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{{Short description|Automatic firearm that fires shotgun shells}}
[[File:USAS12shotgun4104.jpg|thumb|[[Daewoo USAS-12]] automatic shotgun]]

An '''automatic shotgun''' is an [[automatic firearm]] that fires [[shotgun shell]]s (thereby making it a [[shotgun]]) and uses some of the energy of each shot to automatically cycle the action and load a new round.<ref>Combat Guns Hardcover – 1 Nov. 1987 by Chris Bishop (Author), Publisher: Book Sales; 1st Ed. (U.S.) edition (1 Nov. 1987), {{ISBN|1555211615}}</ref> It will fire repeatedly until the trigger is released or ammunition runs out. Automatic shotguns have a very limited range, but provide tremendous firepower at close range.<ref name="modern firearms" />

== Design ==

Automatic shotguns generally employ mechanisms very similar to other kinds of [[automatic weapons]]. There are several methods of operation, with the most common being [[gas-operated reloading|gas]], [[recoil operation|recoil]], and [[blowback (firearms)|blowback]] operated:

* [[File:Gas-operated firearm unifilar drawing.png|thumb|Gas operated design]][[Gas-operated reloading|Gas operation]] uses the pressure of the gas (created by the burning propellant) behind the projectile to unlock the bolt assembly and then move it rearward.
* [[Blowback operation]] uses the backward force applied by the projectile (due to [[Newton's third law of motion]]) to retract the bolt assembly.
* [[Recoil operation]] uses the backward force to retract the entire barrel and bolt assembly, which unlock at the rear of the barrel's path.

Each of these methods use springs to return the retracted parts to their forward positions and restart the cycle.<ref name="how mgs work">{{cite web|last=Watson|first=Stephanie|title=How Machine Guns Work|url=http://science.howstuffworks.com/machine-gun.htm|publisher=howstuffworks|accessdate=February 14, 2012|author2=Tom Harris|date=16 October 2001}}</ref>

Many automatic shotguns are capable of [[selective fire]], meaning they can fire in multiple modes ([[semi-automatic firearm|semi-automatic]], [[Burst mode (weapons)|burst]], and sometimes [[automatic firearm|fully automatic]]).

== Ammunition ==
[[File:Shotgun shell comparison.jpg|alt=Shotgun shells|thumb|Shotgun shells|168x168px]]
They generally store ammunition in detachable [[box magazine|box]] or [[drum magazine]]s in order to decrease reloading time, whereas most pump-action and semi-automatic shotguns use under-barrel [[tubular magazine]]s.

Automatic shotgun ammunition choices are slightly limited because the fired shot must provide sufficient recoil energy to reliably cycle the action. This means they are not compatible for use with low powered rounds, e.g. [[less-lethal#Ammunition|less-than-lethal]] ammunition. The most common [[shotgun shell]] used in combat shotguns contains [[00 buckshot]], 8 to 10 [[Shot (pellet)|lead balls]], which is very effective against unarmored targets.<ref name="ballistic trauma" />

