Historical gun help.

[paradoxhorizon]

I'm not very gun-savvy, but yet again I find myself writing gun-wielding characters! I can find info on guns and when they were made and so on, but I'm feeling completely uncertain with this story so I have come seeking the wisdom of the internet

Comments

[kiffie]

A shotgun, very likely.

Sears, as well as other department stores, carried double- and single-barrel guns of varying makes and models. Most general stores would have stocked guns of different sorts, as well.

The Remington double-barrel shotgun was very popular, produced in the 1890s, and surviving guns are still used today for hunting. A double-barrel shotgun of this type would have no doubt been kept around the house for weekend hunting trips and defense. (Indeed, my family-- originally from NoDak --has had the same shotgun since the late 1800s and it was in regular use until the 1950s.)

The only downside I can see to a shotgun would be their size. Shotguns are extremely long-barreled, and getting one out quickly to dispatch a zombie would be almost impossible. Sawing the barrels off would be ideal, but would limit the gun's range and its effectiveness for hunting.

As for the upside -- "can fire anything" is a plus.

[paradoxhorizon]

Thank you for the detailed response. Very helpful.
Luckily for my MC, she only has to deal with old-fashioned slow zombies so unless she's caught totally off-guard it sounds like a shotgun will be fine. And a shotgun being able to fire anything could definitely be a good detail to remember!

[sandwichwarrior]

"Anything" is a bit of a missnomer as the shell still has to be the proper diameter, in order to fit the "Gauge" of the barrel. That said, it is true that your average shotgun will far less finnicky when it comes to "feeding it" than any other rifle or pistol.

[paradoxhorizon]

And thank you for the clarification! This has been very helpful info in resolving a detail I was just going handwave away.
(The zombies are actually in another, well, dimension with near-parallel technological development, so I have been worried that even if she could scavenge ammo, she wouldn't realistically be able to use it because of small differences in design. And realism matters so much in alternate world zombie stories! So, if I'm understanding correctly, the average shotgun should be able to handle it so long as it's the right gauge.)

[andalusi]

As sandwichwarrior noted, a shotgun doesn't really fire everything. Besides the shell needing to be the right size for the barrel, there's also an issue of how powerful the shot is and what it's composed of. Buckshot is more powerful and has more of a kick than birdshot, and given you want your characters to take down zombies, I'd assume you'd at least want #4 buckshot and probably #00.

Shotguns can also fire slugs (think big bullets as opposed to the usual bunch of round pellets). If the barrel is rifled (most shotgun barrels aren't), you'll want a smooth slug; if it's not, you'll want a rifled slug.

Final thought, again building on sandwichwarrior's comment: hunting and game shotguns are different from tactical/home defense shotguns. The barrel will be at least 20" and could well be 26"+. The design will be meant to facilitate leading a rapidly moving target, i.e., swinging the firearm and shooting during the arc. Both of your eyes are kept open and you are firing at a point of aim *ahead* of your target

[kiffie]

Thank you for adding much needed details here. :3

[paradoxhorizon]

That was helpful, especially the points about the differences between shooting fast-moving game versus slow-moving zombies. I knew they would be different, but I had no idea how different! Definitely something to keep in mind. Thanks!