The AK-100 family is a series of Kalashnikov rifles , based upon the AK-74M , intended for export sales. The family of rifles offers the AK-74M system, in multiple cartridges and lengths.
85-555: The original AK-100 series rifles were introduced in 1994 and are categorized by all having black polymer handguards , folding polymer stocks , and use of AK-74M internal systems. Parts are highly interchangeable. Notably, while the pattern would imply that the AK-100 series rifle chambered for 5.45x39mm would be the AK-105, and that the 5.45 carbine would be the AK-106, the AK-105 designation skipped
170-413: A 20-gauge within a few years, and to 12-gauge shotguns and full-size hunting rifles by their late teens. Still, many who are particularly recoil-averse choose to stay with 20-gauge shotguns all their adult life, as it is a suitable gauge for many popular hunting uses. A recent innovation is the back-boring of barrels, in which the barrels are bored out slightly larger than their actual gauge. This reduces
255-418: A centerfire cartridge. Although very rare, drillings with three and even four (a vierling ) shotgun barrels were made. In pump-action shotguns , a linearly sliding fore-end handguard (i.e. pump ) is manually moved back-and-forth like a hand pump to work the action, extracting the spent shell and inserting a new round, while cocking the hammer or striker . A pump-action shotgun is typically fed from
340-477: A firearm to prevent unwanted direct contact with the barrel (e.g. accidental collision with surrounding objects or the user accidentally touching a hot barrel, which can lead to burns ). Moving coverings such as pistol slides , fore-end extensions of the gunstock / chassis that do not fully encircle the barrel, and the receiver (or frame) of a firearm itself are generally not described as barrel shrouds, though they can functionally act as such. In shotguns ,
425-405: A tubular magazine underneath the barrel, which also serves as a guide rail for the pump. The rounds are fed in one by one through a port in the receiver, where they are lifted by a lever called the elevator and pushed forward into the chamber by the bolt. A pair of latches at the rear of the magazine hold the rounds in place and facilitate feeding of one shell at a time. If it is desired to load
510-862: A barrel and gas system assembly and iron sights line similar to that of the AK-74M /AK-100 rifle family. Improvements added from the AK-12 include Picatinny rails , a new pistol grip, a new adjustable buttstock and a new flash hider. They feed from 30-round magazines, and are compatible with drum magazines from the RPK and RPK-74. The models of the AK-200 series are: On 3 March 2019, Russia and India inaugurated Indo-Russia Rifles in Uttar Pradesh , India to produce AK-203 assault rifles. However, no contract had been signed then or rifles produced because of pricing disagreements. India signed
595-401: A break when shooting clay targets. In reality the pattern is closer to a Gaussian , or normal distribution, with a higher density in the center that tapers off at the edges. Patterns are usually measured by firing at a 30-inch (76 cm) diameter circle on a large sheet of paper placed at varying distances. The hits inside the circle are counted, and compared to the total number of pellets, and
680-409: A conical portion about three times the bore diameter in length, so the shot is gradually squeezed down with minimal deformation. The cylindrical section is shorter, usually 0.6 to 0.75 inches (15 to 19 millimetres). The use of interchangeable chokes has made it easy to tune the performance of a given combination of shotgun and shotshell to achieve the desired performance. The choke should be tailored to
765-454: A contract in August 2021 to directly import 70,000 AK-203 rifles from Russia. Russia and India on December 6, 2021, finally signed a contract on the delivery of over 600,000 7.62mm AK-203 assault rifles that will be produced on India's soil to the republic's Defense Ministry. Handguard A barrel shroud is an external covering that envelops (either partially or full-length) the barrel of
850-447: A dedicated launching device called a "trap". The action is the operating mechanism of a gun. There are many types of shotguns, typically categorized by the number of barrels or the way the gun is reloaded. For most of the history of the shotgun, the breechloading break-action shotgun was the most common type, and double-barreled variants are by far the most commonly seen in modern days. These are typically divided into two subtypes:
935-497: A dowel rod or other stop that is inserted into the magazine and reduces the capacity of the gun to three shells (two in the magazine and one chambered) as is mandated by U.S. federal law when hunting migratory birds. They can also easily be used with an empty magazine as a single-shot weapon, by simply dropping the next round to be fired into the open ejection port after the spent round is ejected. For this reason, pump-actions are commonly used to teach novice shooters under supervision, as
