Shotguns first came into use in the early 1600s. The first two-barrel shotgun appeared in 1873, and the first modern, hammerless, pump-action shotgun was produced in 1904. By the turn of the century, they were immensely popular. Many military officers loved their personal shotguns so much that they brought them along instead of sidearms to World War I, earning them the nickname "trench guns." Since then, they have become a permanent part of the military arsenal and a part of the everyday lives of many civilians as well.

Why a shotgun instead of, say, a rifle? Well, to do its job, a projectile must:

make contact with the target
hit the target in a critical spot

With a wider stream of potentially deadly projectiles, a shotgun is like using a can of spray paint if a rifle is like using a felt-tip pen. As long as the target is within its effective range, a shotgun will give you a much better chance of making critical contact with one pull of the trigger.
The shotgun is the Swiss-army knife of guns. It is an indispensable tool -- on the farm, in combat and on the hunt. They are just as useful in non-lethal situations, like for scaring away pests or for opening locked doors in a police or military situation, as they are for big game hunting. In this article, you'll find out how shotguns work, what different types are out there and about the various types of ammo a shotgun can accommodate.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Potentially, either can win. The outcome would depend mainly on three factors:

1. The range of engagement.

2. Whether the fighters have body armor.

3. The skill of the fighters.

Range is the most critical factor. Shotguns only have a maximum effective range of about 40 to 50 meters. Beyond that, they are pretty useless. A sniper rifle is effective to at least 500 meters, and in some cases over 1000 meters. If the fighters can see each other well beyond 50 meters the rifle has a decisive advantage. At ranges of less than 40 meters, the shotgun has the advantage. For home defense, shotguns are probably superior. However, the rifle is also quite deadly at short range, so even then the shotgun is not guaranteed the victory.

Body armor favors the sniper rifle. A high powered rifle has excellent penetration against body armor. By contrast, the shotgun has poor penetration against armor, even at close range.

A skilled fighter will always have an advantage over an untrained amateur, so it would be stacking the deck to match them against each other. However, if both fighters are amateurs, the shotgun may be advantageous. The shotgun requires slightly less skill to use effectively. However, if the fighters are both extremely skilled in their respective arts, the sniper has a big advantage. Snipers are trained to make themselves invisible and kill their opponents with precision shots. Shotgunners aren't really trained to deal with this sort of thing and there really isn't much they could do to counter it.

Overall, the sniper rifle is the more effective combat weapon. Shotguns may be more versatile for hunting and home defense, but the superior range and penetration of the rifle trumps it in most combat scenarios. It is no coincidence that rifles are the standard infantry weapon in every army in the world, and not shotguns.

Resources

Top Categories

Product

Company