# Are there any \*fully\*-automatic shotguns? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 15, 2003, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-fully-automatic-shotguns/219036 "2003-12-15T01:53:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-fully-automatic-shotguns/219036/1 "2003-12-15T01:53:47Z")
…I think it’s all there in the title. And no, I DON’T want to get one myself. Nor am I entirely convinced about the usefulness or practicality of such a weapon. I’m just curious as to wether or not any such designs exist. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-fully-automatic-shotguns/219036/2 "2003-12-15T01:56:55Z")
You’d think the recoil would make it extremely impractical. ---
**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-fully-automatic-shotguns/219036/3 "2003-12-15T02:00:18Z")
The [Spas-12 Shotgun](http://world.guns.ru/shotgun/sh14-e.htm). Looks like fun. ---
**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-fully-automatic-shotguns/219036/4 "2003-12-15T02:04:05Z")
Errr… that should be “SPAS-12”, since it’s an abbreviation. And I misread the OP, the SPAS-12 is semi-automatic, not full-auto. Sorry. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-fully-automatic-shotguns/219036/5 "2003-12-15T02:20:12Z")
Here ya go [http://world.guns.ru/shotgun/sh10-e.htm](http://world.guns.ru/shotgun/sh10-e.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Rhum\_Runner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rhum\_Runner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhum_Runner)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-fully-automatic-shotguns/219036/6 "2003-12-15T02:39:18Z")
Along similar lines,[the M-`9 grenade launcher](http://people.howstuffworks.com/grenade3.htm) is a full auto 40MM belt fed grenade launcher. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMule](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@MonkeyMule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMule)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-fully-automatic-shotguns/219036/7 "2003-12-15T03:04:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by runner pat \* > \*\*Here ya go > [http://world.guns.ru/shotgun/sh10-e.htm](http://world.guns.ru/shotgun/sh10-e.htm) \*\* they have that Gun in _Max Payne_ I thought they made it up for the game. Shows what I know ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-fully-automatic-shotguns/219036/8 "2003-12-15T03:16:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ultrafilter \* > \*\*You’d think the recoil would make it extremely impractical. \*\* Pretty much since your shoulder would be a piece of bleeding hamburger pretty quickly, I would imagine. ---
**Author:** ![radar\_ralf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@radar\_ralf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/radar_ralf)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-fully-automatic-shotguns/219036/9 "2003-12-15T03:50:14Z")
USAS-12 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-fully-automatic-shotguns/219036/10 "2003-12-15T04:40:53Z")
I suggest you rent the humourously cheesy [_Split Second_](http://imdb.com/title/tt0105459/) (1992), starring Rutger Hauer and Kim Cattrall. Hauer is a detective in London in the year 2008, tracking down a serial killer who turns out to be an extra from _Aliens_. In the course of the movie, Hauer uses an “assault shotgun” which was pretty cool in and of itself. ---
**Author:** ![\_possum\_stalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/b77776/32.png) [@\_possum\_stalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_possum_stalker)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-fully-automatic-shotguns/219036/11 "2003-12-15T05:18:59Z")
The ‘jackhammer’ is full auto, apparently, but the SPAS is just semi-auto. ---
**Author:** ![\_possum\_stalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/b77776/32.png) [@\_possum\_stalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_possum_stalker)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-fully-automatic-shotguns/219036/12 "2003-12-15T05:21:41Z")
Oh, and the cool part about the Jackhammer: 240 rounds/minute- and a ten round magazine. Here’s hoping it’s a short fight. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-fully-automatic-shotguns/219036/13 "2003-12-15T05:31:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by radar ralf \* > \*\*USAS-12 \*\* I just found the [USAS-12](http://labyrinth.sof2files.com/usas.htm) on another site…it looks like it’s full auto, too. And can even use a _20 round drum_ magazine. [Another site](http://www.nitpickers.com/movies/nitpicks/19000/18275.shtml) lists the rate of fire as 360-400 rounds per minute. In short; Sweet _Jesus_… ---
**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-fully-automatic-shotguns/219036/14 "2003-12-15T05:33:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by 'possum stalker \* > **Oh, and the cool part about the Jackhammer: 240 rounds/minute- > and a ten round magazine.** Hey, it’s twice as long as you’ve got with most full-auto rifles (average 600-700 rpm, 20 or 30-round mags). ---
**Author:** ![\_possum\_stalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/b77776/32.png) [@\_possum\_stalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_possum_stalker)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-fully-automatic-shotguns/219036/15 "2003-12-15T05:48:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Hey, it’s twice as long as you’ve got with most full-auto rifles (average 600-700 rpm, 20 or 30-round mags). That’s why God created the three round burst. Besides, I can see reloading an assualt rifle in the field, but look at the cookie jar on that freakin’ hand cannon! Ya may as well just carry two Jackhammers. Now, that USAS looks like fun. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-fully-automatic-shotguns/219036/16 "2003-12-15T05:53:42Z")
How about that hand-held artillery unit Christopher Walken’s character in _Dogs of War_ carried. Was that a real, existing weapon? ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-fully-automatic-shotguns/219036/17 "2003-12-15T05:55:54Z")
I’d imagine any full-auto shotgun would be of necessity mounted on something, such as a cement wall or a jeep. Much like a 50-cal machine gun, it isn’t something the average human could operate unaided. But imagine the volume of lead that would be shoved into the air by a few seconds of continuous fire. I can easily imagine a volley of such weapons darkening the air for a few seconds, much as gnats would. ---
**Author:** ![radar\_ralf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@radar\_ralf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/radar_ralf)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-fully-automatic-shotguns/219036/18 "2003-12-15T05:59:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HPL \* > \*\*Pretty much since your shoulder would be a piece of bleeding hamburger pretty quickly, I would imagine. \*\* Actually, the recoil is not all that bad. The slow cyclic rate keeps the “wrap-up” to a minimum. Firing from the shoulder is not much different from firing a pump gun with a slick action. The muzzle does have a tendency to rise pretty fast and I found that if I had a FTF (failure to feed), I was actually “pushing in” on the thing in anticipation of the next shot. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-fully-automatic-shotguns/219036/19 "2003-12-15T05:59:55Z")
Stinging gnats. Really mean gnats. ---
**Author:** ![radar\_ralf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@radar\_ralf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/radar_ralf)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2003, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-fully-automatic-shotguns/219036/20 "2003-12-15T06:07:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ringo \* > \*\*How about that hand-held artillery unit Christopher Walken’s character in _Dogs of War_ carried. Was that a real, existing weapon? \*\* Yessir, that is a real weapon. I don’t remember the model designation (XM-something). For the movie, the chambers were filled with inserts to allow 12 gauge shotshell ammo to be used - it is actally meant to fire 40mm grenade rounds. The Striker / Streetsweeper is an example of the original firearm. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-any-fully-automatic-shotguns/219036.md?page=2)