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#17328553571111020-582: A huge success, as they were somewhat slow and awkward to operate, and the rate of fire was noticeably slower (on average) than a double-barrelled gun. The Rifle Factory Ishapore in India also manufactured a single-shot .410 bore shotgun based on the SMLE Mk III* rifle. The Russian Berdana shotgun was effectively a single-shot bolt-action rifle that became obsolete, and was subsequently modified to chamber 16-gauge shotgun shells for civilian sale. The U.S. military M26
1105-435: A lesser extent. Preceding smoothbore firearms (such as the musket ) were widely used by European militaries from the 17th until the mid-19th century. The muzzleloading blunderbuss , the direct ancestor of the shotgun, was also used in similar roles from self-defense to riot control. Shotguns were often favored by cavalry troops in the early to mid-19th century because of its ease of use and generally good effectiveness on
1190-664: A limited effective zone. Offset chokes, where the pattern is intentionally slightly off of center, are used to change the point of impact. For instance, an offset choke can be used to make a double barrelled shotgun with poorly aligned barrels hit the same spot with both barrels. Shotguns generally have longer barrels than modern rifles. Unlike rifles, however, the long shotgun barrel is not for ballistic purposes; shotgun shells use small powder charges in large diameter bores, and this leads to very low muzzle pressures (see internal ballistics ) and very little velocity change with increasing barrel length. According to Remington, modern powder in
1275-552: A military or law enforcement context, the high short-range blunt knockback force and large number of projectiles makes the shotgun useful as a door breaching tool, a crowd control or close-quarters defensive weapon . Militants or insurgents may use shotguns in asymmetric engagements , as shotguns are commonly owned civilian weapons in many countries. Shotguns are also used for target - shooting sports such as skeet , trap , and sporting clays , which involve flying clay disks, known as " clay pigeons ", thrown in various ways by
1360-440: A modified choke can serve admirably for use as one gun intended for general all-round hunting of small-game such as quails, rabbits, pheasants, doves, and squirrels in semi-open wooded or farmland areas in many parts of the eastern US (Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee) where dense brush is less of a hindrance and the ability to have more reach is important. For hunting in dense brush, shorter barrel lengths are often preferred when hunting
1445-628: A niche role as a middle ground between the AK-74M and AKS-74U. Later Kalashnikov started offering the AK-107 / AK-108 / AK-109 (in order 5.45x39, 5.56x45, 7.62x39) models. Externally they are very similar to the AK-100 series (with some minor differences) and are offered in the same calibers. Internally they use a radically different gas system and incorporate the Balanced Automatics Recoil System (BARS). The AK-100M/AK-200 rifle family
1530-484: A notable uptick in lever-action shotgun sales in Australia since 1997, when pump-actions were effectively outlawed. Bolt-action shotguns, while uncommon, do exist. One of the best-known examples is a 12-gauge manufactured by Mossberg featuring a 3-round magazine, marketed in Australia just after changes to the gun laws in 1997 heavily restricted the ownership and use of pump-action and semi-automatic shotguns. They were not
1615-534: A rise in popularity in the recent years. They work by only attaching to the firearm at one point (on the barrel nut by the upper receiver ) while the remainder of the handguard does not make contact with the barrel. This gives the impression that the handguard is "floating" around the barrel, hence the name. Because they void barrel warping, free-floating handguards have been known to increase accuracy between 0.5 and 0.75 MOA (0.15–0.2 mrad ) compared to their drop-in counterparts. Barrel warping occurs when
1700-407: A shotgun burns completely in 25 (9.8425 in) to 36 (14.173 in) cm barrels. Since shotguns are generally used for shooting at small, fast moving targets, it is important to lead the target by firing slightly ahead of the target, so that when the shot reaches the range of the target, the target will have moved into the pattern. Shotguns made for close ranges, where the angular speed of
1785-425: A shotgun has far more power and damage potential (up to 10 times the muzzle energy of a .45 ACP cartridge), allowing a " one-shot stop " that is more difficult to achieve with typical handgun loads. Compared to a rifle, riot shotguns are easier to maneuver due to the shorter barrel, still provide better damage potential at indoor distances (generally 3–5 meters/yards), and reduce the risk of "overpenetration"; that is,
