What are the many uses of shotguns?
Shotguns are weapons used by civilians primarily for hunting. The energy of a shot is fairly low which makes the shotgun useful for hunting birds and other small game. It is also increasingly used in deer hunting in semi-populated areas because rifles are more dangerous and hazardous than a shotgun. However, experienced hunters are reminded to use ammunition to ensure a humane killing shot on a deer.
In sports, some of the most common uses of shotguns are the sports of skeet shooting, trap shooting, and sporting clays. These involve shooting of clay discs, also known as clay pigeons, thrown in various ways. Skeet shooting and trap shooting competitions are both featured at the Olympic Games. Skeet shooting makes use of 25 shots, while sporting clays can be a course of up to 50 shots.
In the US and Canada, shotguns are often used by police forces as a heavy weapon. Even without much training, an officer will be able to hit targets at close to medium range. Shotguns are often used in roadblock situations, where police are seen blocking highways in searching cars for criminals or suspects. In the US, law enforcers often use riot shotguns, especially for crowd dispersion and riot control.
In the military, shotguns are often used to burst or blow door hinges or locks off doors when making surprise entry in dwellings. They are common weapons in military use, particularly for special purposes: like the combat shotgun which are found aboard naval vessels for shipboard security, because the weapon is very effective at close range as a way of repelling enemies boarding the ship. In the navy, stainless steel shotguns are often used, because regular steel is more prone to corrosion in the marine environment. Today, shotguns and guns for sale are being used by the military in Iraq, being popular with soldiers and Marines when in combat.
Shotguns are a very popular means of home defense for many civilians for the same reasons as they are preferred for close range tasks. They are also gaining preference for their economy because they are cheaper than handguns or rifles of comparable quality. With these many uses of the shotguns as a gun for self-possession and self-protection, consider a shotgun while putting safety first and foremost in its keep.