managed to resolve the issue of developing a new shotgun. Which in 1972 was presented to the US AAS Commission. It was subsequently modernized. Since 1981 it has been produced under the name AA 12.

The improved model has automatic gas release, which allows the use of more powerful cartridges for firing. In addition, the manufacturer slightly changed the design of the shotgun. It consists of two halves fastened together. It is also worth noting the more convenient location of the firing mode translator.

But the main difference is the recoil impulse that stretches over time, which allows you to shoot quite comfortably using the AA 12 model.

6 Mossberg 500 Tactical Persuader

The next hero of our review of the best shotguns is called the most common pump-action shotgun in the world. This shotgun has been produced since 1962. It is used for self-defense, hunting, armed protection of objects and law enforcement agencies. Its main advantage is its design, which allows this smoothbore gun to be used quite intensively. And the low weight (about 3 kg) is not an obstacle when shooting in conditions of frequent changes of firing points.

It is worth noting the high ergonomics of the Mossberg 500. Most of the structural parts are made of steel. Aluminum was chosen as the material for the manufacture of the main part, and wood or plastic (depending on the modification) was chosen for the butt and fore-end.

A distinctive feature of this model is the location of the fuse. It is located on top of the barrel, making it easy to operate with your thumb. Many arms experts call the Tactical Persuader the best model in the series.

5. Benelli M4 Super 90

This shotgun is a shining example of high-quality Italian weapons. The M4 Super 90 is made from durable materials and has high performance. The main one is reliability. The manufacturer claims the possibility of firing up to 25 thousand shots without repairing the gun.

The chamber of this model is made for 16 gauge. But it can also be used for shooting 12 gauge. The standard design has a telescopic butt. The shotgun is widely used by hunters. Thanks to its high reliability and fast service capabilities, it is an excellent choice as a hunting rifle.

4. Remington Model 870

This famous American smoothbore gun has been produced since the middle of the last century. The shape of the forend of this shotgun makes it the most recognizable model of this type of weapon. The cartridges are fed from below, and used cartridges are ejected from the side. The reliability of the Remington 870 design comes from its manufacturing receiver from a whole piece of steel. The manufacturer produces many accessories for tuning this model. In addition to its reliability, this shotgun is lightweight.

3. FN SLP

Unlocks the top three FN SLP shotguns. The repeating shotgun is produced by the Belgian company FN Herstal. It is assigned to law enforcement agencies. In 2009, the model received the title “Shotgun of the Year”. The advantages of this model are ease of use, ergonomic body and great resource use.

The FN SLP has a chrome-plated barrel with replaceable choke elements. The receiver material is aluminum. The stock is made of durable plastic. The manufacturer has equipped the handle with additional cheeks to allow it to be adjusted to suit different palm sizes.

2. Super Black Eagle 3

The third model of the famous shotgun became a worthy continuation of the line. The design allows the Super Black Eagle 3 to be used in the most severe climatic conditions. The weapon has excellent characteristics in terms of power, rate of fire, reliability and accuracy of fire. Externally, the gun has a rather aggressive design, which adds some zest to it.

A special feature of the Super Black Eagle 3 is the presence of a stock with recoil reduction technology. It is ideal for clay pigeon shooting and game hunting.

For people of military specialty, professional activity which is associated with the frequent use of firearms, situations are well known when success brings one powerful volley. Use of weapons for this purpose large caliber, firing bullets or shot charges, allows you to quickly achieve a certain tactical advantage. A shotgun smoothbore weapon can easily be included in this category. The name of the barrel alone speaks volumes about its mode of action.

This type of firearm is well known to hunters who hunt game birds. In this case, the main damaging element is shot, which allows you to achieve a large damage area. Despite the fact that the use of smooth-bore hunting rifles for military purposes turned out to be ineffective, the military was able to properly evaluate the effect when shooting shotguns. The result of the transformation of a smoothbore gun into a powerful military weapon became combat shotguns, which are used today by the army, special forces and law enforcement forces.

Technical side of the issue

A shotgun is a smooth-bore firearm, derived from a hunting rifle, which gunsmiths have converted to suit the conditions combat use. A pistol grip was added to the butt used for shooting from the shoulder, allowing firing from the belt line or offhand. Combat shotguns have also retained hunting calibers, which vary in the range of 5.5 mm - 5 cm.

