sawed-off shotgun
Noun: A sawed-off shotgun is a shotgun whose barrels have been shortened, typically by sawing, resulting in a much shorter overall weapon than a standard shotgun. This modification significantly alters its handling and ballistic characteristics.
The term is used specifically to refer to the physically modified firearm. It is a compound noun where "sawed-off" functions as an adjective describing the type of "shotgun." * The police found a sawed-off shotgun hidden in the vehicle's trunk. * In many jurisdictions, possessing a sawed-off shotgun without a special permit is a serious felony.
- The shortened barrels cause the shot to disperse more widely and rapidly, making the weapon devastating at very close range but less accurate at distance. This characteristic is often referenced in tactical or descriptive contexts.
- The term can be used metaphorically to describe something that is an abbreviated, more direct, or blunt version of a standard thing, though this is an informal extension.
- His latest report was a sawed-off shotgun version of the full analysis—just the brutal conclusions.
- Sawed-off (adjective): Describes anything that has been shortened by cutting. Can be used independently (e.g., a broom handle).
- Short-barreled shotgun (SBS): The formal legal and technical term often used in statutes and regulations to describe a shotgun with a barrel length below a specified minimum.
- Sawn-off shotgun: The British English spelling variant.
- Short-barreled shotgun (primary technical synonym)
- Cut-down shotgun (descriptive)
The core meaning is strictly a firearm. Any non-literal use (e.g., the metaphorical example above) is figurative and depends entirely on context to be understood. The defining feature is the shortened barrel(s), not the mere size of the weapon.
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a shotgun with short barrels