What is Shotgun cartridge?
[[Image:Shotgun shell comparison.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Four sizes of shotgun cartridge]] A '''shotgun cartridge''', or '''shell''' is the standard type of [[ammunition]] for a [[shotgun]]. It is fired after being loaded into the [[chamber (firearms)|chamber]] of a shotgun. The cartridge is [[wikt:cylinder|cylindrical]] in shape and is normally between {{convert|2.75|in}} and {{convert|3.5|in}} long.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chuckhawks.com/chamber_length.htm |title=What Chamber Length for Your Shotgun? |author=Randy Wakeman |website= |publisher=Chuckhawks.com |accessdate=19 August 2016}}</ref> It holds a charge of [[gunpowder]] and either [[lead shot]] or a [[shotgun slug]] made to be fired from the shotgun. Shotgun cartridges are usually mostly [[plastic]] but have thin [[brass]] at the base, though they can be made of solid brass, paper, or other combinations of these materials. A shotgun cartridge's size is usually measured in [[Gauge (firearms)|gauge]] (also known as bore).<ref name=NSSF>{{cite web |url=http://www.nssfblog.com/firstshotsnews/shotgun-shells-explained-the-new-shooters-dictionary/ |title=Shotgun Shells Explained—The New Shooter’s Dictionary |author=Philip P. Massaro |date=20 November 2014 |website= |publisher=National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc |accessdate=19 August 2016 |archive-date=15 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815015954/http://www.nssfblog.com/firstshotsnews/shotgun-shells-explained-the-new-shooters-dictionary/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> The most common size of cartridge is the '''12-gauge'''. When measuring gauge, a smaller number means a larger cartridge: 12-gauge is larger than 20-gauge. Cartridge gauge is an old measurement. Except for the [[.410 bore]] or gauge, which is not a gauge at all but a [[caliber]], the gauge of a shotgun was equal to the number of lead balls that added up to {{convert|1|lb}}.<ref name=NSSF/> So in a 12 gauge, 12 balls add up to about a pound of lead. So the diameter is equal to a ball weighing 1/12th of a pound of lea