Weapons of this type are divided into the following types:

• by trunk type;
• by the number of trunks;
• according to the recharging mechanism.

Depending on the type of barrel, guns can be smooth-bore or combined, capable of firing both bullets and shot charges. Depending on the number of barrels, shotguns can be single-barrel, double-barrel or multi-barrel. This type of weapon also differs in its loading mechanisms. There are models with a pump-action reloading mechanism and with a lever-action reloading device. The model range includes self-loading and automatic shotguns.

The double-barreled shotgun is the most popular and common type. Most amateur hunters prefer to use this particular weapon design in their craft. Typically, a hunting shotgun is a typical double-barreled hunting shotgun that is loaded by breaking. The main effect is achieved through a double shot, when a double charge of shot is fired from two barrels with a difference of a fraction of a second. For all its enormous firepower, this type of gun suffers significant drawback— quite a capacious recharging process. A double-barreled shotgun is a first-strike weapon when there is no urgent need for urgent reloading. However, due to low accuracy, a large affected area is achieved. This quality is especially valuable when hunting birds and small animals. From the point of view of combat use, shooting from a shotgun may be the only effective one in close combat or in defensive combat conditions.

Shotgun Ammo

The main reason for the increased interest in this type of firearms from the military is ammunition. The short firing range is more than compensated by the enormous power of the shot and the high penetration ability of the striking elements, which are so necessary during a combat clash in a limited space. Today, most models of military smoothbore shotguns are designed to fire special cartridges. All of them are created on the basis of hunting ammunition. No, these are not the same hunting cartridges that you can equip at home. This is factory-made ammunition that meets all the necessary specifications.

If the main caliber for all hunting rifles is 12 gauge, then an assault shotgun (military weapon of special forces) can also have 10 gauge. Each caliber corresponds to certain conditions for using weapons. Despite enormous power recoil when fired, 10-gauge cartridges have monstrous penetrating power, which is often necessary during assault operations.

It is enough to compare the power of a shot from a 12-gauge cartridge loaded with buckshot with the power of a shot made from a 9 mm caliber PM Makarov pistol. The weight of each buckshot with a caliber of 8.2 mm is 3.9 g. The initial flight speed when fired from a smoothbore gun is 380 m/s. In this case, the flight energy of buckshot is 280 J, which is almost the same as the flight energy of a 9-mm Makarov pistol bullet. There are 9 such buckshots in a hunting cartridge, so if we multiply 9 by 280, we get a total charge energy of 2520 J. Is it worth commenting?

Despite the enormous penetrating power, a significant drawback of such a powerful weapon is the large recoil force and small magazine capacity.

The 12-gauge hunting shotgun is a balanced weapon that allows you to shoot from the shoulder and still achieve desired result. 20-gauge shotguns have limited firing capabilities due to the weak stopping power of the fired charge.

The main equipment of live ammunition is large-caliber shot (type 00), flechettes (rod shot) and special bullets (jacans). Combined-action cartridges are used in combat conditions, where, along with small shot, there is buckshot with a diameter of 8 mm. Each type of shotgun uses its own cartridges. If for a weapon with a manual reloading mechanism it is enough to have a cartridge with a 70 mm sleeve, then a semi-automatic shotgun or an automatic combat shotgun is equipped only with cartridges with a 76 mm sleeve. This is due to the fact that in this case the functionality of the reloading machine is influenced by the charge energy. The caliber of the cartridge for automatic rifles can be either 10th or 12th.

The history of the emergence of a shotgun as a melee weapon

Let's start with the fact that the prototype of modern pump-action shotguns and shotguns are ancient muskets. The first units armed with smooth-bore guns, which have enormous penetrating power, appeared in armies at the end of the 18th century. The first samples of these weapons were extremely imperfect. The muskets had a large combat mass, had a huge caliber and were loaded from the barrel. However, despite its clumsiness, this weapon demonstrated enormous power from its first days on the battlefield. Heavy large-caliber bullets at short distances inflicted huge losses on the enemy. Firing a shotgun during hand-to-hand combat has become a favorite tactical method during naval battles or during assault operations.

In those early years, a firefight between lines of opposing troops rarely exceeded 2-3 salvos, after which the opponents rushed into hand-to-hand combat, wielding a bayonet and knives. The use of shot as a striking element was limited and was used mainly to equip irregular combat units. With the advent of rifled firearms, smoothbore guns migrated to the hunting industry, where shotguns found their worthy use.

