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For an overview of 12 gauge shells in various Fallout media, see 12 gauge shotgun shell. |
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Federal Special target load box
Winchester Ranger Mark 5 box
12 gauge shotgun shells are a type of ammunition appearing in the Fallout TV series.
Background[]
"Gauge" is used to describe the bore size of a shot-firing weapon. Although bore sizes range incrementally from 1.5 up to 32 (with an aberrant 67.5 topping the scale), 10, 12, and 20 gauge (aside from the .410 shotgun that measures in caliber) are the most common bore sizes, with 12 gauge leading the group in popularity. Most civil, police, and military shotguns are 12 gauge weapons. A 12 gauge shotgun has a bore size of 18.53mm (.729", or 72 caliber).
The gauge number is the number of lead balls of that gun's bore diameter that would weigh a pound. The smaller the number, the larger the bore.
Sizes of shot is the individual lead or steel pellets that are fired from the weapon, which vary as well. The most common combat load is 00 shot, pronounced "double-aught." A typical 12 gauge shotgun shell loaded with 00 Shot contains nine to fifteen pellets (nine for standard, 12 or 15 for magnum shells). Each pellet is 8.4 mm in diameter (0.33" or 33 caliber) and weighs 3.45 grams.
Brands[]
Known brands of 12 gauge shotgun shells still found after the Great War are Federal Special, produced by the Federal Cartridge company, and Ranger Mark 5, produced by Winchester. Shells of both brands are stocked in the Vault 33 armory, as seen in the episode "The End".
Weapons[]
Weapons using this ammunition include:
- Double-barrel shotgun
- Pump-action shotgun
- Sawed-off shotgun
- Single-barrel shotgun
- Semi-automatic shotgun
Behind the scenes[]
The Federal Special box appears to be based on the real-world Federal Champion ammunition. Winchester Ranger Mark 5 is also a real-world brand.
