Shotguns | Weapons Battlefield 4 Guide
Last update: 11 May 2016
Shotguns, after being unlocked by a Support soldier, become available for all classes. In case of shotguns, there is a unique division between weapon and ammo stats. Because of that, you can adjust the weapon to your preferences and current situation on the battlefield, however some combinations are more effective than others.
It is so because of a further division of shotguns into two categories: automatic and pump-action. In case of automatic ones, bullets are being loaded automatically, so you can shoot more often, but with lower accuracy. Pump-action shotguns work more slowly, but have a higher accuracy. Another difference is that pump-action shotguns don't have under-barrel attachments.
Shotguns are versatile - they can be used at short range (it works best like that), however it can be as effective as other weapons on medium range with proper ammunition, but it requires a lot of skill and discipline. Anyway, shotguns are rather situational because of the large scale of maps, typical for the series. You won't find many players with shotguns in Conquest mode (except Operation Locker map). In large maps, shotguns are effective while defending targets inside rooms and fighting against single enemies. The best modes for shotguns are Domination are DM, less often Obliteration, Rush and Defuse on defenders' side.
It doesn't mean that shotguns are useless for other things, however average players prefer less specialized types of weapons. The description of ammo and weapons below will let shotgun lovers select a right combination for every occasion.
In this list you'll find a description of hidden properties of weapons, their comparison and some advice on recommended accessories. Remember that this is mainly common sense advice that is supposed to keep you from harm (for example by exposing negative properties of a shotgun). You can experiment with them to adjust your weapon to more specialised conditions. The only accessories described are the ones that affect weapon's stats, that means barrel, under-barrel element and laser sight (which in case of SMGs exposes their only advantage over assault rifles). All the other accessories are optional and using them depends on your preferences and experience.
Types of ammo
The behaviour of shotgun ammo depends on a mechanism used in a specific weapon. automatic shotguns are better with buckshot and flechette ammo, while pump-action ones with frag and SABOT (slug). A single type of ammo may deal various damage and have bigger or smaller PENETRATION CAPABILITIES, depending on a type of shotgun.
In the table below you'll find stats for every type of ammo in both types of weapons.
While choosing ammo, you have to pay attention to one important thing - multiply the damage below by the number of pellets/darts shot by a weapon. The effect depends on how many of them reached the target, so it's not a constant value. Shotguns below shoot from 8 to 14 pellets/darts. As you might notice, using the weakest ammo in a weapon that shoots most of them is somewhat equal to using the strongest ammo in a gun that shoots the least.
12 GAUGE - BUCKSHOT
STAT | AUTOMATIC | PUMP-ACTION |
DAMAGE (1 pellet) | medium | low |
OPTIMUM/EFFECTIVE RANGE | <16~30 metres | <16~30 metres |
BULLET DROP | normal | normal |
PENETRATION CAPABILITIES | low | low |
MUZZLE VELOCITY | medium | medium |
LIFESPAN | 1s | 1s |
Buckshot ammo is available for every shotgun from the moment when it's unlocked. It's the most balanced type of ammo with a decent power and low penetration capabilities. It's best for very short distance.
12 GAUGE - FLECHETTE
STAT | AUTOMATIC | PUMP-ACTION |
DAMAGE (1 dart) | low | very low |
OPTIMUM/EFFECTIVE RANGE | <20~50 metres | <20~50 metres |
BULLET DROP | normal | normal |
PENETRATION CAPABILITIES | medium | low |
MUZZLE VELOCITY | very high | very high |
LIFESPAN | 1s | 1s |
Flechette ammo is designed for a better penetration of the target. That means that this type of ammo ignores bulletproof vests and is more effective against enemies hiding behind "soft" obstacles (like wooden boards). Flechette has a much higher range and penetration capabilities than standard buckshot, however it deals less damage.
12 GAUGE - FRAG
STAT | AUTOMATIC | PUMP-ACTION |
DAMAGE | medium | high |
OPTIMUM/EFFECTIVE RANGE | <8~40 metres | <8~40 metres |
BULLET DROP | very high | very high |
PENETRATION CAPABILITIES | high | high |
MUZZLE VELOCITY | very low | very low |
LIFESPAN | 3s | 3s |
Frag ammo explodes on contact, so it has excellent penetration capabilities and deals more damage than standard buckshot ammo. In terms of range, it's in the middle, but muzzle velocity is very low, so it's best for closed spaces. The range of explosion of each bullet is around 2-2,5 meters. It's the only type of shotgun ammo that can take down an enemy without hitting them directly.