== Strengths and weaknesses ==

A standard shotgun shot fires multiple small projectiles at once, increasing the chances of hitting the target. Shotguns have a short effective range of about {{convert|50|-|70|m}}, but provide a lot of firepower at close range.<ref name="modern firearms">{{cite web|last=Popenker|first=Maxim|title=Modern Firearms — Shotguns|url=http://world.guns.ru/shotgun/shotgun-e.html|accessdate=February 9, 2012}}</ref> Automatic fire enhances these effects, due to the increase in the rate of fire.
[[File:Hunter with a shotgun on a dune at Curnic, Guissény, Finistère, France, 2010-02-21.jpg|alt=Hunter with long-barreled shotgun|thumb|Long-barreled weapons are associated with precision activities such as hunting and shooting sports.]]
Automatics typically have much shorter barrels than [[pump-action shotgun]]s (especially hunting shotguns).<ref name="ballistic trauma">{{cite book|last=Brooks|first=Adam|title=Ryan's Ballistic Trauma: A Practical Guide|year=2010|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-1-84882-123-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UHhKhIxh6CAC&pg=PA23|edition=3|author2=Peter Mahoney|page=33}}</ref> Short-barreled shotguns have a very high chance of hitting close range targets, and can even hit multiple targets in one area, which is ideal for close combat situations.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dougherty |first=Martin J. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-TsQz87h4r8C&dq=Short-barreled+shotguns++can+hit+multiple+targets+in+one+area&pg=PT345 |title=Unarmed Combat: Hand-to-hand fighting skills from the world's most elite fighting units (SAS and Elite Forces Guide) |date=2010 |publisher=Amber Books Ltd |isbn=978-1-908696-04-5 |language=en}}</ref> Long-barreled guns as long pump action shotguns are more accurate and have increased range, which is ideal for hunting and sporting purposes.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Pirelli |first1=Gianni |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XlByDwAAQBAJ&dq=Long-barreled+pump+action+shotguns+are+ideal+for+hunting+and+sporting+purposes&pg=PA32 |title=The Behavioral Science of Firearms: A Mental Health Perspective on Guns, Suicide, and Violence |last2=Wechsler |first2=Hayley |last3=Cramer |first3=Robert J. |date=2018-10-18 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-063044-7 |language=en}}</ref>

Automatic shotguns are generally viewed as less reliable than manual operation shotguns, because there are more moving parts and increased chances of error.<ref name="how shotguns work">{{cite web|last=Coustan|first=Dave|title=How Shotguns Work|date=19 May 2005|url=http://www.howstuffworks.com/shotgun7.htm|accessdate=February 9, 2012}}</ref> If any one piece fails, it will most likely halt the operation and cause damage to the weapon and/or user{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}. Automatic weapons are also more susceptible to jamming<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sobieck |first=Benjamin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PCFjDwAAQBAJ&dq=Automatic+weapons+are+more+susceptible+to+jamming&pg=PT56 |title=The Writer's Guide to Weapons: A Practical Reference for Using Firearms and Knives in Fiction |date=2014-12-03 |publisher=Penguin |isbn=978-1-59963-819-5 |language=en}}</ref> and negative effects from dirtiness{{Citation needed|date=April 2023}}.

== Use ==
[[File:Polícia Militar in Avenida Paulista 2.jpg|alt=Military equipped with shotgun|thumb|Brazilian Military Police equipped with a shotgun]]
Automatic shotguns are intended for use as military [[combat shotgun]]s. They typically have a high [[rate of fire]] and relatively low [[recoil]], making them ideal for engaging targets in a fast-paced, close range combat situation.<ref name="modern firearms" /> They are able to fulfill many different combat roles due to the wide variety of shotgun ammunition available.<ref name="tac shotgun">{{cite web|last=Morgan|first=Ryan|title=The tactical shotgun in urban operations|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0IAV/is_6_93/ai_n16346115/|publisher=Infantry Magazine|accessdate=February 14, 2012}}</ref>

Automatic shotguns have not seen much use in the [[United States]], but have been slightly more popular in some other countries.<ref name=USAS-12>{{cite web|last=Popenker|first=Max|title=USAS-12 shotgun|date=27 October 2010|url=http://world.guns.ru/shotgun/usa/usas-12-e.html|accessdate=February 14, 2012}}</ref>

==List==
*[[AAI CAWS]]
*[[Atchisson AA-12]]
*[[Daewoo USAS-12]]
*FAS-173
*Gordon CSWS
*[[Heckler & Koch HK CAWS]]
*LW-3
*[[Pancor Jackhammer]]
*[[Saiga-12]] (if converted to fully automatic fire)
*[[Smith & Wesson AS|Smith & Wesson AS-3]]
*Remington 7188
*[[Vepr-12]] (when converted to full auto)

==See also==
*[[Combat shotgun]]
*[[List of combat shotguns]]
*[[List of shotguns]]
*[[Riot shotgun]]
*[[Semi-automatic shotgun]]

== References ==

{{reflist}}

{{Firearms}}

[[Category:Automatic shotguns| ]]
[[Category:Paramilitary weapons]]

Automatic shotgun - Revision history

imported>WikiEditor50: clean up, replaced: Third Law → third law