Remember the fire properties smoothbore weapons already in the 20th century, when positional warfare came into fashion. The troops dug into trenches and hid under the protection of fortifications, from which they could only be driven out during a direct combat encounter. The Americans were the first to use shotguns in combat conditions, who encountered the factor of trench warfare during the battles of the First World War. The Winchester Model 1912 repeating shotgun is the first American 12-gauge shotgun used in combat. This gun became the weapon of choice for infantry units of the US Army during close combat when clearing enemy trenches. More advanced was the Trench Gun Model 1917, which was an improved version of the sporting rifle. Both models have proven themselves to be powerful melee weapons. From now on, shotguns various models began to be used to solve certain problems by both army and law enforcement agencies. Subsequent events on the fronts of World War II, in particular fighting V tropical jungle, forced the Americans to return again to this proven means of armed struggle.

Using the experience of combat use of smoothbore shotguns, specialists from security agencies and police units have developed their own concept for the use of shotguns. Six-shot pump-action shotguns came into use by the American police during a fierce fight against organized crime. In the post-war period, shotguns began to be equipped with law enforcement forces, gendarmerie, carabinieri and police. The police shotgun significantly increased the firepower of units during the suppression of street riots, and assault groups and the force of police special forces received a powerful tool for solving assigned tasks.

Modernity and the shotgun

On this moment Almost all paramilitary structures adopted smoothbore guns. A tactical shotgun, depending on the ammunition used, allows you to solve various tactical problems.

This is facilitated by the extensive range of manufactured ammunition, represented by the following types:

• rubber and regular bullets;
• buckshot, large or small shot;
• tear gas cartridges;
• high-explosive and high-explosive fragmentation grenade cartridges;
• flash-noise grenades.

The versatility of the design of modern models of these weapons is ensured by the presence of special attachments that allow not only firing with live ammunition, but also performing a number of tactical and technical manipulations. In law enforcement and assault army units, shotguns are used in the following cases:

• means for quickly breaking doors;
• non-lethal means of armed warfare;
• offensive melee weapon.

Of all the listed methods of application, each is specific and is used in certain conditions.

Manufacturers today produce a wide variety of models of such weapons, among which the most popular are lever-action pump-action shotguns and an automatic shotgun. Typically, traditional shotgun models are single-barrel combat shotguns with a lever action mechanism. The best shotguns in this category are the legendary Remington Model 870, the FN SLP police shotgun - self-loading, and the Mossberg 500 smoothbore pump-action shotgun, produced since 1962. All of these models can be found in the arsenal of current police forces around the world.

Automatic shotguns, which are equipped with army units today, are much more advanced weapons. Together with an improved reloading mechanism, such models have an increased rate of fire and a larger magazine capacity. One of the latest innovations in this area was the appearance on the arms market of a double-barreled automatic shotgun. The DP-12 double-barreled shotgun is capable of firing at a distance of up to 22 meters from two barrels, alternately. In just half a minute, you can fire 16 rounds of 12 mm caliber from this weapon.

Despite the emergence of modern models of these weapons, it is difficult to call a combat shotgun a universal combat weapon. An increase in the number of barrels significantly increases the combat and firing characteristics of a smoothbore gun. The combat qualities were greatly affected by the appearance of an automatic reloading mechanism and the expansion of the range of ammunition that shotguns can be equipped with today. However, it does not change in better side sighting range situation. Maximum possible sighting range The distance that a shotgun gives is no more than 60 meters. In modern products, the firing range is an order of magnitude shorter - only 22-25 meters.

The way out of this situation was the creation of rifled models of automatic weapons, complete with an under-barrel shotgun. Such weapons increased the firepower of the shooter several times, making him a universal combat unit.

Popular models of our time

Most models of pump-action shotguns are developed for the needs of the civilian weapons market. However, as it goes on sale, as often happens, such weapons quickly find their niche in paramilitary structures. Currently, almost any automatic hunting shotgun has an army or police counterpart. The commercial market is driving progress in this regard as well. The creation and development of new models of smoothbore guns is proceeding at a faster pace. These weapons are produced all over the world. Among the popular models, one can find American, Italian, Belgian and Turkish samples of smoothbore guns, each of which was created for a certain category of consumers.