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#17328553571111870-984: A single shotgun for gamebirds normally pursued with 12 or 20-gauge shotguns, but have become rarer in recent years. 20-gauge shotguns are often used for gamebirds such as doves, smaller ducks, and quail. 28-gauge shotguns are not as common, but are classic quail-hunting guns. .410 gauge shotguns are typically used for squirrel hunting or for sportsmen seeking the challenge of killing game with a smaller load. Other, less common shotgun cartridges have their own unique uses. Ammunition manufacturer CCI produces 9mm Parabellum (.355 in.) and several other popular pistol calibers up to .45 ACP (11.43mm), as well as smaller calibers such as .22 Long Rifle (5.5mm) and .22 Magnum (5.5mm). These are commonly called snake shot cartridges. Larger gauges, up to 4 bore, too powerful to shoulder, have been built, but were generally affixed to small boats and referred to as punt guns . These were used for commercial waterfowl hunting, to kill large numbers of birds resting on
1955-509: A single solid projectile called a slug . Shotguns are most commonly used as smoothbore firearms, meaning that their gun barrels have no rifling on the inner wall, but rifled barrels for shooting sabot slugs ( slug barrels ) are also available. Shotguns come in a wide variety of calibers and gauges ranging from 5.5 mm (.22 inch) to up to 5 cm (2.0 in), though the 12-gauge (18.53 mm or 0.729 in) and 20-gauge (15.63 mm or 0.615 in) bores are by far
2040-445: A thin, slim partial shroud known as a rib is often mounted above the barrel to shield away the mirage generated by barrel heat, which can interfere with aiming. Full-length barrel shrouds are commonly featured on air-cooled machine guns , where frequent rapid bursts or sustained automatic fire will leave the barrel extremely hot and dangerous to the user. However, shrouds can also be used on semi-automatic firearms , especially
2125-402: A variety of close quarters combat roles in civilian, law enforcement, and military applications. The smoothbore shotgun barrel generates less resistance and thus allows greater propellant loads for heavier projectiles without as much risk of overpressure or a squib load , and are also easier to clean . The shot pellets from a shotshell are propelled indirectly through a wadding inside
2210-401: A variety of other attachments. Handguards are typically available as two types. The first has a contact point at the base of the barrel and a predetermined length up the barrel. They are typically made of polymer if they are this brand but can be made of different types of alloys. If they have the two contact points they are considered to be a drop in handguard. The other type attaches around
2295-436: Is also a bolt-action weapon. Bolt-action shotguns have also been used in the "goose gun" application, intended to kill birds such as geese at greater range. Typically, goose guns have long barrels (up to 36 inches), and small bolt-fed magazines. Bolt-action shotguns are also used in conjunction with slug shells for the maximum possible accuracy from a shotgun. In Australia, some straight-pull bolt-action shotguns, such as
2380-403: Is ballistically inefficient. As the shot leaves the barrel it begins to disperse in the air. The resulting cloud of pellets is known as the shot pattern , or shotgun shot spread . The ideal pattern would be a circle with an even distribution of shot throughout, with a density sufficient to ensure enough pellets will intersect the target to achieve the desired result, such as a kill when hunting or
2465-467: Is designed to stop any spin that the shot column might acquire when traveling down the barrel. These tubes are often extended tubes, meaning they project beyond the end of the bore, giving more room for things like a longer conical section. Shot spreaders or diffusion chokes work opposite of normal chokes—they are designed to spread the shot more than a cylinder bore, generating wider patterns for very short range use. A number of recent spreader chokes, such as
2550-472: Is in essence a modified inertia-driven semi-automatic shotgun, but after blowback the bolt is trapped by a bolt stop and cannot return to battery unless it is manually released by depressing a thumb lever near the tang of the grip. Because the gun will not chamber a new round without manual actuation, the design is technically not really a self-loading, and Verney-Carron described it as a "manual repeating shotgun". When Australian firearm dealers tried to import
2635-628: Is often used as a beginner's gun. However, the small charge and typically tight choke make it more difficult to hit targets. It is also frequently used by expert shooters because of the difficulty, especially in expensive side by side and over/under models for hunting small bird game such as quail and doves. Inexpensive bolt-action .410 shotguns are a very common first hunting shotgun among young pre-teen hunters, as they are used mostly for hunting squirrels, while additionally teaching bolt-action manipulation skills that will transfer easily later to adult-sized hunting rifles. Most of these young hunters move up to
