Top loading shotgun? FACT OR FICTION

[schambers]

So I was watching the Halo 5 (is it 5 now? I've lost count) E3 trailer last night and noticed that the main character was using a top-loading shotgun. It basically looked like it operated like an upside down pump action, with the loading port/feed tube on the top, and barrel/action on the bottom.

Anybody know of a reason why shotguns aren't made this way (other than increased mechanical complexity)? A quick google search didn't really come up with anything satisfactory.

Just curious to know if you guys have seen or heard of anything like this. Seems like a crazy three-gun guy would have developed a system like this already...

[SINNER]

http://www.world.guns.ru/shotgun/rus/rmb-93-e.html

[alamo5000]

I never heard of a top loading shotgun... but I can see the logic in not doing it. If I'm out duck hunting or really whatever activity it is tactical, food, or sport related... all kinds of things could fall into the action of your gun. A leaf, a twig, dirt, and if it rains, water...it all works until it doesn't work.

Edit: if it's tube fed... and the tube is on top of the barrel... I ask what would you ever gain from that? I see no advantage. All it would do is make your gun top heavy and screw up the balance.

[schambers]

I could see how the loading chamber would be more susceptible to debris in a top,loading design. I'm just thinking it might be more efficient to load from the top than the bottom.

As far as balance is concerned, I don't have weights but would a loaded magazine tube be significantly more heavy than a steel barrel? Or at least heavy enough to radically change the balance of a weapon? Seems like a heavy barrel closer to the point at which you hold the weapon would increase balance.

Also, on the type 93. A shotgun where you move the barrel back and forth to load? Crazy. I would like to see it in action though.

[alamo5000]

As far as balance is concerned, I don't have weights but would a loaded magazine tube be significantly more heavy than a steel barrel? Or at least heavy enough to radically change the balance of a weapon

I just weighed a single round of 00 buckshot and it was 685 grains... my Winchester 1300 carries 7 in the tube plus 1... so that would be a total tube weight of 4795 grains (that is well over half a pound in ammo alone). Then add the weight of whatever the tube is or whatever is holding the ammo... you're probably looking at 1 to 1.5 pounds of dead weight that is now over your bore instead of under it. Your gun would want to flip over with that kind of weight. It would make the recoil drastically different and the shouldering of it I think would be very strange feeling indeed.

I think that kind of design would have the tendency to want to rotate in your hand as you shoulder it...that in turn would have an effect on the cast on or cast off (if you have either on your shotgun) and possibly even the functionality of the sight picture (probably more than even I would think)...And when you pulled the trigger you would probably feel some funky recoil of the gun jumping off to one side or the other or any number of other things. Empty it would feel alright but loaded and shooting probably not so much.

[SINNER]

Lots of over analyzing and under thinking. LOL

For starters if you reversed the orientation of the barrel and tube you would likely feel almost no difference. The bore to mag tube spacing is minimal and you are forgetting the weight of the barrel and bolt moving into the location of the magazine tube. The ejection port would move lower on the receiver but would make almost no difference as far as a propensity to foul.

Then again I have 7 lb rifles with 1.5 lb optics on extra high rings that has a centerline to centerline distance that is triple what a pump or semi has between tube and bore and they barely feel top heavy off shoulder. Firmly planted they feel well balanced.

[JGifford]

Master Chief never had any issue with his. It looked pretty efficient watching him load it, too. That said, none of the weapons ever jammed through the entire game. So...not a very good environmental test, lol

[Computalotapus]

Master Chief never had any issue with his. It looked pretty efficient watching him load it, too. That said, none of the weapons ever jammed through the entire game. So...not a very good environmental test, lol

+1 and we all know MC is OAF haha