Combination Guns, Double Rifles, and Triple-Barrel Shotguns

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

My friend Marquis told me he had a discussion with one of his friends as to whether triple-barrel shotguns exist; this site proves they exist. What are the limits on how many barrels a rifle or shotgun may have?

[Gunhead]

Well, that would depend on the method used to fire the gun. Weight is of course the biggest restriction if we're talking about a weapon that a human can use unassisted.

Technically the limit is quite high.

-Gunhead

[Gunhead]

If you've ever seen that "metal storm" thingy, there's no reason it couldn't be made into a shotgun.
Then you'd have a shotgun with tens of barrels.

-Gunhead

[The Third Man]

Here we are, the Nock seven barrel volleygun



Apparently it took a "big man" to use it (Cpl Kendall knows who I mean )

And a bigger pic here

[Shinova]

Ooooooooooooooooooookay...... I dub it Compensation Gun.

[Elheru Aran]

Well, that would depend on the method used to fire the gun. Weight is of course the biggest restriction if we're talking about a weapon that a human can use unassisted.

Technically the limit is quite high.

-Gunhead

This is pretty much it-- weight.

However, a BIG concern is recoil. While most hunting rifles don't have *that* bad a recoil, a shotgun can be downright mean. Upping the bore, it gets even worse, for both a shotgun or rifle. Seriously, blackpowder would be about the only way you could have that seven-barreled gun, as the recoil's not too bad compared to modern powders; it'd give you a motherfucker of a bruise on your shoulder otherwise, plus with the strengths of metal needed for modern powder pressures, you'd have a pretty heavy gun.

Four is about the maximum number of barrels-- two shotgun, two rifle, or various combinations thereof. Three barrels (double shotgun/rifle or doubler rifle/shotgun, whichever) is more common, as are rifle/shotgun combos. Seven? Much easier to make a revolving rifle, as Sam Colt did at one point...

[Sea Skimmer]

You can have as many barrels as you can lift, recoil is annoying but the more barrels you have the more the gun weighs so that helps dampen things down a lot unless your using a very powerful cartridge. But about a century and a half ago we invented something called a magazine and began producing rifles and shotguns which incorporated these ammunition-feeding devices. For almost all purposes a magazine is better then a double barrel weapon, which are pretty much inherently single shot per barrel. The exceptions are certain forms of hunting, usually birds in the case of double barrel shotguns and really big game like rhinos and elephants in the case of double rifles. But even then, many people argue that a single larger barrel with a single larger cartridge is just as effective. A single larger cartridge also tends to make adding a magazine possibul, you can just use the space and weight the second barrel would have taken up and make it a tubular magazine.

[Aaron]

Well, that would depend on the method used to fire the gun. Weight is of course the biggest restriction if we're talking about a weapon that a human can use unassisted.

Technically the limit is quite high.

-Gunhead

This is pretty much it-- weight.

However, a BIG concern is recoil. While most hunting rifles don't have *that* bad a recoil, a shotgun can be downright mean. Upping the bore, it gets even worse, for both a shotgun or rifle. Seriously, blackpowder would be about the only way you could have that seven-barreled gun, as the recoil's not too bad compared to modern powders; it'd give you a motherfucker of a bruise on your shoulder otherwise, plus with the strengths of metal needed for modern powder pressures, you'd have a pretty heavy gun.

The Knock Volley Gun that The Third Man posted would actually break the shoulder of a man who wasn't a mountain of a man, we're talking 7 feet 300-350 pounds here.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Ah, I believe that particular volley gun was used by a guy in Sharpe's regiment in the books and TV movies. Only I recall it being called the Wellington Rifle. Volley guns were used quite extensively by the RN and Royal Marines in the 19th century since it was that or have multiple flintlocks or waste time reloading in battle.

[Castor Troy]

Well, along with the weight issues, regular guns work just fine for their job.

[tumbletom]

What i want is a fully auto shotgun....

[The Spartan]

What i want is a fully auto shotgun....

That's not they actually have those.

[AMX]

As mentioned above, primary concern is weight; as long as you can lug it around (and pay for it), you'll find a gunsmith somewhere who's willing to build you one, no matter how many barrels it has.
Actually, you'll probably find someone who builds you one even if both of you know you won't be able to use it, if only the money is right...

As for recoil: most multi-barreled weapons are meant to be fired one barrel at a time, not all at once; which means that you'll actually get less recoil than from a single in the same caliber (same recoil impulse, but higher weight => less energy).

The issue of double-barrel vs. magazine is ... complicated.
There are actually a lot of situations where multiple barrels are better than bolt-action; not to mention the possibility of using two or more completely different calibers in the same weapon...

