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Here's a primer on shotgun chokes, Good stuff for the beginner or if it's been a while. Janis Putelis from the MeatEater crew presents a couple of short videos here, where he talks about the various shotgun chokes and patterning your scattergun. For the newbie, a shotgun choke purpose is to shape the spread of the shot in order to gain better range and accuracy. Chokes are implemented as either screw-in chokes, selected for particular applications, or as fixed, permanent chokes, integral to the shotgun barrel. See the rest of the shotgun article and video here.

Rockin 'n Rollin' with a Shotgun When it comes to rapid shotgun fire, this is just about as good as it gets! Never mind the XRAIL system that this guy is using on his shotgun. Shotgun fans out there will debate over a better system to use, like one of the comments below and that it has no real world application. (umm, fire power is a huge debate) But other than that, just the pure fun and excitement of shooting it on rapid is exhilarating, you can't argue that. This guy puts some mods (XRAIL System) to his shotgun in...

Browning's light and balanced A5 shotgun lets you to shoot the old 'gentleman's gauge' in a technologically updated package. As an aspiring curmudgeon (my wife might suggest that I'm already there), I frown disapprovingly when I hear that someone is remaking a classic. Be it a movie, a song or a firearm, some things are just so iconic that you simply shouldn't mess with them. If you do, you'd better get it right, or you'll catch hell from people whose hearts were captured by the original. Sadly, and all too often, "new and improved" translates into "new and cheapened and...

I just bought a Mossberg Maverick 88. I have a heat shield from a Mossberg 500 coming as well as a side saddle. I would like to purchase a scabbard but have no clue which one to choose and if scabbards can support a long gun with a 6-shell side saddle. Anyone have any suggestions?

Pedersoli's new side-by-side is a modern shotgun with a classical twist, and it will be right at home for you at the range or afield. Dedicated scattergunners have probably realized by now that, although I've shot their preferred choice of gun for many years, I've never considered myself a shotgunner. It's not that I have anything against them; it’s just that for me, shotguns have always taken a backseat to rifles and rifle shooting, especially when it comes to using black powder. But after seeing, handling and shooting a fine Pedersoli 12-gauge double with twin outside hammers, I think my...

What if you’re in an emergency situation? And you're out of shotgun slugs the only shells available are cheap birdshot shells. Here’s a quick survival hack that allows you to turn that bird shot shell into a slug capable of taking down bigger game. The hack is quite simple all you need to do is use a pocket knife and cut around the wadding area, but don’t cut all the way through. What happens is when the shell is fired, the full frontal portion of the shotgun shell hull, shot and the wad becomes a fearsome projectile. How many out...

You need a gun that can meet all your hunting needs? A pump shotgun may be what you are looking for. If you're on a budget, or you are the kind of hunter who likes to keep it simple with survival in mind, consider getting one gun that will cover all your small and big game hunting needs. The video from Backwoodsman is definitely food for thought when you want to get one gun that will serve you well in marsh, forest and field. A pump shotgun, like the Mossberg 500, is a great American-made choice. With a wide variety...

Sources from somewhere in Thailand tells us that this is considered a "Pradit" gun and it is a favorite among the poor gangbangers. This 1911 shotgun pistol is cheap to make and packs a huge wallop in a single shot. If you're looking for a practical shotgun, stick with your standard types from Remington or Benellis. Is this a practical piece of firearm? Nah, would some people want one? – absolutely! See the video here.

This Saiga-12 is nothing like you have ever seen before In the world of competitive shooting (3 gun competition), the Russian Saiga 12 shotgun has made a name for itself. Engineered and designed with the AK-47 function in mind, this 12-gauge semi automatic shotgun gets the job done. Watch Larry Vickers of Vickers Tactical gets a chance to shoot this sweet highly modified Saiga-12 shotgun. This particular shotgun belongs to Andrey Kirisenko, considered one of the fastest shotgun shooters in the world. This shotgun is the master blaster in the 12-gauge shotgun world. See the action here.

Pull!, A bright orange disc flies out of the trap house at a pace only slightly slower than the speed of light. You were hoping for a lob, a gimme, or a straightaway that you could transform into orange powder and boost your confidence a little, but you don’t get any of those. This nightmare scenario is played out time and again on trap shooting ranges all over the country, and sometimes we reluctantly find ourselves in the starring role. You have to get a good shotgun, one that is built for the task; a shotgun designed to make it...

