For example, the popular Remington 870 Police model riot shotgun often ships and is used with the stock four-round magazine tube by Law Enforcement personnel.

The most common type of shotgun used for this purpose is the manually operated, slide-action/pump-action type like the Remington M870 or Mossberg 590A1. The latter is currently the pump-action of choice for US armed forces, and both have seen service with other militaries.

Remington 1100/11-87 The 1100/11-87 series are heavy guns with a gas system that reduces recoil noticeably more than almost any other. The 1100 is the original soft-shooting gas gun. Almost 60 years after its introduction, it's still among the most pleasant of semiautos to shoot.

The 12 gauge shotgun is likely the most popular shotgun for self-defense and hunting. The performance comes from a large payload of smaller objects or a singular large object. These smaller objects are typically split into two categories known as shot and buckshot; while the singular projectiles are known as slugs.