A shotgun’s payload of pellets flies downrange in an expanding, lengthening swarm. The choke in the gun’s muzzle determines the height and width of that swarm. “Choke” is the taper in the last inches ...

When a shotgun is fired, a column of round shot pellets leaves the barrel and spreads out into a “pattern.” As the pellets travel farther from the firearm’s muzzle, the pattern widens. At some point, ...

This article by John M. Taylor appeared originally in the September 2004 issue of American Rifleman. To subscribe to the magazine, visit the NRA membership page here and select American Rifleman as ...

The shotgun has played an important role throughout the history of firearms.

If you’re into starting ugly debates online, go to a shotgun forum and ask which barrel length is best. Of all the contentious topics in the world of firearms, this elicits some of the most ferocious ...