AK-100 (rifle family) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2720-449: The .45LC /.410 rounds; but as with derringers they are not considered shotguns. The .410 bore (10.4 mm) is unusual, being measured in inches, and would be approximately 67 "real" gauge, though its short hull versions are nominally called 36-gauge in Europe. It uses a relatively small charge of shot. It is used for hunting and for skeet. Because of its very light recoil (approx 10 N), it
2805-489: The Franchi SPAS-12 and Benelli M3 , are capable of switching between semi-automatic and pump action. These are popular for two reasons; first, some jurisdictions forbid the use of semi-automatic actions for hunting, and second, lower-powered rounds, like "reduced-recoil" buckshot shells and many less-lethal cartridges, have insufficient power to reliably cycle a semi-automatic shotgun. Fully automatic shotguns , such as
2890-590: The forend or forearm ) on firearms is a barrel shroud specifically designed to allow the user to grip the front of the gun. It provides a safe heat-insulated surface for the user's hand to firmly hold onto without needing to worry about getting burned by the barrel , which may become very hot when firing. It can also serve as an attachment platform for secondary weapons (such as an underslung M203 grenade launcher or M26-MASS ) as well as accessories such as bipods , tactical lights , laser sights , night-vision devices , foregrips (or handstops), slings and
2975-466: The 100 series 5.45 rifle (that already existed as the 74M,) and went straight to the 5.45 carbine. Despite the AK-100 series being built off the AK-74M, rather than the 74M being the start of the series as the AK-100 or the AK-101, they decided that they would keep its name, and instead skip "AK-100" and attribute AK-101 to a completely different rifle. Additionally, there is no AK-106. This is likely to separate
3060-623: The 1960's (appeared in 1967) Vietnam War era Remington Model 7188 (designed for and used by US Navy SEALs in Vietnam), the Auto Assault-12 (AA-12) or the USAS-12 also exist, but they are still rare. In addition to the commonly encountered shotgun actions already listed, there are also shotguns based on the Martini-Henry rifle design, originally designed by British arms maker W.W. Greener . Some of
3145-508: The 1970s from companies like A & W Engineering. Military versions of the Ithaca 37 with duckbill choke were used in limited numbers during the Vietnam War by US Navy Seals. It arguably increased effectiveness in close range engagements against multiple targets. Two major disadvantages plagued the system. One was erratic patterning. The second was that the shot would spread too quickly providing
3230-585: The Briley "Diffusion" line, actually use rifling in the choke to spin the shot slightly, creating a wider spread. The Briley Diffusion uses a 1 in 36 cm twist, as does the FABARM Lion Paradox shotgun. Oval chokes, which are designed to provide a shot pattern wider than it is tall, are sometimes found on combat shotguns , primarily those of the Vietnam War era. They were available for aftermarket addition in
3315-611: The Streetsweeper. Taurus manufactures a carbine variant of the Taurus Judge revolver along with its Australian partner company, Rossi known as the Taurus/Rossi Circuit Judge . It comes in the original combination chambering of .410 bore and .45 Long Colt , as well as the .44 Remington Magnum chambering. The rifle has small blast shields attached to the cylinder to protect the shooter from hot gases escaping between
3400-587: The Turkish-made Pardus BA12 and Dickinson T1000, the American C-More Competition M26 , as well as the indigenous-designed SHS STP 12, have become increasingly popular alternatives to lever-action shotguns, largely due to the better ergonomics with less stress on the shooter's trigger hand and fingers when cycling the action. Colt briefly manufactured several revolving shotguns that were met with mixed success. The Colt Model 1839 Shotgun
3485-584: The U.S. is 18 inches (460 mm), and this barrel length (sometimes 18.5–20 in (470–510 mm) to increase magazine capacity and/or ensure the gun is legal regardless of measuring differences ) is the primary choice for riot shotguns. The shorter barrel makes the weapon easier to maneuver around corners and in tight spaces, though slightly longer barrels are sometimes used outdoors for a tighter spread pattern or increased accuracy of slug projectiles. Home-defense and law enforcement shotguns are usually chambered for 12-gauge shells, providing maximum shot power and
AK-100 (rifle family) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3570-445: The US, as the shot may be ingested by the waterfowl, which some authorities believe can lead to health problems due to the lead exposure. Shot is termed either birdshot or buckshot depending on the shot size. Informally, birdshot pellets have a diameter smaller than 5 mm (0.20 in) and buckshot are larger than that. Pellet size is indicated by a number; for bird shot this ranges from
3655-448: The Véloce shotgun in 2018, Greens ' David Shoebridge and anti-gun groups such as Gun Control Australia caused a moral panic on the mainstream media , calling it "semi-semi-automatic" that needed to be prohibited as a "rapid-fire weapon". The gauge number is determined by the weight, in fractions of a pound, of a solid sphere of lead with a diameter equal to the inside diameter of