Shotguns are the oldest type of firearm. In fact, all early firearms were smoothbore, and many were loaded with more than one projectile. They were used both for combat operations and for hunting, since the simultaneous firing of several projectiles (bullets, pellets) in one shot increased the likelihood of at least one bullet hitting the target. This allows you to compensate for aiming errors, especially when shooting at moving targets. In addition, the possibility of varying the type and mass of the projectile in one shot - from full-caliber massive bullets to large quantity small fraction allows you to flexibly solve various tasks with the help of one type of weapon. The use of interchangeable muzzle attachments (chokes), which allows you to adjust the size of the scree of shot or buckshot, further expands the capabilities of shotguns. Compared to rifles, shotguns have much more tactical flexibility, but their inherent disadvantages are a much shorter effective range and large mass and cartridge sizes (which means smaller magazine capacity and portable ammunition). When firing with buckshot or shot, the effective firing range is no more than 50-70 meters, when firing with a bullet, the range can reach 100 and even 150 meters (when using sub-caliber bullets). A similar range can be provided by swept submunitions, however, as a rule, they have insufficient accuracy and high cost. In addition to bullets of various types, shotguns can also be used to throw "non-lethal" ammunition such as gas grenades, rubber buckshot, and the like. It is for the reasons described that shotguns are very popular among the police forces of the most different countries, as well as among army special forces in need of effective weapons for short-range combat or for guarding objects or prisoners.

Single- and double-barreled shotguns are the oldest types of smooth-bore weapons, but they have almost no practical value as a military weapon due to their low rate of fire. Nevertheless, sawn-off shotguns are still popular (mainly among criminals) as close-range weapons.

For military and police purposes, magazine-fed smoothbore shotguns with manual or automatic reloading are used (most often self-loading, very rarely with automatic fire). In the vast majority of cases, 12 gauge weapons are used (barrel bore diameter is approximately 18mm). The most common are under-barrel tubular magazines with a capacity of 4-6, sometimes up to 9 rounds. Such stores provide compact dimensions for the weapon, but reload rather slowly, one cartridge at a time. In the last decade, detachable box magazines have gained some popularity, allowing for quick reloading of weapons. The capacity of such magazines is usually from 5 to 10 rounds, rarely more. Even less commonly used are drum magazines - either detachable, with a capacity of 12 to 20 or even more rounds, or integral, revolving type, with a capacity of 10 - 12 rounds. Such stores are too bulky and heavy, and therefore are not particularly popular.

Pump-action shotguns (manual reloading)

Pump-action are called guns in which the reloading mechanism is driven by a longitudinally sliding fore-end, acting like a hand pump (pump). Typically, for reloading, the forend moves back and then forward, and is directly connected to the bolt carrier. Less commonly, the forend is connected to a movable barrel, and moves forward and then back. The first pump-action shotguns appeared in the last decade of the 19th century, and the most typical shotgun was the Winchester 97 shotgun designed by John Browning. This gun, modified by mounting a bayonet mount, was widely used by the Allies in the trenches of the First World War. Similar models from many other manufacturers followed, and to this day 12-gauge pump-action shotguns, such as Remington 870 and Winchester 1300, are widely used both in the police of various countries and in the Armed Forces various countries. The main advantages of pump-action shotguns are their independence from the type and power of ammunition, which allows them to be used as powerful weapons without any problems. live ammunition with bullets and buckshot, as well as weakened cartridges with tear gas or rubber buckshot. Disadvantage: less than self-loading weapons, practical rate of fire, which can be critical during fast-paced battles in the city or, especially, in dense jungles.

Self-loading (semi-automatic) shotguns

Self-loading shotguns use part of the energy generated when firing a powder charge to reload the weapon. this can be inertia (Benelli), and the pressure of the powder gases removed from the barrel (Russian gun Saiga-12 and Italian Franchi SPAS-15, American Remington 1100 and Remington 11-87), recoil of the barrel from its long stroke(Browning FN Auto-5 and Remington 11). As a rule, self-loading shotguns have slightly lower recoil than similar pump-action shotguns and a higher practical rate of fire. The value of self-loading rifles in combat conditions was first discovered by the British during the fighting in South-East Asia at the end of the 2nd World War and after it, where British troops preferred Browning Auto-5 semi-automatic shotguns to any pump-action shotguns, due to their higher rate of fire - battles in the jungle usually took place at the shortest ranges - 10-20 meters, or even less .

