Influence of the Length of Homemade Shotgun Barrels on Accuracy and Shot Patterns at Different Firing Distances
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Abstract
Every year, gun violence results in thousands of deaths and injuries globally. Firearms-related violent crime is a serious social concern. Various types of guns are used in crimes, but many such incidents involve the use of shotguns. A shotgun is a weapon that fires using the energy of the explosive within a fixed shotgun shell for firing either several ball shots, referred to as pellets, or one projectile, for each pull of the trigger. This study was designed to investigate the correlation between the length of homemade shotgun barrels, shot patterns, the number of pellets hitting the target and firing distance in an outdoor shooting range in the Chaengwattana area of Bangkok, Thailand. The experiments were performed using an improvised 12-gauge (0.729-inch) single-barrel, break-action shotgun with five different barrel lengths (4, 6, 10, 16 and 28 inches) loaded with 12-gauge 2 3/4" OO 9 pellet buckshot. The data were analyzed by analysis of covariance and correlation. The results showed that the number of shots hitting the target was positively correlated with the length of the barrel, whereas the diameter of the shot pattern was negatively correlated with the length of the barrel, as an increase in length reduced shot pattern diameter. It was concluded that there is a nonlinear relationship between barrel length, firing distance and shot pattern. The results of our study can be used to estimate the distance at which a shotgun has been fired in a crime scene.
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