Why are sawn-off shotguns more deadly?
A sawed-off shotgun is a banging find in a FPS shooter, but not so much in the real world.
The principal reason criminals cut off some of the barrel from a shotgun is to make it easier to conceal under a coat or in a bag. When fired, a sawn-off shotgun is actually no more powerful, but considerably less accurate, the shot pellets spraying out in a less controlled fashion, which could make it actually more dangerous for the criminal using it.
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Authors
Robert MatthewsPhysicist
Robert is a science writer and visiting professor of science at Aston University.
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