3740-468: The action manually operated by a pump or lever, the action automatically cycles each time the shotgun is fired, ejecting the spent shell and reloading a fresh one into the chamber. The first successful semi-automatic shotgun was John Browning 's Auto-5 , first produced by Fabrique Nationale beginning in 1902. Other well-known examples include the Remington 1100 , Benelli M1 , and Saiga-12 . Some, such as
3825-417: The barrel at the time of manufacture, by squeezing the end of the bore down over a mandrel , or by threading the barrel and screwing in an interchangeable choke tube. The choke typically consists of a conical section that smoothly tapers from the bore diameter down to the choke diameter, followed by a cylindrical section of the choke diameter. Briley Manufacturing, a maker of interchangeable shotgun chokes, uses
3910-452: The barrel but does not make contact with it directly. That particular type of handguard is, the majority of the time, made out of some form of aluminum or aluminum alloy. That allows for what is considered a free-floating barrel. Free floating barrels are known to have greater accuracy than their counterparts that have drop in hand guards. They also use a number of mounting systems, with the main ones being M-LOK , KeyMod , and Picatinny . In
3995-413: The barrel. Force exerted onto the handguard is not transferred to the barrel, which allows for an increase in accuracy. Shotgun A shotgun (also known as a scattergun , peppergun , or historically as a fowling piece ) is a long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge known as a shotshell , which discharges numerous small spherical projectiles called shot , or
4080-683: The barrel. So, a 10-gauge shotgun nominally should have an inside diameter equal to that of a sphere made from one-tenth of a pound of lead. Each gauge has a set caliber . By far the most common gauges are 12 (0.729 in, 18.5mm diameter) and 20 (0.614 in, 15.6mm), this includes other more or less common gauges, such as the 10, 16, 24, 28, 32, and 67 ( .410 bore ) gauge. Different gauges have different typical applications. 12-gauge shotguns are common for hunting geese, large ducks, or other big larger gamebirds; professional skeet and trap shooting; military applications; and home-defense applications. 16-gauge shotguns were once common for hunters who wanted to use only
4165-579: The bullet or shot passing completely through the target and continuing beyond, which poses a risk to those behind the target through walls. The wide spread of the shot reduces the importance of shot placement compared to a single projectile, which increases the effectiveness of "point shooting" – rapidly aiming simply by pointing the weapon in the direction of the target. This allows easy, fast use by novices. Early attempts at repeating shotguns invariably centred around either bolt-or lever-action designs, drawing inspiration from contemporary repeating rifles, with
4250-556: The cartridge in a fixed geometric arrangement to fit. The diameter in hundredths of an inch of bird shot sizes from No. 9 to No. 1 can be obtained by subtracting the shot size from 17. Thus, No. 4 bird shot is 17 – 4 = 13 = 0.13 inches (3.3 mm) in diameter. Different terminology is used outside the United States. In England and Australia, for example, 00 buckshot cartridges are commonly referred to as " S.G. " (Swanshot gauge) cartridges. Shot, small and round and delivered without spin,
4335-561: The compression forces on the shot when it transitions from the chamber to the barrel. This leads to a slight reduction in perceived recoil, and an improvement in shot pattern due to reduced deformation of the shot. Most shotguns are used to fire "a number of ball shot", in addition to slugs and sabots. The ball shot or pellets is for the most part made of lead but this has been partially replaced by bismuth, steel, tungsten-iron, tungsten-nickel-iron and even tungsten polymer loads. Non-toxic loads are required by Federal law for waterfowl hunting in
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#17328553571114420-463: The context of melee weapons, a "handguard" refers to the crossguard (also known as the quillons or crosstree), the enlarged front part of a sword , saber or knife / dagger 's hilt , which protects the wielder's hands from an opponent's blade sliding towards the hilt or prevents the wielder's own hand and fingers from accidentally slipping onto the blade when stabbing . Free-floating handguards, also referred to as "floating" handguards, have seen
4505-551: The cylinder and barrel. The MTs255 (Russian: МЦ255 ) is a shotgun fed by a 5-round internal revolving cylinder. It is produced by the TsKIB SOO , Central Design and Research Bureau of Sporting and Hunting Arms. They are available in 12, 20, 28 and 32 gauges, and .410 bore. Recoil / inertia-driven or gas-operated actions are other popular methods of increasing the rate of fire of a shotgun; these self-loading shotguns are generally referred to as autoloaders . Instead of having