If you own an old single-shot, break-action 12 gauges then you know they aren’t very accurate and the recoil is enough to leave you sore black and bruised. There are ways improve this shotgun to make it better and actually make it more enjoyable to shoot with. There is a section of the gun called the forcing cone. This area is in the barrel of the gun, just in front of the chamber. The forcing cone is slightly taper down to the rest of the bore and is normally less than an inch in length. Its job is to force...

Gettin Ready for Shotgun Season Like many of you, I am much better at just doing stuff than getting ready for it. I guess it’s all about being prepared, and I was never the sharpest Boy Scout in the troop, or something like that. But some things are too important to not prepare for. Depending on what and where you hunt with your scattergun, your season is either coming up fast, or is already here. September is often the last call for getting shotguns and other paraphernalia ready, so let’s talk about what you need to do to get out...

The guys from Taofledermaus took 12 large, extremely sharp X-Acto blades and loaded them into hi-brass 12gauge shotgun shells. They were hoping to see if the razors would stay intact. These are highly sharpen razor blades wrapped with industrial thread, the whole load is encased inside the 12 gauge shotgun shell. The threads were meant to hold them in place while in flight, but in this test it didn’t work out. Electrical tape was also used, but with the same result. Various targets were used for testing such as watermelon, the head of a manequin and three large cucumbers. See...

The shotgun has long been a standard in home defense for obvious reasons. The ability to modify this weapon into a shorter more versatile style has sparked the interest of a large number of shotgun owners. This guy seems to know his stuff when it comes to creating a sawed off shotgun. Having a versatile gun like this is important when seeking to be able to protect your family and home from intruders or other external threats. Watch the video here to see how to make a sawed off shotgun. A few simple steps and you are ready to hit...

You read right, this beast of a shotgun has 6 barrels and holds 48 rounds at a time. The ultimate zombie apocalypse weapon. Triple double is usually a term thrown around in basketball. Not so much in shotgun lingo. Double barrel shotguns are awesome. But you know what they are not as awesome as? A triple double shotgun. The guys from Demolition Ranch brings us one of the coolest and craziest guns you will ever see. Sure it is super heavy and quite uncomfortable and to be honest, not practical whats so ever. But that doesn’t matter because it is...

I had been discussing this for a while with Dave Miller, the shotgun product manager at CZ-USA, a firearm manufacturer headquartered next door to Missouri in Kansas City, Kan. CZ-USA is the US-based subsidiary of the Czech Republic company that makes a long list of firearms, including rifles, pistols, submachine guns and some very fine shotguns. Many of their scatterguns are made in Turkey, which, if you didn't know, has a long history of making firearms. CZ-USA also owns Dan Wesson Firearms, which has produced excellent revolvers and pistols for years, including some very nice 1911s. I have talked to...

Here's a story from one of the angler's on his experience shooting water moccasins with the .410 load. While out fishing with his brother-in-law, snakes were everywhere swimming right up to within a few feet of us to check us out, heads above the water the entire time and not even remotely afraid. Given that I live about 100 yards from the pond, and I'm not a fan of water moccasins (which I'm pretty sure is what these were, because most harmless water snakes swim with their heads down and shy away from disturbances), I ran back to the house...

Those of us who have shouldered a shotgun a few thousand times in our lives can recall that first time we touched off a 12 gauge, or any gauge for that matter. It reminds us that we didn’t always have the bulk or the muscle memory to handle one. Did it stop any of us from wanting another try, one of our own, or a trip to deer camp with dad? Maybe, its the macho side or just trying to impress Dad. Cheer for a young fella who just got his shoulder popped and in a minute when it quits...

Gun maker Beretta USA is opening a new factory on Friday, the culmination of generous land and tax offers in Tennessee and restrictive gun laws at its old Maryland location. Beretta USA is holding a ribbon cutting ceremony at the recently built facility in Gallatin, Tennessee, on April 15, having moved all manufacturing from Maryland. The new factory is 160,000 square feet, compared to 115,000 square feet if left behind, said Gabriele de Plano, vice president of defense marketing and operations for Beretta USA. "We've got plenty of space to expand as well," he said.

JERSEY CITY -- A traffic stop near the Holland Tunnel yesterday evening lead to the recovery of a shotgun and nearly 200 rounds of ammunition, a police spokesman said. At about 6:30 p.m., a police officer saw a blue plastic drum in the back up a pickup truck that had just passed through the Holland Tunnel toll plaza. The officer stopped the vehicle driven by a Pennsylvanian man to make sure there were no hazardous materials in the drum, Port Authority spokesman Joe Pentangelo said. Police asked the driver Marlon Murphy, 45, of Easton, if there were any weapons in...