12 GAUGE - SABOT
STAT | AUTOMATIC | PUMP-ACTION |
DAMAGE | high | very high |
OPTIMUM/EFFECTIVE RANGE | <12~50 metres | <12~50 metres |
BULLET DROP | high | high |
PENETRATION CAPABILITIES | high | high |
MUZZLE VELOCITY | medium | medium |
LIFESPAN | 5s | 5s |
SABOT ammo has the highest range and damage. Moreover, penetration capabilities are as high as in frag ammo. Range and damage caused by this massive bullet almost turn a shotgun into a short range sniper rifle. Hitting a target that's closer than 12 meters from you with this ammo while using a pump-action shotgun will virtually always result in its takedown.
QBS-09
STAT | VALUE |
POINTS NEEDED TO UNLOCK | 16 000 in Support |
MECHANISM USED | automatic |
NUMBER OF PELLETS/DARTS PER BULLET | 11 |
RELOAD TIME FOR ONE BULLET | medium |
RECOIL AFTER FIRST SHOT | medium |
RECOIL OF FURTHER BULLETS (BURST, AUTO) | very low |
RECOIL TO THE LEFT/RIGHT | low / low |
STABILIZATION AFTER LAST SHOT | very short |
QBS-09 as a first shotgun that's available is the most balanced and suitable for new users. The biggest advantage of this shotgun is its rate of fire - the highest in its class. However, you need to reload it quite often, because you can only load it with 6 bullets. Like most shotguns, BQS is loaded bullet after bullet, so reload time above applies to one bullet.
Recommended accessories: laser sight, ergo or angled grip, buckshot or flechette ammo, red dot sight, full choke.
870 MCS
STAT | VALUE |
POINTS NEEDED TO UNLOCK | 4 000 |
MECHANISM USED | pump-action |
NUMBER OF PELLETS/DARTS PER BULLET | 12 |
RELOAD TIME FOR ONE BULLET | short |
RECOIL AFTER FIRST SHOT | medium |
RECOIL OF FURTHER BULLETS (BURST, AUTO) | high |
RECOIL TO THE LEFT/RIGHT | very low / high |
STABILIZATION AFTER LAST SHOT | long |
870 MCS is a powerful pump-action shotgun, so its rate of fire is not very impressive, however it has a high accuracy and quite a large magazine (8 shots). Recoil is quite high, but it doesn't really matter because your sight will return to its initial position before you'll be able to take the next shot. It has a high recoil to the right, but it doesn't matter because of the reason stated above.
Recommended accessories: laser sight, frag or SABOT ammo.
M1014
STAT | VALUE |
POINTS NEEDED TO UNLOCK | 11 000 |
MECHANISM USED | automatic |
NUMBER OF PELLETS/DARTS PER BULLET | 9 |
RELOAD TIME FOR ONE BULLET | very short |
RECOIL AFTER FIRST SHOT | medium |
RECOIL OF FURTHER BULLETS (BURST, AUTO) | low |
RECOIL TO THE LEFT/RIGHT | very low / medium |
STABILIZATION AFTER LAST SHOT | short |
Benelli M1014 is a shotgun with a second highest rate of fire. It can store more bullets than QBS (8), but it has a higher recoil and goes to the right while shooting fast. It requires a bit more skills than its predecessor, but 2 additional bullets are worth it.
Recommended accessories: laser sight, ergo or angled grip, buckshot or flechette ammo, red dot sight, full choke.
HAWK 12G
STAT | VALUE |
POINTS NEEDED TO UNLOCK | 19 000 |
MECHANISM USED | pump-action |
NUMBER OF PELLETS/DARTS PER BULLET | 14 |
TACTICAL RELOAD | very short |
FULL RELOAD | very short |
RECOIL AFTER FIRST SHOT | medium |
RECOIL OF FURTHER BULLETS (BURST, AUTO) | medium |
RECOIL TO THE LEFT/RIGHT | very high / very high |
STABILIZATION AFTER LAST SHOT | long |
Hawk has the lowest rate of fire of all pump-action shotguns. Its biggest advantage is the classic clip, because of which we can have 6 bullets ready to use. It's a unique construction in this type of shotguns. Reload time is so short that the number of bullets should not be a problem. Symmetrical horizontal recoil seems huge, but low rate of fire makes it irrelevant.
Recommended accessories: laser sight, frag or SABOT ammo, red dot sight, compensator.
