Types of Shotguns Explained

Shotgun types compared in one master table

The table below compares every common shotgun action, plus the two layouts (bullpup and box-magazine) that are often listed as “types”. Capacities follow the usual magazine+chamber notation, in which 5+1 means five shells in the magazine and one in the chamber.

Shotgun actions explained

The action is the mechanism that loads, fires and ejects each shell. It decides how fast you can shoot again, how much the gun weighs, how much maintenance it needs and, in many countries, which license you need.

Break-action shotguns in single-barrel, over/under and side-by-side form

A break-action shotgun hinges open just ahead of the trigger. You load shells directly into the chambers, close the gun and fire. There is no magazine, so a single-barrel holds one shell and a double holds two. Break-actions are the simplest shotguns and the easiest to check for safety, and their short receivers help them balance and point naturally. That is why they dominate clay sports and traditional game shooting.

• Single-barrel (single-shot) one barrel, usually with an exposed hammer and an extractor that lifts the empty shell for removal by hand. Light, inexpensive and easy to learn on. Our single-barrel shotguns follow this pattern.
• Over/under two barrels stacked vertically. The narrow sight plane and the choice of two chokes make it the standard clay and upland gun. Ejector models throw the empties clear, while extractor models lift them for removal. See our over/under shotguns.
• Side-by-side two barrels mounted next to each other, the classic “double-barrel” game gun. Iber does not build break-action side-by-sides. Our double-barrel shotguns are a different design, built as pump-action tactical guns with two barrels and two magazine tubes.

Pump-action shotguns

A pump-action (slide-action) shotgun is cycled by pulling the forend back and pushing it forward. The rearward stroke unlocks the bolt and ejects the empty shell; the forward stroke chambers a fresh shell from the magazine, usually a tube under the barrel. Pumps run almost any load, from light target shells to slugs, because the shooter supplies the cycling energy. They are affordable and rugged, and they are among the most widely used repeating shotguns for hunting and police service. The main drawback is that the shooter must cycle the gun firmly every time, because short-stroking under stress causes malfunctions. Browse our pump-action shotguns, or compare lever-action vs pump.

Gas-operated vs inertia-driven semi-automatic shotguns

A semi-automatic (autoloading) shotgun fires one shell per trigger pull and uses the energy of each shot to eject the empty and chamber the next. There are two main operating systems, described below.

• Gas-operated a small amount of gas is bled from the barrel into a cylinder, where it pushes a piston that drives the bolt back. Spreading the recoil impulse over a longer time makes felt recoil softer, which is why gas guns are popular for waterfowl, clays and high-volume shooting. The trade-off is more fouling to clean and a slightly heavier gun. Our gas-operated semi-autos and M4-style ADA 4 guns use this system.
• Inertia-driven the bolt body contains a stiff spring. When the gun recoils, the bolt body’s inertia compresses that spring, and its rebound unlocks the bolt head and cycles the action. No gas enters the receiver, so inertia guns stay cleaner and tend to be lighter, but they transmit more recoil. They also need the gun held firmly against the shoulder and loads with enough energy to cycle. Our Kinetic System inertia shotguns and M2-style ADA 2 field guns work this way.

For a full comparison, read gas vs inertia shotguns.

Lever-action shotguns

A lever-action shotgun is cycled by swinging a lever below the grip down and back up. This ejects the empty shell and chambers the next one from a tube magazine. The design dates back to the 1880s and has had a revival, partly for cowboy action shooting and partly because some licensing systems treat lever-actions more favorably than pumps or semi-autos. Our lever-action shotguns are 12 gauge with capacities from 2+1 to 10+1.

Lever-release shotguns

A lever-release shotgun looks like a semi-automatic, but it is a manual repeater. After each shot, the shooter presses a lever that releases the bolt, which then closes and chambers the next shell. The concept grew in Australia, where action type determines the license category. How lever-release guns are classified differs between states and countries, so buyers must verify locally. See our lever-release shotguns.

Bolt-action shotguns

A bolt-action shotgun uses a rifle-style bolt that the shooter lifts and pulls back to cycle each shell, usually from a small box magazine. Bolt-action shotguns were once common low-cost farm guns and survive mainly as dedicated slug guns. They are the slowest repeaters and are rarely made today; Iber does not build them.

Revolving-cylinder shotguns

A revolving-cylinder shotgun holds its shells in a rotating cylinder, like an oversized revolver. Each trigger cycle brings a fresh chamber in line with the barrel. Our RV01 to RV03 models are .410 bore with a five-shot cylinder and 47 or 51 cm (18.5 or 20″) barrels; see new shotguns and our .410 shotguns guide.

Layouts and feed systems

Some shotguns are described by their layout or feed system rather than their action. These features combine with the actions above.

Bullpup shotguns

A bullpup places the action and magazine behind the trigger, inside the stock. The result is a much shorter overall length for the same barrel length, which helps in vehicles and tight spaces. Bullpups can be pump or semi-auto. The usual criticisms are a heavier trigger pull and, on some designs, ejection that bothers left-handed shooters. Our bullpup shotguns are gas-operated 12 gauge guns with box magazines.

