History Main / SawedOffShotgun

* The [[https://www.mossberg.com/category/series/590-shockwave/ Mossberg Shockwave]] is a pump-action gun with a 14-inch factory barrel, and is not considered a Class 3/NFA gun in that configuration, meaning it does not require a federal tax stamp (a shotgun is defined by the NFA as a "shoulder-fired" smoothbore weapon, and the Shockwave [[LoopholeAbuse rolls off the assembly line with a pistol grip long enough to bring it up to the 26-inch minimum length]]). Of course, it still might not be compliant with some states' gun laws, and it only skates by the ATF's rules in that specific configuration; putting any other type of rear stock on one without first swapping out for a longer barrel ''will'' turn it into a Class 3 weapon. Remington later followed suit with their own factory-built sawed-off shotgun, the [[https://www.remarms.com/other-products/model-870-tac-14 TAC-14]].

* While the laws of physics are already enough to debunk the myth that sawing down a shotgun's barrel makes it more powerful, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf2szdqs0S0 this video]] from WebVideo/KentuckyBallistics tests out multiple shotguns of different barrel lengths at different distances. The results at point-blank range show that a pistol-length 12-gauge loaded with 00 buckshot will cause a nasty, gaping wound in a ballistic gel zombie torso, but is unlikely to penetrate completely. An 18" barreled pump gun went deeper but left only a small exit wound from a few pellets punching through, while a 10-gauge goose-hunting shotgun with a barrel close to four feet in length blasted a large hole all the way through the torso and took a large chunk out the back with it, demonstrating that cutting a shotgun down doesn't {{nerf}} it ''too'' drastically, but it does sacrifice a lot of muzzle energy, and therefore has less destructive power compared to a longer-length barrel. Just for fun, he used the goose gun on the zombie torso's skull afterward; the entire upper half was ''[[YourHeadASplode completely blown off]]'' in a shower of green goo and synthetic bone chips.

* While the laws of physics are already enough to debunk the myth that sawing down a shotgun's barrel makes it more powerful, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf2szdqs0S0 this video]] from WebVideo/KentuckyBallistics tests out multiple shotguns of different barrel lengths at different distances. The results at point-blank range show that a pistol-length 12 gauge loaded with 00 buckshot will cause a nasty, gaping wound in a ballistic gel zombie torso, but is unlikely to penetrate completely. An 18" barreled pump gun went deeper but left only a small exit wound from a few pellets punching through, while a goose-hunting shotgun with a barrel close to four feet in length blasted a large hole all the way through the torso, demonstrating that cutting a shotgun down doesn't {{nerf}} it ''too'' drastically, but it does sacrifice a lot of muzzle energy, and therefore has less destructive power compared to a longer-length barrel. Just for fun, he used the goose gun on the zombie torso's skull afterward; the entire upper half was ''[[YourHeadASplode completely blown off]]'' in a shower of green goo and synthetic bone chips.

* While the laws of physics are already enough to debunk the myth that sawing down a shotgun's barrel makes it more powerful, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf2szdqs0S0 this video]] from WebVideo/KentuckyBallistics tests out multiple shotguns of different barrel lengths at different distances. The results at point-blank range show that a pistol-length 12 gauge loaded with 00 buckshot will cause a nasty, gaping wound in a ballistic gel zombie torso, but is unlikely to penetrate completely. An 18'' barreled pump gun went deeper but left only a small exit wound from a few pellets punching through, while a goose-hunting shotgun with a barrel close to four feet in length blasted a large hole all the way through the torso, demonstrating that cutting a shotgun down doesn't {{nerf}} it ''too'' drastically, but it does sacrifice a lot of muzzle energy, and therefore has less destructive power compared to a longer-length barrel. Just for fun, he used the goose gun on the zombie torso's skull afterward; the entire upper half was ''[[YourHeadASplode completely blown off]]'' in a shower of green goo and synthetic bone chips.

