Shotgun

Type of heart of the gun

Canon with smooth heart

The heart (internal wall) of the gun of all oldest rifles was smooth. Thereafter and now only shotguns intended to draw from the leads of hunting , i.e. multiple projectiles placed in same the simultaneously drawn Ammunition thus by means of one only gun, generally preserved a smooth heart. Certain hunters however use a rifled bore with cartridges has leads. That Ci appreciably increases dispersion and thus the probability of reaching a target located has short distance. The sheaf of leads, whose diameter increases with measurement of its progression, maximizes the probability of touching a small target moving even after a very short time of aiming. The useful range of these shotguns hardly exceeds 50 meters.

Note: rifles known as of great hunting do not concern this category because draw from the traditional balls. In any rigor they are generally called rifles . One can however use unrifled bore rifles for hunting for big game thanks to the projectiles of the " type; balle" perfectly effective and precise to 50 bills of quantities thus adapted to hunting in beaten.

Owner and throttling (choke)

Leads, small, spherical and without rotation movement on themselves, are balistiquement far from effective. It is thus to say that they start to disperse in a cloud more or less well defined as soon as they leave the gun. This lead cloud is called " patron". An ideal owner would be of a perfectly circular form in which leads would be distributed uniformly. In practice, the density of leads rather follows a Gaussian distribution, higher in the center while being reduced towards outside. The wide one and the density of the owners can be evaluated while drawing on large sheets of paper placed at various distances.

The owner can be controlled by the use of a throttling. Throttling is a light tightening of the mouth of the gun making it possible to more or less strongly concentrate the lead jet, a little with the manner of a funnel. Although there does not exist technique or of official standard to measure the level of throttling, one uses usually the owner given in a circle of 30 inches (76cm) to a distance from 40 rods (37m) in which one counts the percentage of leads having made impact., There are four standard throttlings, of more opened with more closed.:

Cylindrical, smooth or 1/4, corresponding to 40% of leads inside the circle
Cylindrical improved or 1/2, corresponding to 50% of leads inside the circle
Modified or 3/4, corresponding to 60% of leads inside the circle
Closed, full or 4/4 correspondent with 70% of leads inside the circle

There exists however a whole multitude of other intermediate throttlings and outside these values. They however less current and are often reserved for specific uses.

Canon with striped heart

Although equipped with a striped heart, this type of rifle is not regarded as a Carabine of hunting because it is primarily about a rifle with heart smoothes which one striped the gun. They are however intended exclusively for the shooting of ammunition with single ball especially designed (see low, ball of the Sabot type) and cannot draw from shot. They offer a better precision and carried that rifles to heart smooth, but much less than a rifle because of the bad ballistic properties of the projectiles.

Stripes in spiral engraved inside the gun fix the projectile, during its race in the gun (ballistic interior), remotely equalizes walls of the heart in order to reduce blowing. They also print a rotation movement ensuring to him a more stable trajectory by reducing the drift caused by the overpressure of gases on possible a Balourd.

This type of shotgun is especially popular in the sectors where the use of the rifle is prohibited. If not, one generally prefers the to him Carabine of the hunting, much more precise and of best carried.

Gauge and ammunition

The gauges of rifle are, in decreasing order of power, the 10,12,16,20,24,28,32 and 36 and .410. Except for the gauge .410, which indicates the internal diameter of the gun in inch, the figure indicates the number of spheres of the diameter of the gun which it would be possible to make with a lead book. For example, gauge 12 indicates that twelve spheres, of the diameter of the gun, could be manufactured starting from a lead book. Nowadays, the most current gauges are the 12, the 20 and the .410.

Cartridge with leads

The cartridges with modern leads consist of a plastic envelope (more rarely out of paper) and of a brass base. The Amorce of lighting is contained in the base itself. Just above the starter, and in contact with this one, the powder is. Flock is a paper or plastic part, more rarely, separating the powder from leads. Its role is to contain combustion gases in order to be propelled by those by pushing leads. Above flock, is the lead load.

Although the diameter of the cartridge changes according to the gauge, the length is standardized (2.75 inches in the majority of the countries). There exists nevertheless, for certain gauges, of the cartridges moreover great power having lengths of 3 inches and 3 inches and half thus which can contain a greater load.

