this post was submitted on 17 Dec 2025
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What is the point of sawing off the end of a gun? (sopuli.xyz)
submitted 19 hours ago by sopularity_fax@sopuli.xyz to c/nostupidquestions@lemmy.ca
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[โ€“] justdaveisfine@piefed.social 11 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago)

Its largely to make the weapon concealable.

For shotguns, it also gets rid of the choke that's at the end of the barrel so the pellets have a slightly bigger spread when firing.

Edit: I'm going to be a little pedantic (sorry) and expand this answer:

The reason why you would saw off a shotgun specifically and not a rifle (or even just use a pistol) is because you can't do much forensics with shotgun pellets. The casing doesn't automatically eject (which would leave evidence) and the pellets won't have any unique markings to match them with that specific shotgun. Double-barrel or single-barrel shotguns are relatively cheap so if you had to dispose of them it wasn't a big loss. And then obviously shotguns have devastating results up close - Even if you survive the blast, it would likely be very disfiguring.

Up until the ~30's (in the US) sawed off shotguns were 'legal' as well. The combination of all that made them a good crime weapon and so it was popular to saw off the shotgun barrels.

[โ€“] Carrolade@lemmy.world 10 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

Usually done with shotguns, it makes the pellets spread out more. This reduces the need for accuracy when firing. Another, bigger, part of it is it makes the gun easier to conceal. Normally weapons small enough to conceal are less powerful, this lets you conceal a bigger one.

[โ€“] DaddleDew@lemmy.world 3 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (1 children)

I believe concealability is by far the main reason and the rest is just a side effect. It is born and a trope of desperate necessity. Someone needs a concealable weapon, likely for nefarious reasons, but all they have is their grandpa's shotgun and no money to buy a handgun, or no willingness to go through the background check process to get one. The traceability of a handgun purchase depending on which state you're in could also be a factor.

Dramatically shortening the barrel of a firearm will reduce its power as the cartridge it uses was generally not optimized for a barrel this short. Also, if removing the choke was the goal then only the first 2-3 inches of the barrel would need to be trimmed off. In terms of usability, you generally end up with a weapon that is worse than a purpose-built handgun if you modify a long gun, but it will still do the job if all you want to do is rob a store or assassinate someone from point blank. You'd be in a severe disadvantage in anything ranged or in an actual gunfight however. Needless to say, it also completely ruins a hunting shotgun and makes it permanently near useless at it.

[โ€“] Carrolade@lemmy.world 1 points 9 hours ago (1 children)

Only time I've ever encountered the idea done for ostensibly practical purposes is what I've seen described as a "stagecoach gun", where it's a double-barrel that's been sawed off. Portability is probably part of it, but I do think the bigger spread is also a desired characteristic in that context. I can see a case where a stagecoach driver back in the day might want that intimidation factor of "this probably isn't going to miss you if I discharge these two barrels in the general direction of your horse." Ultimately I'm not sure though.

[โ€“] Cort@lemmy.world 1 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

The greater spread is only at longer distances, in close quarters it's negligible unless the barrel is cut all the way back to the tip of the cartridge.

More 'portability' also means less likely to snag in the reins/rigging when you're aiming from a stage coach, and much less barrel for a scofflaw to grab onto if they attempt to wrest it from you.

[โ€“] Carrolade@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago

At very close range, sure, the spread is negligible. You don't have to get very far at all before it becomes pronounced though.

[โ€“] CompactFlax@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 17 hours ago

Portability, in a word.