Box-magazine (magazine-fed) shotguns

A magazine-fed shotgun uses a detachable box magazine instead of a fixed tube, so reloading means swapping magazines rather than loading shells one at a time. Most are gas-operated semi-autos in AR-style (“AR-12”) or AK-style layouts, although magazine-fed pumps and levers exist. Our magazine-fed shotguns come in 12 gauge, 20 gauge and .410 bore, and our short-barrel versions are built for authorized military and law-enforcement buyers.

Tube-magazine and double-tube shotguns

The tube magazine under the barrel is still the most common feed system on pumps, semi-autos and lever guns. Variants include extended tubes for tactical use, our horizontal-magazine semi-autos, and twin-tube designs such as our double-barrel pump shotguns (10+2 to 16+2). For an overview of duty configurations, see tactical shotguns.

Barrel length, chokes, chambers and rifling

After the action, the barrel has the biggest influence on how a shotgun handles and patterns. Longer barrels swing more smoothly and give a longer sight plane, while shorter barrels are quicker to maneuver.

What do shotgun chokes do?

A choke is a slight narrowing at the muzzle that controls how quickly the shot pattern spreads. Most modern shotguns, including ours, use interchangeable screw-in tubes (our guns use Mobil-type tubes) so one gun can cover several uses. Constrictions below are typical 12-gauge values and vary by manufacturer.

Chamber length

The chamber must be at least as long as the fired shell. Common 12-gauge chamber lengths are 70 mm (2¾”), 76 mm (3″) and 89 mm (3½”). A 76 mm (3″) chamber, standard on Iber shotguns, accepts both 70 mm and 76 mm shells, although very light loads may not cycle some semi-autos reliably.

Smoothbore vs rifled barrels and sights

Almost all shotgun barrels are smoothbore, which suits shot. Dedicated slug guns may use rifled barrels or rifled choke tubes for sabot slugs. Sights range from a simple bead on a ventilated rib (best for moving targets) to rifle sights, ghost-ring sights and Picatinny rails for optics on slug and tactical guns.

Shotgun gauges and bore sizes

A shotgun’s gauge is the number of lead balls, each the diameter of the bore, that together weigh one pound. A smaller number therefore means a larger bore, so a 12 gauge is bigger than a 20 gauge. The .410 is the exception, because it is measured in inches. In continental Europe, and in our own catalog, it is also listed as 36 gauge.

For most buyers, 12 gauge offers the widest choice of ammunition, while 20 gauge gives noticeably less recoil and weight.

Which type of shotgun for which use?

No single type is best for everything. This table shows what most shooters choose for each job.

A short history of shotgun actions

• Before the mid-1800s shotguns were muzzle-loading fowling pieces, loaded with powder and shot from the front.
• Mid-to-late 1800s breech-loading break-actions using self-contained shells took over, and the side-by-side double became the standard sporting gun.
• 1880s, 1890s repeaters arrived. Lever-action designs came first, and the pump-action became a mainstream American shotgun.
• Early 1900s the first commercially successful semi-automatic shotgun, an early recoil-operated design, was produced from around 1902.
• 1930s the over/under gained wide popularity.
• 1960s gas-operated semi-autos became the dominant autoloader design.
• 1970s onward inertia-driven semi-autos became the main alternative to gas guns.
• Since the 1990s box-magazine and bullpup shotguns have moved from niche to mainstream, and Turkish factories now build many of them. Read more about the Turkish shotgun industry.

How action type affects licensing (general information)

Many countries license shotguns by action type, magazine capacity and barrel or overall length. A few examples that buyers often ask about are given below.

• United States a shotgun with a barrel under 18 in or an overall length under 26 in is a short-barreled shotgun under the NFA. Imported shotguns must also meet the “sporting purposes” importability criteria, and some states add feature or magazine limits.
• Canada magazines for semi-automatic shotguns are generally limited to 5 shells, and the RCMP classifies individual models.
• Australia single and double-barrel break-actions are Category A, lever-actions holding 5 rounds or fewer are Category B, and pump and self-loading shotguns are Category C or D.
• United Kingdom a Section 2 shotgun certificate covers guns whose magazine holds no more than 2 cartridges and whose barrels are at least 24 in; anything else needs a Section 1 certificate.
• South Africa a self-defense license excludes semi-automatic shotguns; dedicated hunters and sport shooters are the usual route for semi-autos.

Shotgun types we manufacture

Iber Arms builds most of the types described on this page at our factory in Beyşehir, Konya. Barrels are 4140 steel with in-house hard-chrome lining, receivers are aluminum, and chambers are 76 mm (3″). The table lists one example model per type; each family page shows the full range and specifications.

We supply importers, distributors, licensed dealers and government buyers, including OEM and private-label shotguns. We do not sell to private individuals; consumers should buy through a licensed dealer in their country.

Reviewed by the Iber Arms technical & export team, October 2026.