Cartridge with ball (slug)

Cartouches containing a single ball, of a quite specific type, can also be employed in a shotgun. Their structure is similar to that of the cartridges with leads with the difference which leads are replaced by a single projectile.

Foster type

This type of projectile was invented in 1931 by Karl Foster. In the projectile of the Foster type, wings are striped on the ball it to even confer a rotation on itself to him. Rotation which an unrifled bore cannot print to him. Moreover, the back of the projectile is slightly hollow, so that the head is more massive than the back. That made in kind, that in flight, the head remains in front of and whereas the hollow remains with the back, a little with the manner of a wheel of badminton. This type of ball can be drawn only from one gun presenting a zero or low throttling (generally, cylindrical improved being the maximum usable).

Brenneke type

This type of ball can be drawn by a gun provided with a throttling, although that would not be obligatory. They under are gauged and coated with a plastic case able to be compressed with the passage of the choke (standard Brenneke S or Sauvestre, for example). Flock remains partially or completely hung to the projectile, acting then like a stabilizer. This type of projectile thus presents a precision and a range improved in comparison of the cartridges of the Foster type.

Shoe type

These balls must be only used in combination with a gun with striped heart. Whereas the other types of single projectile often consist of lead, the shoes rather consist of a harder material as copper. The projectile has a more aerodynamic form, with a cylindroconic form similar to that of a traditional ball. This form confers to him ballistic properties higher than the projectile of the type Foster and Brenneke. The " term; sabot" the envelope comes from plastic surrounding the projectile and being detached some at the exit from the gun. This envelope confers an excellent catch on the grooves of the gun and gives a stabilizing rotation movement to the projectile. For these reasons, the precision is improved and acceptable until 140m and even beyond.

Type of mechanisms

Tilting gun rifle

There exist two big families of mechanisms of tilting gun weapons: the sytème " Anson" and the mechanism with " platines". These two mechanisms are different by their complexity, their price and the quality of the " départs" or forces necessary to actuate the relaxation. A weapon with platinums more expensive but is equipped with a mechanism of more flexible, faster and thus more pleasant percution with the use in action of hunting. The particularly simple system of recharging where the whole of (or of) the gun (S) disunites cylinder head and Platine (arms) with the system of percussion while rocking of a block forwards, according to an axis perpendicular to the plan of the weapon. Each gun accommodates a cartridge whose case vacuum can or not be extracted even ejected during the swing. The gunner places then a cartridge in the gun and closes again the weapon, thus arming the mechanism with percussion.

This mechanism that of rifles is provided with two guns juxtaposed (guns one beside the other) or superimposed (guns one over the other). Certain models, rare, known as drilling have in more one third rifled bore of conventional Caliber.

Rare striped single gun rifles, generally of a powerful Gauge, also function according to this robust and not very expensive architecture.

For rifles, it is about the mechanism considered at the same time as most reliable and sedentary.

Repeating rifle

The end of the 19th century saw appearing weapons with manual repetition. With this type of weapon, recharging is carried out by a manual action carried out on an unspecified order. Some of these systems perdurent.

Lever rifle

These weapons are equipped with a lever placed behind the relaxation. The action of the lever, when drawn, ejects the cartridge and, when given in position, brings a news cartridge in the room. This type of mechanism was invented by American John Browning, since 1887, and appeared for the first time on rifles Winchester 1887 and Winchester 1901. These weapons are in addition the first mechanism rifles of repetition. This type of mechanism, on rifles, quickly was however downgraded and replaced by the mechanism with pump, much more practical. Lever rifles which are today on the market are primarily reproductions of both Winchester. It should be noted that this same mechanism is always popular on the rifles of hunting.

Rifle with bolt

The mechanism with bolt is not everyday usage for rifles, contrary to the rifles. The ejection of the cartouche empties is done by circularly actuating a lever on the side of the cylinder head. The loading of a news cartridge is done while giving and locking the lever with its position of origin. The fact that its main advantage, a precision of shooting increased, is not very significant for a shotgun in addition to the fact that it is about a relatively slow mechanism make that he is remained of a marginal use for rifles.

