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1475
The first shotgun
The first gun that fired shot was called the arquebus, used in Germany in the late 1400's. -
Later variations
Shotguns were used in the late 1600's and early 1700's for hunting large groups of birds. -
Shotguns in war
One specific shotgun, the Brown Bess musket, was in service with the British army from 1722 to 1838. -
First hammerless shotgun
The first hammerless shotgun was a technological innovation that was developed by Robert and Chateauvillard in the 1830's. -
Modern shotguns
In 1887, Browning introduced the Model 1887 Lever Action Repeating Shotgun, which loaded a new shell into the chamber by using a lever. This technology is still used today. -
WWI
Shotguns were used extensively in WWI. Due to the cramped conditions of trench warfare, American shotguns were extremely effective. -
Today's shotguns
Shotguns have been used less in war, and are are far less common in military use than rifles, carbines, submachine guns, or pistols. The shotgun is more commonly used in law enforcement and crowd control, and has also been used extensively for recreation.