Why Do Hunters Pattern Their Shotguns “THE SHOTGUN” – Solution To Any Special Problem

Why Do Hunters Pattern Their Shotguns

In terms of firearms, shotguns are the oldest. There were no smoothbore firearms in the early days, and many were loaded with more than one projectile. Due to their simultaneous firing of several shells (bullets, pellets) in one shot, they were used both for combat and hunting. Therefore, you can compensate for aiming errors when shooting at moving targets.

In addition, because you can simultaneously vary the type and weight of the projectile, you can solve a variety of problems with just one type of weapon, including full-caliber massive bullets and small ones. A small shot is used for hazel grouse, a large shot is used for geese or hares, and a bullet and buckshot is used for wild boars and bears.

Several factors have set priorities over human history – now shotguns, thanks to their destructive power at close range, have gained wide popularity, especially in the United States, where they are both used by law enforcement and the military. A shotgun’s capability is further enhanced by replaceable choke tubes (chokes), which allow you to adjust the size of the shot or buckshot.

There are several disadvantages to shotguns, including a shorter effective firing range, larger cartridges, a smaller magazine capacity, and portable ammunition. With buckshot or shot, the effective range is 50-70 meters; a bullet can be 100 or even 150 meters (when using sub-caliber bullets). As a rule, arrow-shaped striking elements are not accurate and expensive, although they can provide a similar range. Apart from bullets, shotguns can also fire “non-lethal” ammunition such as gas grenades, rubber buckshots, etc.

smoothbore shotguns

Consequently, smoothbore shotguns are very popular among police forces across the globe, as well as army special forces units that require effective weapons for short-range combat or for protecting prisoners or objects. Depending on the weight of the gunpowder charge and propellant shells (bullet, shot, buckshot), the effective firing range is 50-150 meters. The magazines hold approximately four to nine rounds. For example, Entente troops in the trenches of the First World War used revolving magazines (with standard 12-gauge drums for several rounds), horn-shaped boxes, and tubular clips. After World War II, shotguns were used in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and even Chechnya. Pump-action shotguns were introduced.

A shotgun, or simply “shotgun”, is not a product of Hollywood cinema – they are best known for their use in police departments, especially traffic police. When it comes to close combat in trenches or urban settings, shotguns can become precious weapons in army operations. Twelve gauge shotgun buckshot is equivalent to nine mm submachine gun bursts.

oldest types of smoothbore weapons

In addition to being the oldest types of smoothbore weapons, single- and double-barreled shotguns have little practical use as military weapons because of their low rate of fire. It’s already anachronistic that private security agencies and government agents used double-barreled shotguns to protect stagecoach cargo in the Wild West… However, sawn-off shotguns are still popular as close-range weapons (mainly among criminals).

In military and police applications, magazine-fed smoothbore shotguns with manual or automatic reloading are used (most often self-loading, very rarely automatic fire). Most weapons used in these crimes are 12 gauge (barrel bore diameter: 18mm). Under barrel tubular magazines usually hold 4-6 rounds, sometimes up to nine. Although these stores are compact, they reload rather slowly, one cartridge at a time.

A detachable box magazine allows quick weapons reloading and has gained popularity in the past decade. Magazines of this type usually hold 5 to 10 rounds, rarely more. Drum magazines, either detachable or integral, have capacities of 10 – 12 rounds, whereas integral drum magazines hold 12 – 20 rounds. Due to their bulkiness and weight, such stores are rare. It’s called “POMPOVIK”.

pump-action shotguns

Reloading mechanisms in pump-action shotguns are driven by a longitudinally sliding fore-end that acts like a hand pump. Reloading involves moving the forend backwards and forwards, and the forend is directly connected to the bolt carrier. Forends are less commonly attached to barrels that move forward and then backwards. In the last decade of the 19th century, John Browning designed the Winchester 97 shotgun, the first pump-action shotgun.

During the First World War, the Allies first widely used this gun, modified by a bayonet attachment. 12-gauge pump-action shotguns, such as Remington 870, Mossberg 500 and 590, and Winchester 1300, are still widely used in many countries. One of the main advantages of pump-action shotguns is their independence from the type and power of ammunition, allowing you to use both powerful live rounds with bullets and buckshot easily and weakened cartridges with tear gas or rubber buckshot. Its disadvantage is its slower rate of fire, which can be crucial during quick battles in cities and jungles.

CHARGE YOURSELF

In self-loading shotguns, a portion of the energy generated when firing a powder charge is used to reload the weapon. As a result of inertia (Benelli), powder pressure (Russian Saiga-12 and Italian Franchi SPAS-15, American Remington 1100 and Remington 11-87), and barrel recoil with its long stroke (Browning FN Auto-5 and Remington 11), and barrel recoil with its long stroke (Browning FN Auto-5 and Remington 11), this can happen. The recoil and rate of fire of self-loading shotguns and pump-action shotguns are slightly different.

The British discovered self-loading shotguns to be helpful in combat situations during the Southeast Asian fighting at the end of the Second World War. In the jungle, fights were typically fought between ten and twenty meters, or even less, because Browning Auto-5 self-loading shotguns had a higher fire rate than pump-action shotguns. Firepower is more critical than tactical flexibility for the military, as shown by the recent adoption of the Benelli M4 / M1014 smoothbore shotgun in the United States. Other armies worldwide use self-loading shotguns, including the Italian Armed Forces (SPAS-15).

Alternatively, combination systems allow users to switch between semi-automatic and manual (pump-action) reloading. Still, these are generally more complicated in design, heavier, and more expensive than conventional guns. Police are more likely to use such systems.

Burst-firing smoothbore guns are rare. The reasons for this can be attributed to several factors. To fire such guns in bursts, they must be cumbersome since they have very high recoil; otherwise, they will waste ammunition and even be dangerous to shoot. Additionally, automatic fire is not famous because of its small magazine capacity and ammunition load.

‘SHOTGUN’ IS ON THE ROAD

In case of an attack, shotguns can be transported on the road and used – I won’t even go there. You never know with our legislation; will Themis defend the defender, or will she defend the criminals? Consequently, let us skip this point and turn our attention to another problem – the lack of these exact “shotguns” in our domestic traffic police, which means that police officers add to the number of road hazards – especially if they suddenly decide to stop someone, just as their Russian colleagues have fallen into one unfortunate wheel twenty times before.

The Fort-500

• The magazine has a capacity of six rounds.

The solution is as simple as shelling pears – the FORT-500 is produced with three modifications at the same Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. However, Vinnytsia residents complain that the police still want to rearm their units, going to the annual WEAPONS AND SECURITY exhibition in Kyiv with various smoothbore pump-action guns of their production. Generals and colonels of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and even ministers inspect the company’s stand with interest. At the same time, the traffic police and the country’s patrol service officers wear the same Soviet PM and AKSU every year. Moreover, our streets are still plagued with blind ricochet because the ammunition still contains live cartridges that are not adapted for urban use.

The Fort-500 series pump-action shotguns are service smoothbore support weapons for law enforcement units. On the receiver, a Picatinny rail mounts the sights. Besides the pistol grip, the forend contains a flashlight as well. A grenade with tear gas can be fired from the barrel (for knocking out a lock on a door or destroying a lock). This picture shows a “Fort-500 M” magazine with a capacity of six rounds.