A smoothbore single-shotgun is one of the first firearms that a new hunter can be trained in. With such a shotgun, learning the fundamentals of aiming and gun handling is easy. These firearms have a break-open action in which they connect with the barrel assembly to the breech block with a hinge. When the locking latch is released, the barrel assembly pivots away from the receiver, opening the breech. In some models, opening the action automatically extracts the spent cartridge. These features enhance safety, especially if a new shooter is under training. The gun comes in a variety of calibers, the most widespread is the 12 gauge. Also, the cost of purchasing is significantly lower than a double-barrel shotgun or a semi-automatic. This type of shotgun is light and can be carried all day without fatigue. It is also very reliable because the mechanism is very simple.
Despite all that great feautures,the single-shot has some disadvantages. Being light helps at carrying it for long period,but the recoil is higher especially with loads over 34-36gr. You have only one shot to hit your target and the reloading is slower than a semi-auto or a pump action.
Overall, the single-shot has a lot to offer. At 12 gauge, you can hunt anything,from small game to big game. Nowdays you can find a lot of different adapters that can be fitted to the single shot and allows you to fire other calibers like .22,.38, 9mm, and also different shotgun calibers like .410/36, or 20 gauge. There is even an option that transforms your single-shot to a muzzleloader. I don’t think that you can find more multifuctional shotgun in the market. It is a great asset for any prepper and any survival kit.
My favorite single-shot
The single shot I currently own is a Baikal MP-18M model. It is a 12 gauge, with a barrel length of 28 inches and a chamber of 3 inches. This model is equipped with a shell extractor. The recoil pad was just a piece of bakelite. I replaced it with an after-market stock that was installed by a local gunsmith. It manages the recoil much better. Although I don’t use heavy loads in general, the comfort level with this pad is higher. The shotgun comes with factory-attached swivels. I use a leather sling on this gun for two reasons. The obvious is to carry the shotgun; the second is that I can use the leather sling as a strop too.
A single-shot is one of my favorite and most used guns while hunting. I like its simplicity, easy all-day carrying, and the thrill of having only one shot to get the game. Although I might sound anachronistic, in a world full of semi-autos, I believe that having one shot is the purest hunting form. In a recent hunt, some heads turned with disapproval of my single-shot, but at the end of the day, I proved them wrong.