- 01: Introduction
- 02: History
- 03: Propellants, Firearms, and Ammunition Development
- 04: Modern Firearms Manufacture
- 05: Small Arms Ammunition
- 06: Evidence Handling Procedures
- 07: Equipment and Instrumentation
- 08: Examination of Firearms
- 09: Cartridge and Shotshell Examination
- 10: Characterization and Evaluation of Fired Projectiles
- 11: Bullet Comparison and Identification
- 12: Gunshot Residue and Distance Determination
- 13: Toolmark Identification
- 14: Communicating Results
- Resources
Long or Shoulder Firearms
Home > Examination of Firearms > Long or Shoulder Firearms
)
Sectioned barrels, top to bottom:
reamed, drilled, button rifled, broached
Long (shoulder) firearms fall into two groups - rifles and shotguns. As the name implies, these firearms are designed to be fired from the shoulder using both hands. Although barrels can be shortened, the original design determines whether it is a rifle or a shotgun.
Shoulder-fired weapons with rifled barrels (lands and grooves) are rifles, and those with smooth-bored barrels are shotguns. It should be noted that a number of shotguns are manufactured with rifling in the barrel for use with slug loads. If the caliber designation is stated as gauge, it is classified as a shotgun (one exception is the 410 Bore designation).