SAIGA 12K
STAT | VALUE |
POINTS NEEDED TO UNLOCK | 28 000 |
MECHANISM USED | automatic |
NUMBER OF PELLETS/DARTS PER BULLET | 9 |
TACTICAL RELOAD | long |
FULL RELOAD | very long |
RECOIL AFTER FIRST SHOT | medium |
RECOIL OF FURTHER BULLETS (BURST, AUTO) | medium |
RECOIL TO THE LEFT/RIGHT | very low / low |
STABILIZATION AFTER LAST SHOT | short |
Saiga is a classic Russian semi-automatic shotgun with an excellent rate of fire. Classic clip is its biggest advantage, it can store 9 bullets, however reload time is quite long. While shooting with maximum rate, recoil quickly moves the gun upwards and a bit to the right. Luckily, a constant recoil like that can be easily countered.
Recommended accessories: laser sight, angled grip, buckshot or flechette ammo, red dot sight, full choke.
SPAS-12
STAT | VALUE |
POINTS NEEDED TO UNLOCK | 37 000 |
MECHANISM USED | pump-action |
NUMBER OF PELLETS/DARTS PER BULLET | 11 |
RELOAD TIME FOR ONE BULLET | short |
RECOIL AFTER FIRST SHOT | medium |
RECOIL OF FURTHER BULLETS (BURST, AUTO) | low |
RECOIL TO THE LEFT/RIGHT | very low / medium |
STABILIZATION AFTER LAST SHOT | long |
SPAS might be the easiest to use of all pump-action shotguns. Low vertical and horizontal recoil makes your sight more stable while taking further shots. Its rate of fire is close to 870 MCS. SPAS has a magazine that holds up to 9 bullets, which gives it a big advantage over its pump-action predecessors.
Recommended accessories: laser sight, frag or SABOT ammo, red dot sight.
UTS 15
STAT | VALUE |
POINTS NEEDED TO UNLOCK | 48 000 |
MECHANISM USED | pump-action |
NUMBER OF PELLETS/DARTS PER BULLET | 10 |
RELOAD TIME FOR ONE BULLET | very long |
RECOIL AFTER FIRST SHOT | medium |
RECOIL OF FURTHER BULLETS (BURST, AUTO) | very high |
RECOIL TO THE LEFT/RIGHT | low / low |
STABILIZATION AFTER LAST SHOT | long |
UTS is unique in every aspect - in terms of both looks and performance. It's big advantage is a magazine that holds up to 15 bullets, which is more than any other shotgun. UTS has two bullet chambers place on both sides, so reload takes more time than in other shotguns, however a large supply of ammo is definitely worth it. Another unique feature is that UTS 15 has the highest accuracy while shooting from the hip and while moving. It has, however, a bit lower accuracy while using optical devices. The biggest disadvantage is its really high vertical recoil that affects further shots despite a low rate of fire. Horizontal recoil is so low that it's barely noticeable.
Recommended accessories: laser sight, frag or SABOT ammo, red dot sight, muzzle brake.
DVB-12
STAT | VALUE |
POINTS NEEDED TO UNLOCK | 59 000 |
MECHANISM USED | automatic |
NUMBER OF PELLETS/DARTS PER BULLET | 9 |
TACTICAL RELOAD | long |
FULL RELOAD | long |
RECOIL AFTER FIRST SHOT | high |
RECOIL OF FURTHER BULLETS (BURST, AUTO) | medium |
RECOIL TO THE LEFT/RIGHT | very low / low |
STABILIZATION AFTER LAST SHOT | short |
DVB can be treated as a direct upgrade from Saiga described above. Rate of fire and recoil is the same for both, but DVB has a clip that holds up to 11 bullets and a bit lower time of full reload. It's a perfect weapon for dealing with several targets at once.
Recommended accessories: laser sight, ergo or angled grip, buckshot or flechette ammo, red dot sight, full choke.
SERBU SHORTY
STAT | VALUE |
POINTS NEEDED TO UNLOCK | 18 000 in Handgun category |
MECHANISM USED | pump-action |
NUMBER OF PELLETS/DARTS PER BULLET | 8 |
RELOAD TIME FOR ONE BULLET | very long |
RECOIL AFTER FIRST SHOT | medium |
RECOIL OF FURTHER BULLETS (BURST, AUTO) | low |
RECOIL TO THE LEFT/RIGHT | very low / low |
STABILIZATION AFTER LAST SHOT | long |
SHORTY is quite a unique weapon, because technically it's a handgun, but in every aspect it's just a miniature shotgun. It's perfect for every sniper and marksman who needs a powerful weapon in case of a close combat. Shorty has an excellent accuracy while shooting from the hip, so using optical devices becomes a preference instead of a necessity, especially when combined with a laser sight. As a sidearm, it has some limitations. Its magazine holds only 3 bullets and their type can't be changed. It also uses optical devices typical for handguns, not for shotguns. High rate of fire and low recoil make it really easy to use.
Recommended accessories: laser sight, red dot sight, full choke.