Pump rifle

Appeared in 1893, the mechanism with pump was developed by John Browning and was marketed for the first time under the name of Winchester Model 1893. Pump rifle is a weapon equipped with a gun with smooth or striped heart and with a tubular store where the heads of the soft cartridges, punts and, are not likely to strike. The repetition takes place by printing a back and forth pass to the guard before weapon, placed on a rail assembled under the gun consisted the tubular charger. This system is more effective than the lever of trigger guard because it makes it possible the gunner to reload the shouldered weapon by keeping it and without moving its strong hand. It is about a mechanism whose action is also faster.

Semi-automatic rifle

This complex mechanism is operated by the action of gases during the shooting, or the energy of the retreat. The empty cartouche is ejected and replaced by a news without requiring action of the gunner. This allows a very fast succession of shooting. The relaxation must however be slackened between each blow. The first semi-automatic model of rifle was invented by John Browning in 1898 and was marketed in 1902 under the name of Browning Car-5. The production of this model ceased only in 1998.

In America, semi-automatic rifle is very popular today, in particular near the hunters of wildfowl for which it acts of a weapon of first choice.

Use

Rifle is a particularly effective weapon against small targets, moving fast, and at short distance. What explains why rifles are mainly used as hunting weapon, in particular for small game and the poultry.

Rifle quickly loses its effectiveness with the distance and is regarded as a weapon with short range (less than 50 meters). A rifle thus does not have any utility for the shooting with long distance, for which a rifle is a weapon much more suitable and effective.

In the same way, the more or less dispersing use of shot, makes so that rifles are not intended for the shooting of precision. Rifle does not have as a utility to touch a precise point but to cover a more or less large area well. If a precise shooting is necessary, a rifle is much more suitable.

The gauges and mechanisms used are very variable according to the Gibier.

Hunting for small game: all the gauges and mechanisms are used for this type of hunting. However, it does not matter the weapon used, leads used are always rather small, usually of size 6 or less.
Hunting for the wildfowl: the more powerful gauges, like the 12, are usually used. More modest gauges, like the 16 or the 20, nevertheless are sometimes used for the birds moreover small size. One supports also the use of fast mechanisms with repetition, in particular with semi-automatic pump or, or of gun superimposed. The regulation of many countries prohibiting the use of ammunition containing Plomb for this type drives out, the use of cartridges with balls of steel or of nontoxic alloy is frequent. The size of leads used usually varies between 4 and BB, according to the size of coveted game.
Hunting for big game: Although a Carabine of hunting is usually preferable for this type of hunting, the regulation or other considerations can make their use impossible. One then uses preferably a shotgun equipped with a gun with striped heart and cartridges with single ball. Although more rarely, of the buckshot can also be used with a rifle with smooth heart. The weapon is equipped with a system of aiming, like a Lunette, to ensure a precision of shooting maximum, but nevertheless less than a Carabine of hunting.

These models are known as double-Express train if they comprise two rifled bores as the Carabine S of hunting (for balls with big games)
They are known as Mixte if they comprise a rifled bore and an unrifled bore.
They are known as Drilling if they comprise a rifled bore and two unrifled bores or an unrifled bore and two rifled bores.

Legal aspects

The majority of the countries have laws and payments framing the use and the possession of the shotguns. This regulation however largely varies from one country to another.

Nevertheless, one finds there usually a legal minimum age as well as the possession of a license or particular certificate. The conditions of obtaining the latter vary however largely according to the countries.

France

In France, the shotgun is a weapon being part of the weapons of 5th category according to legal classification

Canada

In Canada, the possession and the use of the shotguns are governed by the law on the firearms.

In short, the necessary minimum age is 18 years. A license is necessary for the purchase and the possession of the weapon and the ammunition. Obtaining this license requires, inter alia conditions, the follow-up and the success of a preliminary course and the absence of criminal file. The license can also be refused or revoke because of other criteria (for example, objection of the spouse, order of the court…). The recording of the weapon to the Canadian register of the firearms is also obligatory.

Out of the places and periods or the use of the weapon is legal, it must be stored noncharged and locked or made inoperative.

See too

Gauge
Ammunition
Rifle of military hunting
Rifle
Hunting for rifle

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