4590-418: The density of the pattern inside the circle is examined. An "ideal" pattern would put nearly 100% of the pellets in the circle and would have no voids—any region where a target silhouette will fit and not cover 3 or more holes is considered a potential problem. A constriction in the end of the barrel known as the choke is used to tailor the pattern for different purposes. Chokes may either be formed as part of
4675-535: The earliest successful repeating shotgun being the lever-action Winchester M1887 , designed by John Browning at the behest of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. Lever shotguns, while less common, were popular in the late 19th century with the Winchester Model 1887 and Model 1901 being prime examples. Initially very popular, demand waned after the introduction of pump-action shotguns around
4760-458: The first shell. This design has only been repeated once, by Beretta with their UGB25 automatic shotgun. The user loads the first shell by breaking the gun in the manner of a break-action shotgun, then closes it and inserts the second shell into a clip on the gun's right side. The spent hulls are ejected downwards. The guns combine the advantages of the break action (they can be proven to be safe by breaking open, there are no flying hulls) with those of
4845-418: The generally suboptimal aerodynamic shape of the shot pellets also make them less accurate and decelerate quite quickly in flight due to drag , giving shotguns short effective ranges . In a hunting context, this makes shotguns useful primarily for hunting fast-flying birds and other agile small/medium-sized game without risking overpenetration and stray shots to distant bystander and objects. However, in
4930-524: The gun fully, a round may be loaded through the ejection port directly into the chamber, or cycled from the magazine, which is then topped off with another round. Well-known examples include the Winchester Model 1897 , Remington 870 , and Mossberg 500 /590. Pump-action shotguns are common hunting, fowling and sporting shotguns. Hunting models generally have a barrel between 600 and 700 mm (24"-28"). Tube-fed models designed for hunting often come with
5015-569: The gun. Lever shotguns have seen a return to the gun market in recent years, however, with Winchester producing the Model 9410 (chambering the .410 gauge shotgun shell and using the action of the Winchester Model 94 series lever-action rifle, hence the name), and a handful of other firearm manufacturers (primarily Norinco of China and ADI Ltd. of Australia) producing versions of the Winchester Model 1887/1901 designed for modern 12-gauge smokeless shotshells with more durable plastic casings. There has been
5100-519: The handguard makes contact with the barrel, which then slightly alters the barrel's angle, reducing accuracy. This can occur when a rifle is propped up against a surface or with a bipod . Force exerted onto the handguard pushes back up against the barrel, which deflects the barrel, reducing accuracy. The angle may seem insignificant; however, even a slight deviation can cause the shot to dramatically deviate down range. Free-floating handguards do not suffer from barrel warping as they do not make contact with
5185-553: The handguard possesses 4 rails instead of two, with a rail on the top of the dustcover, which is hinged. Overall, it is considerably designed to use modern optics compared to it's predecessor. As of 2018, the AK-200 series rifles are offered for export sales and for domestic law enforcement users in Russia. The AK-200 series are based on the AK-100 series and the AK-12 . They can be chambered in 5.45×39mm , 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×39mm , and use
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#17328553571115270-465: The individual configuration largely being a matter of personal preference. Another, less commonly encountered type of break-action shotgun is the combination gun , which is an over-and-under design with one smoothbore barrel and one rifle barrel (more often with a rifle barrel on top, but a rifle barrel on bottom was not uncommon). There is also a class of break-action guns called drillings , which contain three barrels, usually two smoothbore barrels of
5355-471: The more interesting advances in shotgun technology include the versatile NeoStead 2000 and fully automatics such as the Pancor Jackhammer or Auto-Assault 12 . In 1925, Rodolfo Cosmi produced the first working prototype hybrid semi-automatic shotgun, which had an 8-round magazine located in the stock. While it reloaded automatically after each shot like a semi-automatic, it had a break-action to load
5440-547: The most common. Almost all are breechloading , and can be single barreled, double barreled , or in the form of a combination gun . Like rifles, shotguns also come in a range of different action types, both single-shot and repeating . For non-repeating designs, over-and-under and side-by-side break action shotguns are by far the most common variants. Although revolving shotguns do exist, most modern repeating shotguns are either pump action or semi automatic , and also fully automatic , lever-action , or bolt-action to