Recent events, namely the adoption of the Benelli M4 - M1014 smoothbore shotgun into service in the United States as a single shotgun for all Armed Forces, only emphasizes what is more important for the military firepower, rather than the tactical flexibility of pump-action shotguns. In addition to the United States, self-loading rifles are used by the Italian armed forces (SPAS-15) and many other armies around the world.

There are also combination systems that allow the user to switch between semi-automatic or manual (pump-action) reloading, but they are usually more complex in design than conventional shotguns, and therefore heavier and more expensive. Such systems are again preferable for police use.

Smoothbore guns with the ability to fire in bursts have practically not become widespread. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, such guns have very high recoil, which requires making the weapon excessively heavy, otherwise firing in bursts will be a waste of ammunition and even fraught with injury to the shooter. In addition, the small portable ammunition load and small magazine capacity also do not contribute to the popularity of automatic fire.

A shotgun is a smooth-bore firearm that uses small round balls called shot as ammunition. Mainly used for shooting from the shoulder. At the moment, many people actively use a shotgun for self-defense, which is explained by its high stopping power at short distances. What you need to purchase a shotgun and how to choose the right type of weapon will be discussed below.

Before purchasing one or another type of weapon, it is necessary to determine the specifics of the legal framework regulating the possibility of obtaining and using such products. All currently existing weapons can be divided into two large groups:

1. Service, which is used by various military units, special forces, police, etc. As a rule, these types of weapons have enhanced firepower without any restrictions in characteristics.
2. Civilian weapons. Such products are intended for sports, self-defense, hunting, and can also be used for educational purposes. As a rule, these are weapons with reduced firepower that are not capable of causing serious injury to the enemy.

The Law “On Weapons” stipulates the following types of self-defense means that do not require obtaining permission for storage and use:

• stun gun (except for those models that are very powerful and operate remotely);
• gas sprayer;
• axe;
• household knife;
• rubber batons and sticks;
• "Udar" type devices;
• weak pneumatic weapons (caliber no more than 4.5 mm, power up to 7.5 J);
• spear gun;
• those types of signal revolvers that, due to their characteristics, cannot be used as military weapons.

To acquire the above mentioned means of self-defense, a citizen only needs to reach the age of majority.

Weapons such as shotguns cannot be possessed or used without the appropriate permit. Moreover, such weapons require a certain storage space that meets certain standards. It must be a securely locked safe that is inspected by an authorized representative.

Consequences of using a shotgun

A shotgun is a smooth-bore gun that uses shot—small metal balls—as ammunition. Thus, we're talking about not even about traumatic weapons, but about firearms. At the moment, both storage and use of shotguns without permission involves administrative or even criminal liability. The degree of punishment will depend on the nature of the illegal actions.

Important! According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, carrying bladed and long-barreled firearms for self-defense is unacceptable. Thus, even after obtaining all the appropriate permits, you can only use such weapons to protect your private property.

Now we must consider the consequences of using a shotgun for self-defense. In this case, several important aspects must be taken into account:

1. Due to its specificity, a shotgun is designed to hit close targets. If we are talking about a range exceeding 25 meters, then the results of the shot will be unpredictable due to the scattering of cartridges. Even if we are talking about high-quality buckshot, using a shotgun for self-defense is only suitable at short distances.
2. The capabilities of this gun are significantly limited even if it is used in small spaces. Use at a distance of less than 5 meters requires very precise aiming, since the scree in this case will be insignificant. However, if hit, the attacker is guaranteed to be incapacitated.

It should be remembered that a shotgun is a serious weapon that can cause significant damage to an opponent and lead to fatal outcome. In this case, the defendant may be tried for negligent homicide. In addition, the use of a rifle must be justified. If the court proves that there was no threat to the life of the defender, then he himself will sit in the dock.

So that the use of a shotgun for self-defense does not have negative consequences, you must adhere to the following rules:

1. Under no circumstances should you shoot in the face, head, or neck. Shot damage to these areas will most likely lead to death.
2. You should not shoot in the peritoneal area, since buckshot can cause multiple injuries to internal organs with profuse bleeding.
3. It is advisable to fire a warning shot in the air, giving the attacker the opportunity to change his mind about what he has planned. As a rule, such actions are quite sufficient to resolve the conflict.
4. If the previous point did not have the desired effect, you should shoot at the limbs.

