A sawed off shotgun question.?

Question

I am an author and have a scene where a character uses a sawed off shotgun. My question is this, what would be the most common shotgun a person would find in say a Texas small town? Also would there be much kick-back from shooting it? Is it easy to learn? What does it mean to have a bullet in the chamber or does that not apply to shotguns? Sorry for newbie questions, but don't be afraid I'm not going to be shooting a gun anytime soon. Thanks

Answer 1

Shotguns don't fire "bullets" as such. A shell in the chamber would mean that a shotgun is loaded and ready to fire once the safety is off or the hammer is ******.



Almost any type of shotgun could be sawed off, for effect if I were writing the story, I would go with either a pump shotgun or a double barrel. The double barrel would be easier, because it wouldn't require any modifications to a tube magazine (the round tube under the barrel of most pumps serves as a spring loaded magazine from which rounds are loaded when the pump is cycled. Cutting it off would cause problems). A single shot shotgun could also be cut off. They are cheap and are very common.



A sawed off shotgun would kick more than a full length version, just because of the reduced weight. There would also be a lot more noise and muzzle flash. It's not really hard to learn to handle a shotgun. You should do some research into shotgun ammunition though. They can be loaded with fineshot, also called birdshot, buckshot, or slugs. They all perform a lot differently.



If you want to write about a shotgun, I would recommend that you go to a range and try one out. Better yet try out a couple, if you can. It'll be good research and you may enjoy it.

Answer 2

Most common shotgun in a small town in Texas- Stevens SxS or NEF single shot, Winchester,Remington, or Mossberg if a pump



Recoil, kickback, would be stout but not unmanageable for a grown man, but they are usually shot from the hip

Impact on the shoulder would be very strong

I'm 6' 230 pounds and have been pushed back a foot or so shooting 00 from a 14" barrel



That kind of shooting is general point a shoot, pull the trigger gun goes boom

The only thing to learn is to not pull both triggers at the same time, but you only make that mistake once



Having a bullet in the chamber is incorrect terminology for having a round in the chamber

Don't make that mistake or your writing will lose all credibility

It only means that the cartridge is in firing position

It however does not mean that the gun is ready to fire

Yes it applies to all guns

Answer 3

1: A double barrel or a pump shotgun would be the most common you would/will come across.

#2: Kick-back is correctly called "Recoil" and it would have enough of it to move your arms slightly rearward when shooting from the hip level.

#3: Bullet in the chamber, aka... "one in the pipe/tube," "a hot weapon" "locked and loaded" and a few others. So yes it applies to a shotgun.

Answer 4

a bullet in the chamber means the gun is loaded and is ready to be fired, most modern hanguns automatically put a new bullet in the chamber after every shot the slide will slide back and on its way back to the front it will push another bullet into the chamber. and yes it is possible for a shotgun to have a bullet in the chamber. umm id say a double barrel sawed of shotgun and yes it will kick but for a grown man it isnt any bone breaking feel. Good luck!