* A pistol version graces the Richard Chopping-designed cover of ''Literature/FromRussiaWithLove'', a S&W .357 Magnum with the barrel cut back to just after the ejector rod. This would have been when there weren't any commercial short-barrelled revolvers in that calibre. Part of the triggerguard has also been removed for rapid firing (and risk of self-harm whenever Bond shoved the pistol back into his holster).

* Oddly, for a game that's largely an enormous mass of action movie tropes and badass, ''VideoGame/MaxPayne1'' handles its sawed-off shotgun comparatively realistically. You can't fire both barrels at once, it only holds two shots, and although devastating at extreme close range, it's much less useful than your standard pump-action at longer ranges. The primary mistake is that he uses it one-handed.
** The primary advantage of the sawed-off shotgun is that, by abusing the game mechanics, you can shoot-dodge into a group of enemies, blast one or two, then immediately shoot-dodge again to reload immediately. ''VideoGame/MaxPayne2TheFallOfMaxPayne'' "fixes" this by removing the reload aspect from shoot-dodges, but you can still reload incredibly quickly by doing the [[RuleOfCool fancy-looking]] [[UnorthodoxReload bullet time reloads]]. The ''[[Film/TheMatrix True Matrix]] Mod'' adds [[GunsAkimbo Sawed Off Shotgun Akimbo]] as a weapon option once you pick up a second one. It doubles the capacity of a normal one, making it a four-shot weapon.

[[caption-width-right:300:As you can see, there is a huge difference between a bank manager and a bank manager who works in a ''mob bank''.]]

* The ''TabletopGame/BattleTech'' RPG has the [[https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Blazer_Laser_Pistol pistol]] version of the Blazer Laser Rifle, with the same power but much shorter. Unsuprisingly, this renders it illegal in much of the Inner Sphere.

* ''Manga/GunslingerGirl''. Triela's preferred long arm is a Winchester 1897 Trench Gun which she's able to fire because she's a cyborg. However just before the assault on the Belltower of St. Marks, she uses a saw to reduce the length of the stock [[SmallGirlBigGun to make shouldering it more comfortable]], and muses that she should have done it sooner.

* ''Manga/GunslingerGirl''. Triela's preferred long arm is a Winchester 1897 Trench Gun which she's able to fire because she's a cyborg. However just before the assault on the Belltower of St. Marks, she uses a saw to reduce the length of the stock to make shouldering it more comfortable, and muses that she should have done it sooner.

If you're a badass and you want your firearm to represent how awesome you are, there's only one choice for you - the Hillbilly Dueling Pistol, AKA the sawed-off shotgun. It is a standard weapon for anyone in the middle of a ZombieApocalypse. In the hands of a suitable badass, [[OneHitKill it can take out anyone in a single blast]]. [[DramaticGunCock The sound of chambering a round in a pump-action sawed-off]] is like a CatchPhrase showing how awesome you are -- for extra badassitude, you hold it by the slide and sort of [[OneHandedShotgunPump wave it in the air]], allowing the weapon's own weight to do the chambering (this is a great way to ruin your shotgun in real life, FYI). And if you have a sawed-off double barrel shotgun with dual triggers, you have the option of either unloading one barrel at a time at an opponent, or "giving 'em both barrels," as it were (also an excellent way to destroy both it and your shoulder).

* ''VideoGame/GunfireReborn'' has the Wild Hunt shotgun, a cartoony double barreled shotgun that looks to have been deliberately cut down; both the barrels and the stock feature brass fits which are a bit out of place compared to the rest of the gun, heavily implying that they are covering cut-down marks. Assuming normal weapon proportions, an un-sawed version would be about as tall as any of the protagonists. Don't mistake 'small' for 'weak' though--the Wild Hunt can produce an apocalyptic ''1,920'' damage in its two-shot magazine at level 0.

* Music/IceCube claims to make use of one in "Straight Outta Compton".

* ''VideoGame/Battlefield'':