The shotgun is possibly one of the most versatile firearms, and is attributed with many different features in games. It is unique in modern firearms in its typically bore size and ability to fire multiple projectiles and unique projectiles with no equivalent in any other firearm type. The shotgun is paradoxically the cheap gun of the masses and the sporting gun of the wealthy 1%. It is strongly associated with both hunting and combat. Some form of shotgun is likely to the only type of firearm available to people in countries with strong gun control. All of these factors make it difficult to adjudicate and everyone has their own ideas about how shotguns should behave.
Shotgun shells are hold-overs from the days of black powder firearms. Primitive firearms would often be loaded with multiple balls to increase their hit potential. As rifling was introduced to firearms, the shotgun became it's own type of gun. As smokeless powder was introduced and pressures increase for most rifle and pistol rounds, shotgun cartridges only had moderate increases in pressure and velocity.
For example a typical 12 gauge black powder shell was 7,000PSI and a modern smokeless powder shell is around 11,500PSI. This is still nearly DOUBLE, so by no means should you ever try to fire smokeless shells in a black powder shotgun! But for comparison 38 S&W (a moderate black powder pistol cartridge) was 14,500PSI, and 9mm Luger is 35,000PSI (a moderate smokeless powder moderate pistol round). Notebook, all PSI are approximate.
Defined by a larger then normal smoothbore firing a comparatively low pressure cartridge, the shotgun serves as an accessible platform for projectile experimentation. The low pressure cartridge means that shotguns can be manufactured inexpensively. The large bore makes a variety of projectiles and payloads possible. The prevalence of multiple projectile cartridges makes shotguns ideal against small moving targets like birds and Drones in the Tiny and Small size classes. Multiple projectile rounds have less velocity and poor ballistic coefficents then pistol and rifle rounds, making them shorter ranged and less prone the over-penetration. The large bore size makes exotic rounds like Taser slugs and tear gas dispensers possible.
For the purposes of role-playing games there is no reason to differentiate between the different types of birdshot, Heavy "turkey" shot or light loads will all be essentially equal. All birdshot is incredibly damaging at close ranges but lacks penetration, especially at range. By no means should birdshot be considered "safe" but at ranges beyond 5m, the wounds are probably not fatal.
Buckshot is an array of black powder pistol sized balls over a stout powder charge. While it doesn't spread enough to effectively hit multiple people at a reasonable range, the spread may help make a hit out of a poorly aimed shot. Alternately at range a miss may impact several people with a single pellet, doing damage similar to a black powder pistol. In game terms, this probably is not a rule that needs to be put in. It could be a useful tool to tell a story about the harm of stray shots or or being responsible, but it shouldn't be an everyday issue.
Slugs are a single projectile that is most often bore sized. This should generally have a bit more damage but should not have any hit enhancement rules. There are also sabot shells that require rifled shotgun barrels or chokes but effectively turn a shotgun into a black powder rifle in range and power.
There is a wide variety of speciality ammunition for shotguns, Explosive shells, rubber shot and slugs that do stun or bashing damage as opposed to lethal. Shells the disperse tear gas and fire flash bang devices. Even shells that don't "fire" but produce a shower of hot particles that can light targets on fire. More fantastic shells for games could include rounds designed to target a creature's vulnerabilities. Shotguns excel at allowing characters to craft shells loaded with silver shot, or salt or wooden spikes. Enterprising characters may even take fantastic materials to create new shells that have special effects, like super metal flechettes that are exceptionally armor piercing. GMs should definitely exercise discretion in allowing and adjudicating specialty shells in games, especially historical ones.
Most shotguns in history have been single shot or double barrel break-open weapons. Allowing 1 or 2 shots before reloading which should be a move action at the very least. double barrel shotguns can fire very rapidly, or even simultaneously, firing 2 shots at a single target, but with the second shot having a minor penalty to hit.
From about the turn of the 20th century on there have been lever action and pump action shotguns that hold 3-8 shots and take an attack action to reload a single shell at a time. Just after the First World War semiautomatic shotguns that reload about the same speed as pump and lever guns but may allow 2 shots at the same target like a double barrel.
At the end of the 20th century shotguns with detachable magazines have emerged, making pump action and semi-auto shotguns that can reload the same as semi-auto pistols and rifles. These magazines are bulky, low capacity and expensive. Typically holding 5 rounds and encumbering like a rifle magazine, the 10 round versions encumber more then a heavy pistol and cost around $100 in early 21st century dollars. The 20 round drums encumber like a satchel and cost around $250 dollars.
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