When using any firearm, you should also consider the following nuances:

1. Physical training. Any gun has a certain recoil force, and therefore before using it directly for self-defense, you should practice shooting. In addition, without the skills to conduct aimed fire, firearms become only an irritating factor for the attacker. And although the affected area of ​​a shotgun will be much larger than that of the same pistol, accuracy in this case will be useful.
2. Psychological preparation. In practice, not everyone can shoot a person. To perform such actions requires a certain mindset and special training. Therefore, if you are not able to act carefully and decisively while holding a shotgun, then you should consider other methods of self-defense, for example, stun guns or gas sprays.

Types of shotguns

In most cases, shotguns are shotguns that use the energy of a fixed projectile to fire the shot. The direct predecessor of the shotgun is the musket, which nowadays can also be used for riot control and self-defense.

Regardless of the type, shotguns are designed for combat at short distances (up to 25 meters). This is due to two features:

1. No threading inside the barrel. Rifled shotguns are extremely rare.
2. Using shot as a projectile. Due to the large spread of metal balls, the shotgun's damaging ability at long distances is insignificant.

At the moment, the following types of shotguns are distinguished:

1. Single-barreled. Classic version, which is highly valued by experts for its ease of use and unpretentiousness.
2. Double-barreled (similar to rifles). Such weapon models have a higher lethality compared to their single-barreled counterparts. Currently, such models are especially common among hunters.
3. Multi-barreled. Such models can have more than two barrels and are not found among civilian weapons.

Regarding the reloading method, the following shotgun options are distinguished:

1. Pump-action. This is the most popular design with which many people associate the very concept of a shotgun. It assumes the presence of a movable front handle, by sliding which the bolt group moves. Thus, when moving the handle back and forth, the spent cartridge case is ejected, and a new cartridge is sent into the chamber. This mechanism has a higher rate of fire compared to classic rifles and double-barreled shotguns, allowing you to keep your hand on the handle until the magazine is completely empty.
2. Lever type. This is a multi-shot weapon, the reloading procedure in which occurs manually, through a semicircular movement of the trigger guard. To change the cartridge, it should be passed around the trigger. At the moment, this reloading method is considered somewhat outdated and is largely inferior to its pump-action counterparts.
3. Self-loading or automatic shotgun. This is a weapon that allows you to fire in automatic mode. Here the recharging process occurs without direct human participation. Regarding the device, such designs resemble automatic rifles and machine guns. Today this is the most advanced type of such weapon, characterized by a high rate of fire. Civilians are not allowed to own this type of shotgun.

Shotgun Ammo

In addition to the low cost of this weapon (about half the price of a classic rifle), the shotgun attracts attention with a wide variety of ammunition. In this case, the short firing range can be easily compensated by the significant power of the shot, due to which the shotgun is characterized by truly high penetration ability. This criterion determined the use of a shotgun for assault purposes.

Nowadays, most shotguns are designed to fire special cartridges, which can be 10, 12 or even 20 gauge. They are created on the basis of hunting ammunition, which is manufactured in a factory and meets all modern technical specifications.

However, despite the enormous penetrating power of the shotgun, exceeding 2500 J, its significant drawback is the small magazine capacity and strong recoil.

Review of the best shotgun models

Let's look at several of the most popular and technically advanced models of shotguns that can be successfully used for self-defense and hunting:

Mossberg 500 Tactical Persuader

A classic model, production of which began back in 1962. It is characterized by a wide range of applications, being used for self-defense, for hunting and in various law enforcement agencies. The structural elements of the shotgun are made of steel, while the body of the model is aluminum, and the fore-end and butt are made of plastic or wood. The fuse is located on top of the receiver, which is very convenient.

Super Black Eagle 3

The model is excellent for use in difficult climatic conditions. Key Feature This shotgun is equipped with a special stock that helps reduce recoil. The weapon is characterized by excellent rates of fire, power, accuracy of fire and reliability, and a certain aggressive design is an additional advantage, allowing this weapon to be successfully used for self-defense.

Remington 870

A popular shotgun model that has been produced by an American manufacturer since the middle of the last century. Thanks to the special shape of the fore-end, the gun is easily recognizable. The design is characterized by a lower supply of cartridges, while the ejection of spent cartridges is carried out from the side. The high reliability of this model is due to the presence of a solid receiver, which further reduced the weight of the shotgun, making it more convenient to use.