5525-580: The move, as well as by coachmen for its substantial power. But by the late 19th century, these weapons became largely replaced on the battlefield by breechloading rifled firearms shooting spin-stabilized cylindro-conoidal bullets , which were far more accurate with longer effective ranges . The military value of shotguns was rediscovered in the First World War , when American forces used the pump-action Winchester Model 1897 shotgun in trench fighting to great effect. Since then, shotguns have been used in
5610-586: The ones with light-weight barrels, as even a small number of shots can heat up a barrel enough to injure the user in certain circumstances. Barrel shrouds are also used on pump-action shotguns . The military trench shotgun features a ventilated metal handguard with a bayonet attachment lug. Ventilated handguards or heat shields (usually without bayonet lugs) are also used on police riot shotguns and shotguns marketed for civilian self-defense. The heat shield also serves as an attachment base for accessories such as sights or sling swivels. A handguard (also known as
5695-491: The range and size of the targets. A skeet shooter shooting at close targets might use 127 micrometres (0.005 inches) of constriction to produce a 76 cm (30 in) diameter pattern at a distance of 19 m (21 yd). A trap shooter shooting at distant targets might use 762 micrometres (0.030 inches) of constriction to produce a 76 cm (30 in) diameter pattern at 37 m (40 yd). Special chokes for turkey hunting, which requires long range shots at
5780-401: The same barrel length, and so will use longer barrels. The break open design saves between 7.62 and 15.24 cm (3.00 and 6.00 in) in overall length, but in most cases pays for this by having two barrels, which adds weight at the muzzle. Barrels for shotguns have been getting longer as modern steels and production methods make the barrels stronger and lighter; a longer, lighter barrel gives
5865-414: The same gauge and a rifled barrel, though the only common theme is that at least one barrel be smoothbore. The most common arrangement was essentially a side-by-side shotgun with the rifled barrel below and centered. Usually a drilling containing more than one rifled barrel would have both rifled barrels in the same caliber , but examples do exist with different caliber barrels, usually a .22 long rifle and
5950-428: The same inertia for less overall weight. Shotguns for use against larger, slower targets generally have even shorter barrels. Small game shotguns, for hunting game like rabbits and squirrels, or shotguns for use with buckshot for deer, are often 56 to 61 cm (22 to 24 in). Shotguns intended for all-round hunting are a compromise, but a 72 to 74 cm (28 to 29 in) barrel pump-action 12-gauge shotgun with
6035-493: The same types of game. Shotguns are well suited for the use of caliber conversion sleeves , allowing most single- and double-barrel shotguns to fire a wide range of ammunition. The X Caliber system consists of eight adapter sleeves that allow the 12-gauge models to fire: .380 ACP , 9mm Luger , .38 Special , .357 Magnum , .40 S&W , .44 Special , .44 Magnum , .45 ACP , .45 Long Colt , .410 gauge and 20-gauge ammunition. They even make four adapter sleeves that allow
6120-464: The semi-automatic (low recoil, low barrel axis position hence low muzzle flip). The Italian firearms manufacturer Benelli Armi SpA also makes the Benelli M3 , a dual-mode hybrid shotgun that allows the user the choice of semi-automatic or pump-action operation. Pump-action operation is employed when shooting less energetic shells (such as baton rounds ) that do not generate enough recoil to operate
6205-442: The semi-automatic mechanism. Conversely, the semi-automatic mode can be employed with more powerful shells, absorbing some of the recoil. Switching between the two modes is done by manipulating the ring located at the front of the foregrip . The French firearm manufacturer Verney-Carron produces the Véloce shotgun, a "lever-release blowback firearm" using bolt catch mechanism like its similarly designed SpeedLine rifle. The Véloce
6290-459: The shell and scatter upon leaving the barrel, which is usually choked at the muzzle end to control the projectile scatter. This means each shotgun discharge will produce a cluster of impact points instead of a single point of impact like other firearms. Having multiple projectiles also means the muzzle energy is divided among the pellets, leaving each individual projectile with less penetrative kinetic energy . The lack of spin stabilization and
6375-560: The small head and neck of the bird, can go as high as 1500 micrometres (0.060 inches). The use of too much choke and a small pattern increases the difficulty of hitting the target, whereas the use of too little choke produces large patterns with insufficient pellet density to reliably break targets or kill game. "Cylinder barrels" have no constriction. Other specialized choke tubes exist as well. Some turkey hunting tubes have constrictions greater than "Super Full", or additional features like porting to reduce recoil, or "straight rifling" that
