“...shotguns are ‘weapons of war’...:
I actually carried a shotgun for awhile in Viet Nam. Worked well in the close in combat of the jungle. So I guess shotguns are “weapons of war”.
A 115gr 9mm bullet is .355in and, depending on the barrel length travels at 950-1150fps.
00 Buckshot is .33in. My Federal 3inch mags have 15 of those pellets and they travel at 1200fps.
Do the math.
When shooting my Mossberg 509s with those 3in mags, it kicks like a mule. Twice that of my ought 6.
Out to 75-100ft the 12 gauge shotgun is the most powerful and effective small arm on the planet. The Marines still use the 509s and credit it to the effective clearing of Falluja, Iraq.
My uncle told me how he used a shotgun while on patrol in Vietnam. Said that when an attack in the jungle was initiated he would fire it to the left, straight ahead then to the right then drop to the ground. Can’t remember what he said happened after that! Said he lost it in a rice patty