M4 Super 90 from the Italian company Benelli

It has excellent characteristics and is made from high-strength materials. Experts highlight the high reliability of this weapon - it is designed to fire 25 thousand shots before the first repair. This shotgun can use 12-gauge and 16-gauge cartridges. The telescopic butt allows you to choose the most convenient rest for using the weapon. High reliability and ease of maintenance have made this model popular among professional hunters.

MOSCOW, June 16— RIA Novosti, Nikolai Protopopov. Stop the attacker powerful shot offhand or to knock out door locks on the fly - assault teams of special services around the world widely use smooth-bore guns during battles in the city. The US police and security organizations have been especially successful in using the lethal 12-gauge. In Russia, combat shotguns are historically not so popular - only some units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are armed with them. RIA Novosti talks about the most serious "shotguns".

Wall of Buckshot

The American AA-12 automatic smoothbore shotgun was developed in the 1980s. Its main advantage over its predecessors is the ability to fire in bursts. The design of the shotgun involves the installation of a high-capacity drum magazine - 32 rounds. This allows you to conduct heavy automatic fire with 12-gauge cartridges, sending impressive masses of buckshot towards the enemy.

When developing the AA-12, the experience of using shotguns on Vietnam War. Then the American army effectively used guns in dense thickets, when they had to fight at short range with an enemy that suddenly appeared from the jungle. However, in case of misses, there was no time left to reload, so a multi-charge and rapid-fire “smoothbore” was required.

Despite its advantages - high rate of fire, relatively light weight and low recoil - the AA-12 shotgun never went into production. Today it can only be seen in the hands of heroes of Hollywood action films and computer games.

Italian Cuisine

Made in Italy, the Benelli M4 Super 90 semi-automatic shotgun features not only outstanding reliability and ergonomics, but also a beautiful design. This is one of the best combat shotguns in the world. Equipped with a telescopic stock and Picatinny rails for mounting optical sights, under-barrel grips and tactical flashlights.

The development was initiated by the Pentagon, which in the late 1990s needed a new single smooth-bore military gun. Today, in the arsenal of the US Marine Corps, under the symbol M1014, there are almost 20 thousand Benelli M4 Super 90 units. The six-round shotgun was actively used in almost all military conflicts involving the American army - it was fired in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and Syria. In addition, intelligence services and law enforcement agencies of twenty other countries successfully use the “Italian”, speaking only positively about this gun.

Universal "Turk"

The design of the Turkish pump-action shotgun UTAS UTS-15 combines a “bullpup” layout, rare for shotguns, and a classic “pump” with a longitudinally sliding bolt. The advantage of UTAS is high firepower in a fairly compact size.

Another feature is two twin magazines of seven rounds each, which can be switched between directly while shooting. This allows you to use different types cartridges depending on the situation.

The shotgun was created in 2011 specifically for police units and army special forces. Its main purpose is assault operations. Like most modern weapons, the UTAS is equipped with Picatinny rails for increased functionality, and the body is made of high-strength composite materials.

Old school

The Remington Model 870 is one of the most famous and widely used shotguns in the world. It was developed back in the 1950s for large game hunters. Later, the US Army became interested in it, and the shotgun was slightly modified for the military - the magazine capacity was increased to seven rounds and a device for attaching a bayonet was installed.

Featuring an all-steel body and an under-barrel tubular magazine, the success of this inexpensive pump-action shotgun is due to its simplicity, ruggedness, ease of maintenance and incredible reliability. It is equipped with a wide range of ammunition of various calibers - buckshot, bullets, signal, gas and many other charges.

The Remington 870 is the best-selling shotgun in the world. In total, more than 11 million different modifications of this type of gun were produced.

Russian character

Izhevsk gunsmiths made the 18.5 KS-K shotgun for units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on the basis of the civilian Saiga. However, Russian police are in no hurry to arm themselves with them. Having impressive dimensions, the KS-K is less convenient for storming premises than the usual compact submachine guns or machine guns.

Now manufacturers are relying more on foreign orders.

The abbreviation KS-K means “special carbine,” but it is still a full-fledged self-loading shotgun. The automation operation scheme is borrowed from AK and is highly reliable. For shooting, highly effective cartridges with 12-gauge bullets or buckshot with a 70 or 76 millimeter sleeve are used at short distances.