Editing Shotgun (section)

===United States===
[[File:United States President Barack Obama shoots clay targets on the range at Camp David, Maryland.jpg|thumb|[[Barack Obama]] skeet shooting with a [[Browning Citori]] 525 on the range at [[Camp David]]]]
In the US, federal law prohibits shotguns from being capable of holding more than three shells including the round in the chamber when used for hunting migratory gamebirds such as doves, ducks, and geese. For other uses, a capacity of any number of shells is generally permitted. Most magazine-fed shotguns come with a removable magazine plug to limit the capacity to 2, plus 1 in the chamber, for a total of 3 rounds, while hunting migratory gamebirds. Certain states have restrictions on magazine capacity or design features under hunting or [[assault weapon]] laws.

Shotguns intended for defensive use have barrels as short as {{convert|18|in|cm}} for private use (the minimum shotgun barrel length allowed by law in the United States without federal registration). Barrel lengths of less than {{convert|18|in|cm}} as measured from the breechface to the muzzle when the weapon is in battery, or have an overall length of less than {{convert|26|in|cm}} are classified as short barreled shotguns (SBS) under the 1934 [[National Firearms Act]] and are regulated. A similar short barreled weapon having a pistol grip may be classified as an [[Any Other Weapon#Any other weapon|AOW]] or "Any Other Weapon" or "Firearm", depending on barrel length. A shotgun is defined as a weapon (with a [[stock (firearm)|buttstock]]) designed to be fired from the shoulder. The classification varies depending on how the weapon was originally manufactured.

Shotguns used by military, police, and other government agencies are regulated under the [[National Firearms Act]] of 1934; however, they are exempt from transfer taxes. These weapons commonly have barrels as short as {{convert|12|to|14|in|cm|abbr=off}} so that they are easier to handle in confined spaces. Non-prohibited private citizens may own short-barreled shotguns by passing extensive background checks (state and local laws may be more restrictive) as well as paying a $200 federal tax and being issued a stamp. Defensive shotguns sometimes have no [[stock (firearm)|buttstock]] or will have a folding [[stock (firearm)|stock]] to reduce overall length even more when required. [[Any Other Weapon#Any other weapon|AOWs]] transfer with a $5 tax stamp from the [[BATFE]].