Buying your first shotgun? When you’re shopping for a shotgun for hunting, clays, skeet shooting, home protection, or competition matches; GrabAGun has the shotgun you seek. We offer a large selection of quality brands of shotguns, as well as other guns for sale. This guide will assist first time buyers in understanding the basics of shotguns.

Shotgun Types

Single Shot Shotguns

Single shot shotguns are typically the least expensive but only hold one shell at a time. To fire again, you must to open the breach and insert a new shell. Despite the inconvenience, they are a functional tool for many tasks. For a beginner, a single action is a good selection as it provides ample practice with loading and unloading and time to learn to aim. Single-shot shotguns are very affordable and reliable. They are one of the two most common of guns for sale purchased for beginners.

Pump-Action Shotguns

Pump-action shotguns are the most common and most are of low cost and high reliability. After each shot, you must pump the forend to eject the spent shell and load another from the magazine tube into the chamber.

Semi-Automatic Shotguns

Semi-auto shotguns enable you to fire a round by simply pulling the trigger. An increasing number of models and brands now feature the latest technology for increased comfort, accuracy, and reliability. The advantages of the advanced technology are helping semi-automatics rise in popularity among guns for sale.

Double Barrel Shotguns

Double barrel shotguns come in two varieties: over-under (O/U) and side-by-side. Over-Under shotguns have one barrel above the other and the side-by–side shotguns have the barrels horizontally.

Shotgun Barrels

Barrel length affects the handling capabilities of the shotgun and the ability to aim the shotgun accurately. Longer barrels swing more smoothly and are more accurate with a longer range. Shorter barrels are both easier to maneuver in restricted spaces and are quicker to point; they are considered better for combat or home protection, and are used by law enforcement in tactical form. A shorter barrel will produce more flash and noise.

Chokes

A choke tube is mounted at the end of the barrel and provides the function of constricting the diameter of the muzzle to create a tighter shot pattern. It maintains a dense enough pattern to engage your target. There are many sizes of chokes, including those that are adjustable for different patterns without having to change the choke. The choke size determines how wide the pellet spread will be. Wider patterns allow for greater aim error, but it limits the range.

Chokes are fixed or screw-in. Fixed chokes are part of the barrel design and require a gunsmith to change or remove. Screw-in choke insert into the end of a threaded barrel and allows for the use of different sizes of chokes.

Selecting Ammunition

Generally, shotguns are able to shoot two types of ammunition: large single pellets called “slugs” that create a large area of damage and shells full of smaller pellets called shot. These are useful for hitting small/moving targets.

Shot Size

Higher shot numbers indicate smaller size shot. For example, #9 shot birdshot is much smaller than #4. This applies to all categories of shot. Shotshells are available in either high-base (AKA high-brass) or low-base loadings. The high-base shells have more powder and are thus more powerful – use them when you need something extra. Shotshells come in various lengths. A shotgun can shoot shells shorter than its chamber (which will be marked on the barrel), but not longer. The longer the shell, the higher the recoil will be.

Bore Size

Bore size is the shotguns gauge and affects recoil. The smaller the gauge the greater the recoil as in 12 gauge. The higher the bore the less recoil will be as in 16, 20, 28 gauge, or .410 gauge shotguns. Most people of small stature lacking great strength can handle a 20 gauge or smaller

Ammo Based on Purpose

For small game or clay targets, purchase small shot like # 9 to 4. If you hunt larger game, such as ducks or geese, purchase the larger #5 shot up to #2 shot. For prey and game, such as coyotes or deer, use buckshot or slugs. Keep in mind sabot slugs are only for rifled barrels and use rifled slugs for smooth barrels.

Shotguns For Sale at GrabAGun

GrabAGun offers a large selection of shotguns as well as a full range of other guns for sale, shotgun parts and accessories, and hunting supplies. Shop our site and, if you fail to find a specific model of guns for sale that you seek, give us a call. If you are needing some help or inspiration on our various models of shotguns, check out this blog post on our best shotguns for sale!