As a shotgun nut, I’m always fascinated to see gauges larger than 12. I once owned a ten gauge goose gun, which was a blast, and I have handled a Browning BPS 10 gauge, but neither of those offered thrills or chills. They are incredible, and I want an Ithaca Mag-10 Roadblocker, but what’s bigger? In fact, what are the world’s biggest shotguns? Let’s start small and work our way up to the most absurd shotguns or shotgun-like weapons.
The Industrial Shotguns
Both Remington and Winchester have produced what’s called industrial shotguns. These are the smallest of our biggest shotguns. Industrial shotguns are eight-gauge designs and are used to blast away buildup from kilns, boilers, silos, and more. They launch up to 3-ounce loads, including 3-ounce slugs and zinc loads.
These massive machines hang from a tripod or are mounted to a table. They certainly aren’t shoulder-fired. These big things are rare and expensive. I wouldn’t be surprised if they require a tax stamp. I can’t find a price or means to buy one without being involved in the industrial industry.
The KS-23
Believe it or not, a few KS-23s were imported to the United States in sporting configurations. The KS-23 series are Russian shotguns that use blemished 23mm anti-aircraft barrels. This translates to approximately 6.27 gauge. While these guns can be loaded with buckshot, they were often used more like 40mm less lethal launchers for riot control.
The KS-23 is our pump action selection for the biggest shotgun. The TOS-123 was the American import option but was banned during the Clinton admin. A few survive and fetch a high price. Owners are forced to reload their own ammo.
The Punt Gun
Punt guns were a genre of massive shotguns that were used to fire massive loads of shot at massive flocks of game birds, typically waterfowl of one sort or another. These guns were mounted to boats and swiveled easily to track flocks. These massive shotguns fired up to a pound of shot!
Punt guns make it to the third slot of our biggest shotguns list but could alternate depending on the punt gun in question. The eight gauge shotgun was common, but punt guns as large as four gauge existed. These days, they are prohibited for hunting and aren’t in production, but you could still buy one.
The Beehive Anti-Personnel Round
Let’s get well out of the realm of normal and get into some massive weapons that fire shotgun-like rounds but aren’t shotguns. For example, 105mm artillery pieces. These massive guns can load rounds like the Beehive Anti-Personnel round, turning an artillery piece into an artillery shotgun that could be direct fired at the enemy.
The round held approximately 8,000 metal flechettes in a 105mm round. The Beehive Anti-Personnel round was used in Vietnam and was likely handy for shotguns. A person smarter than me on Quora did the math of converting the 105mm and figured out it would be .066 gauge.
The M1A1 Abrams
The main gun on the M1A1 Abrams is known for being able to kill absolutely everything! The 120mm main gun has an effective range of 2.2 miles. That same 120mm bore can launch the General Dynamics M1028 canister, which is loaded with 1100 10mm tungsten balls. This modern grapeshot load will turn enemy infantry into a light pink mist.
The same gentleman who did the math on Quora for the 105mm did the gauge math for the 120mm gun and it’s a .044 gauge. That makes the M1A1 Abrams, loaded with the M1028, the biggest scattergun I can find.
The Biggest Shotguns Ever
I’ve sent an inquiry to an industrial shotgun dealer, but I don’t think I’ll live my dream of destroying a trailer full of watermelons with an eight-gauge shotgun. Realistically, I’m going to go back to the Ithaca Road Blocker as my choice of oversized absurd shotguns because it seems like the world’s biggest shotguns are going to be a little tougher to acquire.
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