Shotgun vs. Pistol — What's the Difference?

A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small pellet-like spherical sub-projectiles called shot, or sometimes a single solid projectile called a slug. Shotguns are most commonly smoothbore firearms, meaning that their gun barrels have no rifling on the inner wall, but rifled barrels for shooting slugs (slug barrels) are also available.

A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in ca.

A smooth-bore gun for firing small shot at short range.

A handgun, especially one that is not a revolver.

The front passenger seat in a vehicle

(Slang) A rowdy or rambunctious person, especially a child.

Aimed at a wide range of things; having no specific target

To shoot with a pistol.

Denoting a long, narrow single-storey house whose rooms are arranged one behind another

A handgun

Shoot at or kill with a shotgun

The mechanical component of a fuse in a bomb or torpedo responsible for firing the detonator.

Consume (a canned drink) in one go by puncturing the can, putting one’s mouth over the resulting hole, and then opening the can by means of the ring pull to produce a rapid flow

A creative and unpredictable jokester, a constant source of entertainment and surprises.

A smoothbore gun that fires shot over short ranges. Also called scattergun.

(Southern US) A small boy who is bright, alert and very active.

(Football) An offensive formation, used especially for passing, in which the quarterback receives the snap several yards behind the line of scrimmage.

(American football) An offensive formation in which the quarterback receives the snap at a distance behind the center, but closer than in a shotgun formation, with a running back lined up behind him.

Of, relating to, or using a shotgun.

(transitive) To shoot (at) a target with a pistol.

Obtained by or involving coercion

The smallest firearm used, intended to be fired from one hand, - now of many patterns, and bearing a great variety of names. See Illust. of Revolver.

Covering a wide range in a haphazard or ineffective manner

To shoot with a pistol.

Having the rooms joined in a line from front to back

A firearm that is held and fired with one hand

To shoot at with a shotgun.

To drink (a can of beer or other beverage) quickly through a hole punched near the bottom of the can.

Used to claim the front passenger seat of a vehicle before a trip has started.

(firearms) A gun which fires loads typically consisting of small metal balls, called shot, from a cartridge.

(slang) The front passenger seat in a vehicle, next to the driver; so called because the position of the shotgun-armed guard on a horse-drawn stage-coach, wagon train, or gold transport was next to the driver on a forward-mounted bench seat. Can also be used in situations of claiming other resources such as bedrooms.

A one-story dwelling with no hallways or corridors, with the rooms arranged in a straight line.

(American football) An offensive formation in which the quarterback receives the snap at a distance behind the center, often with a running back set to one or both sides of him.

Relating to shotguns, either in a present or past sense.

Relating to the threat of force or dubious means.

Relating to the use of numerous, diverse or indiscriminate means to achieve a particular result.

To inhale from a pipe or other smoking device, followed shortly by an exhalation into someone else’s mouth.

To verbally lay claim to (something)

To hit the ball directly back at the pitcher.

To rapidly drink a beverage from a can by making a hole in the bottom of the can, placing the hole above one's mouth, and opening the top.

To send out many (requests, answers to a question, etc), especially in the hope that one obtains a positive result (i.e. reveals useful information, is correct, etc), in the manner of a shotgun firing many balls of shot such that one may hit a target.

To employ the technique of shotgun debugging.

A light, smooth-bored gun, often double-barreled, especially designed for firing small shot at short range, and killing small game.

Firearm that is a double-barreled smoothbore shoulder weapon for firing shot at short ranges