In contrast to rifle barrels, shotgun barrels are smooth and do not have grooves and lands. They are used to fire shotgun ammunition, such as shot, slugs, or shotgun shells.
The number for the caliber of shotguns is derived from a somewhat crude calculation formula: The caliber 12 has the barrel diameter that a ball would have if one English pound of lead were divided into 12 equal parts and this ball were formed from one of those parts. The same applies to calibers 16 and 20.
Shotguns are designed for shots at short distances; depending on the shot size and caliber, the optimal effective range is about 35 meters, but the danger area of a shotgun is stated to be 100,000 times larger than the size of the shot size. Therefore, shot cartridges with a shot size of 2 mm have a danger area of 200 meters, 3 mm shot then 300 meters, and so on.
Shotgun barrels are often equipped with so-called chokes. Chokes are either fixed constrictions built into the barrel or screw-in constrictions. They narrow the barrel at the muzzle and ensure that the spread of the shot pattern is adjusted according to the purpose for which the shotgun is used.
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