Some weapons are so iconic they don't even need a name.
No maker, no model - all you need to make an impression is a twin twelve-gauge.
The double-barreled shotgun is a classic frontier weapon with an imposing profile.
They've been around forever - and are still widely used today.
So why is this basic design so enduring?
What makes them a common sight in video games?
And do double the barrels mean double the fun?
Shotguns are simple, versatile weapons that are capable of using a wide variety of ammunition.
They have a long history, dating to the earliest days of firearms development: with roots lying
in large-calibre muzzle-loaders such as the musket and blunderbuss.
With the adoption of rifled barrels, shotguns diverged as a separate class of weapons - with
their smoothbore barrels more suitable for firing multiple projectiles at once.
From the tiny pellets of birdshot to the sheer stopping power of solid slugs, load versatility
makes shotguns ideal for hunting all kinds of quarry.
The most common 12 gauge load is double-aught buckshot: typically 8 pellets, .33 inches
in diameter, such cartridges offer balanced performance against deer and human-sized targets
alike.
Prior to the invention of lever and pump action weapons, most breech-loading shotguns were
break-action: with hinged barrels that would expose the chambers for shell extraction and
reloading.
In the absence of a magazine, such weapons were single shot: but the simple addition
of another parallel barrel would double ready firepower.
There have been triple and even quadruple barrel shotguns made: but the classic double
barrel seems to offer the perfect blend of firepower against added weight and complexity.
There exist two major configurations: with either horizontal or vertical barrel placement.
The former are called side-by-sides, and the latter over-and-unders.
Side by sides are perhaps the more classic design, evoking traditional coach guns - but
the vertical arrangement offers a single sight plane and more manageable recoil - albeit
at the cost of greater internal complexity.
In all its forms, the double barreled shotgun has been present since the dawn of the American
frontier, and equally since the emergence of first person shooters.
With distinctive appearance in spite of specific model, a generic profile made it an ideal
fit for low-resolution rendition in earlier games - and one title in particular would
have immense influence on what would follow.
The Super Shotgun in Doom 2 is legendary.
While the original shareware version had a shotgun, the retail sequel bumped it up a
notch with the inclusion of a double-barreled option.
The basic shotgun was good, but the super shotgun was better.
It chewed through ammo like nothing else, but few opponents could stand up to a full-frontal
blast from both barrels.
The gun tore through hellspawn like tissue paper, and lodged its place in history as
a firm favourite of many.
The mid to late 90s saw a surge in FPS games: at the time known simply as 'Doom-clones'.
These old school shooters in the vein of Doom had a strict hierarchy of weapons, with your
available arsenal slowly becoming more and more powerful as you progress.
This makes the double barrel a particularly strong candidate for inclusion: if you need
to double the damage, why not double the barrels?
After Doom came Quake, this time with a more gothic theme - but the shotgun and super shotgun
combo returned - it's almost a trademark of id's games.
Even today there are games in this old-school vein: and it's not uncommon to see the close-range
punch of a twin-barreled favourite.
Doom-clones aside, there are plenty of historical reasons to include a double shotgun in a game:
and they sometimes appear in a realistic military setting - although their use has been limited
even since before World War 2.
Still, they do crop up from time-to-time - with double barrels appearing in the hands of civilian
or partisan fighters, and other irregular troops.
However, far more widespread use can be found in the Old West: bolstered by legends recounted
in literature and cinema, it's the perfect place to find such a weapon.
Its rustic charm rubs shoulders with revolvers and lever-action rifles: in a world of cowboys
and stagecoach robberies, the double-barrel is a natural fit for a frontier.
The shotgun was a hugely important tool at this time - far more than just a weapon, they
were both a means to hunt for food - and to defend a homestead.
The twin barrels speak of a confident self-reliance - and such was the weapon's impact, it has
lodged itself permanently into culture: intertwined with an emergent Americana.
An inelegant weapon for a less civilised time, then - and one fictional setting is another
popular place for such shotguns to shine.
In fact, if there's one thing that guarantees the weapon's presence - it's the apocalypse:
when civilisation crumbles, the rugged shine.
Spurred on by depictions in films like Mad Max - if you're going to tread the wasteland,
you're going to want a reliable weapon at your side.
The fall of order brings a frontier anew, and the double barrel often reprises its role
as a tool for survival.
With id's youngest franchise, RAGE, we come full circle.
A post-apocalyptic game of the same lineage as Doom, the double-barreled shotgun is a
familiar fit and an almost essential inclusion.
Something about its presence just feels right: with dusty sun-bleached terrain, tribal disputes:
and two barrels worth of buckshot.
The double-barreled shotgun's impact transcends manufacturer and model - its form-factor alone
is enough to conjure its iconic identity.
Because of this, it often serves as a generic inclusion in games - and back to the very
roots of modern shooters, it is an identifiable and enjoyable choice.
Whether fired twice in succession or both barrels simultaneously, the weapon is invariably
powerful - devastating any foe caught in a close-range blast.
And if two barrels aren't enough, sometimes you'll even come across a quad-barrel - although
these reside outside the realm of practicality: two barrels is more than enough for most to
wield.
Power and reliable function through simplicity: The double-barreled shotgun.
Lock.
Stock.
...and two smoking barrels.
Thank you very much for watching - and until next time, farewell.