6460-479: The smallest 12 (1.2 mm, 0.05 in) to 2 (3.8 mm, 0.15 in) and then BB (4.6 mm, 0.18 in). For buckshot, the numbers start and end with 4, 3, 2, 1, 0 ("single-aught"), 00 ("double-aught"), 000 ("triple-aught"), and 0000 ("quadruple-aught"). A different informal distinction is that "bird shot" pellets are small enough that they can be measured into the cartridge by weight, and simply poured in, whereas "buckshot" pellets are so large they must be stacked inside
6545-444: The start of the 20th century, and production was eventually discontinued in 1920. One major issue with lever-actions (and to a lesser extent pump-actions) was that early shotgun shells were often made of paper or similar fragile materials (modern hulls are plastic or metal). As a result, the loading of shells, or working of the action of the shotgun, could often result in cartridges getting crushed and becoming unusable, or even damaging
6630-602: The targets is great (such as skeet or upland bird hunting), tend to have shorter barrels, around 24 to 28 inches (610 to 710 millimetres). Shotguns for longer range shooting, where angular speeds are small (trap shooting; quail, pheasant, and waterfowl hunting), tend to have longer barrels, 28 to 36 inches (910 mm). The longer barrels have more angular momentum , and will therefore swing more slowly but more steadily. The short, low angular momentum barrels swing faster, but are less steady. These lengths are for pump or semi-auto shotguns; break open guns have shorter overall lengths for
6715-661: The traditional "side-by-side" shotgun features two barrels mounted horizontally beside each other (as the name suggests), whereas the "over-and-under" shotgun has the two barrels mounted vertically one on top of the other. Side-by-side shotguns were traditionally used for hunting and other sporting pursuits (early long-barreled side-by-side shotguns were known as "fowling pieces" for their use hunting ducks and other waterbirds as well as some landfowls ), whereas over-and-under shotguns are more commonly associated with recreational use (such as clay pigeon shooting ). Both types of double-barrel shotgun are used for hunting and sporting use, with
6800-441: The trainer can load each round more quickly than with a break-action, while unlike a break-action the student can maintain his grip on the gun and concentrate on proper handling and firing of the weapon. Pump-action shotguns with shorter barrels and little or no barrel choke are highly popular for use in home defense, military and law enforcement, and are commonly known as riot guns . The minimum barrel length for shotguns in most of
6885-466: The use of a variety of projectiles such as buckshot, rubber, sandbag and slug shells, but 20-gauge (common in bird-hunting shotguns) or .410 (common in youth-size shotguns) are also available in defense-type shotgun models allowing easier use by novice shooters. A riot shotgun has many advantages over a handgun or rifle. Compared to "defense-caliber" handguns (chambered for 9mm Parabellum , .38 Special , .357 Magnum , .40 S&W , .45 ACP and similar),
6970-614: The versions using the BARS system, to make it clear that while they are 100 series rifles overall, they are somewhat their own subseries, however it could be possible that the AK-74M could have the alternative designation of AK-106 Even with those differences all of the rifles are made to similar specifications. Rifles in the 100 series have been exported to and/or adopted by a variety of countries, notably: Armenia, Cyprus, Serbia, Syria, Uruguay, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Venezuela. The AK-105 has also seen some domestic use, filling
7055-507: The water. Handguns have also been produced that are capable of firing either .45 (Long) Colt or .410 shotgun shells from the same chamber; they are commonly known as "snake guns". Derringers such as the " Snake Slayer and Cowboy Defender " are popular among some outdoors-men in the South and Southwest regions of the United States. There are also some revolvers, such as the Taurus Judge and Smith & Wesson Governor , that are capable of shooting
7140-518: Was initially conceived around 2009 as an improved variant of the basic AK-100 series. The development of the AK-100M/AK-200 family was stopped around 2011 but resumed around 2016. In 2017, Kalashnikov unveiled the modernized versions of the AK-100 family of rifles. Main key takeaways compared to the AK-100 variants is the additional picatinny rails, accurized barrel, improved flash hider device, pinned barrel components instead of pressed in. Additionally,
7225-510: Was manufactured between 1839 and 1841. Later, the Colt Model 1855 Shotgun, based on the Model 1855 revolving rifle , was manufactured between 1860 and 1863. Because of their low production numbers and age they are among the rarest of all Colt firearms. The Armsel Striker was a modern take on the revolving shotgun that held 10 rounds of 12-gauge ammunition in its cylinder. It was copied by Cobray as
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