Cartridge ammunition, developed in the mid-19th century, allowed different types of shotgun actions to evolve. Before that time, all shotguns were muzzleloaders. Self-contained shotgun shells made ...

You can fit more powder and shot into a 12-gauge shell, so it is the more powerful shotgun shell of the two. That power does come at the price of recoil, though. Q: What kicks harder, a 12-gauge ...