When Did the Shotgun Become a Shotgun

shaman · May 8, 2024

This was asked on another forum, and my answer was a bit backhanded. What I explained was that the idea of a dedicated shotgun only came about because of the growing use of rifling. A rifled musket was lousy for throwing shot. However, I was left wondering: When did folks start calling a type of smoothbore firearm a shotgun?

CaptainVane · May 8, 2024

It was originally developed in Japan, called a Shogun in honor of the warrior class.
But Emporer Takesashitza said they need to add a T in his honor, so you got the name ShoTgun.
Don’t yall read history?
Admiral Perry brought the name back to the west.

Capt. Jas. · May 8, 2024

I think I have an 18th century American reference or two for "shot gun" but mostly termed fowling piece, birding piece or fowling gun.....never "fowler" which is the dude or dudette behind the gun.

Whitworth · May 8, 2024

I'd say with the invention of the choked bore.

blackeagle · May 8, 2024

The term shotgun is complimentary to the terms handgun and rifle-gun. Few are aware they all are acronyms related to their hunting use…

SHOTgun - Something Hovering Over There gun. Popular for birds and squirrels.

RIFLE-gun - Required In Forest Lands Everywhere gun. Preferred by big game hunters.

HANDgun - Hunting Any Nearby Delicacy gun. Useful for those closeup tasty critters that don’t require a shotgun or rifle gun.

And with that I end my terrible attempt at a dad joke.

Tumbledown · May 9, 2024

It probably came about after the Civil War with the development of the cartridge gun as a term to differentiate it from a rifle.

82ndPA · May 9, 2024

Tumbledown said:
It probably came about after the Civil War with the development of the cartridge gun as a term to differentiate it from a rifle.

From dictionary.com;

Origin of shotgun: An Americanism dating back to 1770–80

Rich44 · May 9, 2024

CaptainVane said:
It was originally developed in Japan, called a Shogun in honor of the warrior class.
But Emporer Takesashitza said they need to add a T in his honor, so you got the name ShoTgun.
Don’t yall read history?
Admiral Perry brought the name back to the west.

This is a very interesting story. Some might have trouble believing, but not me.

earlwb · May 9, 2024

The term “shotgun” probably arose when they first started making dedicated light weight smoothbores for hunting birds. But they called them “fowlers” not shotguns.

But interestingly enough the ultimate reference the Oxford English Reference says it was officially first used in 1828.
https://sites.pitt.edu/~emk4/comp1/... the Oxford English,rifle for firing a bullet.

smoothshooter · May 9, 2024

Tumbledown said:
It probably came about after the Civil War with the development of the cartridge gun as a term to differentiate it from a rifle.

I have seen references to “ shotguns “ in historical documents from prior to the Civil War.

#BPBReloadingFFL · May 9, 2024

Humm
Birdshot
Buckshot
Grapeshot
The first two make sense

ronaldrothb49 · May 9, 2024

Don't know when the term was first used but in Leonard Reedy's journals he lists making a shotgun in 1828 for the outrageous price of $4.42.

Loyalist Dave · May 9, 2024

The actual scholarly information was good, but some of the other stuff..... and it was a sincere question guys....

LD

Ohio Rusty · May 9, 2024

In Dan'l Boones autobiography, he had stated the indians raided on of his camps when he wasn't there and one of the items they stole was a shotgun.
Ohio Rusty ><>

windini · May 9, 2024

Actually, because the barrel was a tad less long than its contemporary longrifle, it was originally called a "shortgun."

But the guy who coined the term was from the Massachusettes Bay Colony.

Clark Badgett · May 9, 2024

Tumbledown said:
It probably came about after the Civil War with the development of the cartridge gun as a term to differentiate it from a rifle.

In use well before the fixed cartridge gun.

Feltwad · May 10, 2024

With the improvement of black powder the shotgun has we know today with short barrels and elevated rib was introduced by John Manton in the 1780,s in flintlock . In 1800 Forsyth developed the scent bottle lock for mostly sporting guns , has for the percussion cap this was made by James Rowntree who was approached by Joshua Shaw to build a sxs gun using his idea of a percussion cap . This Rowntree did the caps were made of steel which were re used with new fultimate this was approximately1815 before Joshua Shaw emigrated to America in 1817 aboard the ship Electra
The shotgun has we know do day is mostly due to the improvement of black powder the long barrels were known has fowlers these gun used a coarse grain of powder which needed a long barrel to burn the powder for it to reach its maximum strength.
Feltwad

long fowler

Flintlock sporting gun

Percussion gun

Smokey Plainsman · May 10, 2024

Tumbledown said:
It probably came about after the Civil War with the development of the cartridge gun as a term to differentiate it from a rifle.

This is not so true. Many, many references to shotguns during the war. Double-barrel shotguns (called that by name in period documents) were used to good effect early in the war by the Conferates, mainly the cavalry.

When Did the Shotgun Become a Shotgun

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