How Does Shotgun Ammunition Differ from That Fired with a Revolver

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The Answer is Shotgun ammunition and revolver ammunition differ significantly in design, purpose, and the resulting markings they leave on spent casings or shells.

**Shotgun Ammunition:**
Shotgun ammunition, commonly known as shotgun shells, is designed to fire a number of small projectiles, called shot, or a single projectile, called a slug. Shotgun shells consist of a plastic casing with a brass base containing the primer. Inside the shell, there is typically a plastic wad that separates the shot or slug from the gunpowder. When fired, the expanding gases from the ignited gunpowder propel the wad and shot or slug down the barrel.

The markings on spent shotgun shells can include indentations from the firing pin, which strikes the primer to ignite the gunpowder. The brass base may also show extractor or ejector marks from the shotgun's mechanism as it removes the spent shell. However, because the barrel of a shotgun is usually smooth (unless it's a rifled shotgun barrel designed for slugs), there are no rifling marks on the shot or wad as they exit the barrel.

**Revolver Ammunition:**
Revolver ammunition, on the other hand, is typically a metallic cartridge that contains a single projectile, known as a bullet, which is seated in a cylindrical brass casing containing the primer and gunpowder. When the revolver's hammer strikes the primer, the gunpowder ignites, and the bullet is propelled through the barrel.

The markings on spent revolver ammunition are more distinctive than those on shotgun shells. The firing pin leaves a mark on the primer, and the cartridge casing may have impressions from the revolver's cylinder, extractor, and ejector. Most importantly, the bullet will bear the unique rifling marks from the barrel. Rifling refers to the spiral grooves cut into the barrel's interior, which impart a spin to the bullet for stability and accuracy. These grooves leave corresponding marks on the bullet's surface, which can be matched to the firearm that fired it.

In summary, shotgun shells are designed to fire multiple projectiles or a single slug and typically do not leave rifling marks, while revolver ammunition fires a single bullet that will bear the unique rifling marks of the barrel it was fired from. The spent casings of both types of ammunition will show firing pin impressions and possibly extractor or ejector marks, but the revolver casings may also show additional marks from the cylinder where they were held during firing.

How Does Shotgun Ammunition Differ from That Fired with a Revolver

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