Coach gun
A Coach Gun is a double-barrel shotgun, traditionally configured with 12 gauge barrels approximately 18" in length placed side by side (SxS).
The name comes from the use of such shotguns on stagecoaches in the American Wild West and during the Colonial period of Australia.
Modern coach guns are most commonly encountered in Single Action Shooting competitions, or as "scrub guns" for hunting in scrub, bush or marshlands, where the 24"+ barrels of a traditional shotgun would prove unwieldy. Most modern Coach guns can be had in a variety of configurations for both Single Action Shooting competition and hunting. This configuration is known as a ''lupara'' in Italy and while associated with organized crime was originally used by Sicilians to protect their vineyards and flocks of animals.[1]
Coach guns differ from sawed-off shotguns in that they have been manufactured as new with 18" barrels and 26" overall length, and meet legal requirements for civilian possession in the USA, Australia, and New Zealand. In the United Kingdom, however, shotguns must have a minimum barrel length of 24" to be eligible for ownership on a Shotgun Certificate, and shotguns with barrels under this length (which includes Coach guns) must be obtained on the more stringent Firearms Certificate.
The coachgun has been popularized in a variety of films. Most notably American Westerns but also in The Godfather movie and novel in addition to Ash's "Boomstick" from the movie Army of Darkness.
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- ^ Chalker, Dennis (2002). One Perfect Op : an Insider’s Account of the Navy Seal Special Warfare Teams. New York: Morrow. p. 251. ISBN 0-671-02465-5.
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