[Aaron]

Ah, I believe that particular volley gun was used by a guy in Sharpe's regiment in the books and TV movies. Only I recall it being called the Wellington Rifle. Volley guns were used quite extensively by the RN and Royal Marines in the 19th century since it was that or have multiple flintlocks or waste time reloading in battle.

It was used by Sgt/Sgt Maj Harper and it was only referred to as the Knock Volley Gun as far as I recall.

[Executor32]

What i want is a fully auto shotgun....

That's not they actually have those.

Indeed. Jackhammer

[Keevan_Colton]

Ah, I believe that particular volley gun was used by a guy in Sharpe's regiment in the books and TV movies. Only I recall it being called the Wellington Rifle. Volley guns were used quite extensively by the RN and Royal Marines in the 19th century since it was that or have multiple flintlocks or waste time reloading in battle.

It was used by Sgt/Sgt Maj Harper and it was only referred to as the Knock Volley Gun as far as I recall.

Yep, it was Harper, as I recall they alluded to it being a weapon for officers only and Sharpe basically telling them to go shove it and that Harper was the only one in his command any bloody use with it

[Enforcer Talen]

What i want is a fully auto shotgun....

That's not they actually have those.

Indeed. Jackhammer

I want one.

[weemadando]

Bah, you want genuine Russshhhhian engineering. And we take rrrrrrrrrrrruuuublessss.

[img]http://world.guns.ru/shotgun/saiga12k.jpg[/url]

Or even a USAS-12.

Because at least those 2 are in production, not like the ill-fated Jackhammer, though the bear-trap system for it was a cool idea.

[Lancer]

What i want is a fully auto shotgun....

You mean like a Saiga-12 or a spaz?

[xcr]

Two barreled rifles will have a high re-fire rate, which, with dangerous animal hunting, would be an advantage. They will also have a longer barrel length for given overall length (lacking the extra length needed for the re-loading mechanism), which would be a help in tight areas.

[Aaron]

Yep, it was Harper, as I recall they alluded to it being a weapon for officers only and Sharpe basically telling them to go shove it and that Harper was the only one in his command any bloody use with it

I think it was only intended to be a naval weapon for the Royal Marines to clear decks and it took a big man to use it, it was a gift from Sharpe to Harper as he was the only one big enough to use besides Sharpe.

As for an officers only weapon, Sharpes Trafalger tends to debunk that, as a Royal Marines Sgt carried one on the ship Sharpe found himself on at the battle. It's just that it wasn't an Army issue weapon. And Wellesly's Army was big on uniformity.

[Ma Deuce]

You mean like a Saiga-12 or a spaz?

Neither the Saiga-12 or SPAS-12 are actually capable of fully automatic fire. The USAS-12 does have full-auto capability, however...

[Lancer]

You mean like a Saiga-12 or a spaz?

Neither the Saiga-12 or SPAS-12 are actually capable of fully automatic fire. The USAS-12 does have full-auto capability, however...

I stand corrected.

[The Third Man]

I think it was only intended to be a naval weapon for the Royal Marines to clear decks and it took a big man to use it, it was a gift from Sharpe to Harper as he was the only one big enough to use besides Sharpe.

That's correct. The volley gun did really exist; about 600 were made by Henry Nock. The one in the pic is a genuine article, up for sale at £25,000. It was as you say designed for naval use; but it was one of Nock's less successful ideas. Nock incidentally founded the Wilkinson Sword company, who make Swords for officers and rather excellent razor blades for the rest of us to this day.

The volley gun fired all seven barrels at once - you couldn't selectively fire them a la a double-barrel shotgun (fairly obviously - you'd need seven triggers to do that!! ), neither did it rotate barrels into place a la revolver designs.

The calibre was 0.5 inch (lead balls of course) the same as pistols of the day, and substantially less than muskets. Early production models had rifled barrels, but experience soon showed that this sophistication was utterly unnecessary.

The prime reasons the weapon didn't catch on were, indeed, numerous cases of shoulder injuries to the users, and the problem that the tremendous flash from all the exploding powder could set fire to the rigging of the vessel it was being used from (the plan was to have the unfortunate sailors firing the thing from up the masts!)

Besides shooting down onto the decks of enemy vessels, another role the volley gun was intended for was for Marines to threaten mutinous mobs of their own sailors.

I heard that at some point Nock made an even more extreme weapon for the civilian market - a nine barrelled gun, for wildfowling, which was intended to be loaded with three balls per barrel, for a total of 27 balls in a single discharge! I'm unable to find any references or pics of this thing though.

Oh yes, and Harper seems to like using his example as a club once he's discharged it.

[General Brock]

Funny how few video games have picked up on the autofire shotgun. A Doom modder could have a lot of fun with this thread.