Learn how to craft and use the Double Barrel Shotgun
Shotguns in 7 Days to Die are explosive, powerful weapons at close range. Though it may not appear so by looking at it, the short, sawed-off Double Barrel Shotgun boasts a bit more power, accuracy, and reload speed than the weak Pipe Shotgun, as well as dual chambers to carry and fire two shells at once.
This guide will walk you through crafting a Double Barreled Shotgun in 7 Days to Die and offer advice on utilizing it best.
How to craft a Double Barrel Shotgun in 7 Days to Die
Double Barrel Shotguns aren’t all that different in function from Pipe Shotguns, but you’ll need sturdier materials and more skill to craft this more powerful firearm. You’ll need to reach the second tier in the Shotguns crafting skill and have a Workbench before you can successfully assemble this weapon. The amount of crafting materials required will depend on the quality of the shotgun being constructed:
| Material | Quality 1 | Quality 2 | Quality 3 | Quality 4 | Quality 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shotgun Parts | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Forged Iron | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 |
| Duct Tape | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Scrap Polymers | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 |
| Spring | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Shotguns Crafting Skill | 11 | 14 | 18 | 22 | 26 |
- Shotgun Parts can be found by scrapping non-pipe shotguns, searching weapon chests and gun safes, or may be purchased from traders.
- Forged Iron can be crafted at a Forge or salvaged from devices like refrigerators and rusted cars.
- Duct Tape can be crafted by combining Glue and Cloth Fragments or found in parts containers.
- Scrap Polymers may be obtained by salvaging appliances and plastic objects or scavenged.
- Springs can be found in vehicle parts crates or salvaged from machinery and vehicles.
- The Shotguns crafting skill can only be improved by finding and reading issues of the Shotgun Weekly skill magazine.
Double Barrel Shotgun Overview
Base Stats
| Property | Quality 1 | Quality 2 | Quality 3 | Quality 4 | Quality 5 | Quality 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magazine Size | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Max Durability | 130 | 179 | 213 | 270 | 311 | 255 |
| Mod Slots | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
Ammo
The Double Barrel Shotgun is, naturally, chambered in shotgun rounds, of which there are 3 kinds: Shotgun Shells, Shotgun Armor Piercing (AP) Slugs, and Shotgun Breaching Slugs. Shotgun ammunition functions very differently than bullets, and a shotgun’s performance may vary dramatically based on its quality and the type of ammunition chambered.
Shotgun Shell Ammo
| Property | Quality 1 | Quality 2 | Quality 3 | Quality 4 | Quality 5 | Quality 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damage Per Pellet | 11.1 | 11.8 | 12.3 | 12.6 | 13.2 | 13.8 |
| Number of Pellets | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Effective Range | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Crafting Shotgun Shells will require a workbench and the following materials:
Shotgun AP Slug Ammo
| Property | Quality 1 | Quality 2 | Quality 3 | Quality 4 | Quality 5 | Quality 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damage Per Pellet | 103 | 109.5 | 114.9 | 117 | 122.4 | 128.6 |
| Number of Pellets | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Effective Range | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Target Armor | -50% | -50% | -50% | -50% | -50% | -50% |
| Target Penetration | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Crafting Shotgun AP Slugs will require a workbench and the player to have read the Shotgun Messiah Vol. 4 perk book, as well as the following materials:
- 2 Bullet Tips
- 5 Gunpowder
- 1 Scrap Polymer
Shotgun Breaching Slug Ammo
| Property | Quality 1 | Quality 2 | Quality 3 | Quality 4 | Quality 5 | Quality 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damage / Pellet | 97 | 103.1 | 108.2 | 110.2 | 115.3 | 121.1 |
| Number of Pellets | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Effective Range | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Door/Wood Damage | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
Crafting Shotgun Breaching Slugs will require a workbench and the player to have read the Shotgun Messiah Vol. 2 perk book, as well as the following materials:
- 3 Forged Steel
- 2 Clay Soil
- 4 Gunpowder
- 1 Scrap Polymer
Mods
The Double Barrel Shotgun accepts the following mods. Note that only one mod of any category may be attached at a time except accessory mods.
- Barrel: Barrel Extender, Silencer, Shotgun Choke, Shotgun Duckbill
- Accessory: Fore Grip, Cripple ‘Em
- Tech: The Hunter, Rad Remover
- Rail: Laser Sight, Weapon Flashlight
- Stock: Retracting Stock
Tips and tricks for using the Double Barrel Shotgun
As a member of the Shotgun weapon class, the Double Barrel Shotgun scales in power with the player’s Strength attribute and the Boomstick perk.
Shotgun Shells are best used for close-quarters combat and crowd control. The damaging pellet spread can injure multiple enemies at once or deal serious stacking damage to a single target. Armor-piercing slugs are best used for mid-range combat and for breaking through armor. These slugs can also pierce an enemy and kill additional targets behind them. Breaching slugs are best used for breaking down doors or barricades and are a poor choice for combat.
Maximizing the close-combat abilities of this weapon will require some particular skills and modifications. Namely, focus on applying mods that increase handling and reduce recoil.
This weapon has dual side-by-side barrels that give it its unique look. Each barrel can carry a single shell and may be fired individually or simultaneously. To fire a single shell, quickly tap the attack button. To fire both barrels, briefly hold down the attack button.
Be careful when using this function, as it can be very easy to accidentally empty both barrels when you only mean to fire a single shot. Additionally, the second barrel will fire a moment after the first, meaning it will still suffer accuracy and aim penalties from recoil.
The Double Barreled Shotgun is a break-over weapon, much like the Pipe Rifle and Pipe Shotgun. This means the weapon needs to be opened and manually reloaded by hand. However, the reload time for the weapon is static, meaning it will take just as long to reload both barrels as it will to put in a single round. Due to the frequency with which users will be reloading, we recommend strapping a Bandolier Mod onto your armor or investing in the Boomstick perk to decrease the time between shots.
The biggest weakness of the Double-Barrel Shotgun is its lack of range. As with all shotguns, the effective range of this weapon is quite short, even when loaded with longer-range AP slugs. Though this weakness can be minimized by attaching a barrel extender mod, we still wouldn’t recommend relying on this shotgun for long-range combat in 7D2D.
The Double Barrel Shotgun is especially maneuverable and powerful, making it devastating at close range and great for indoor fighting. Additionally, this weapon’s high environmental damage rating can blast apart windows, doors, and other blocks with relative ease, even without breaching slugs.
Despite its high power, the Double Barrel Shotgun is actually ill-equipped to deal with large crowds. Sure, firing off two blasts at close range can drop several enemies at once, but if there are any left alive, the player will have to reload before firing again. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s smart to ensure you always have a way to retreat or an alternate weapon to swap to in an emergency quickly.
Shotguns excel at stunning and crippling targets with limb shots. Adding the Cripple Em’ mod can boost the effectiveness of these disabling capabilities. A shotgun blast at close range also has a high chance of knocking targets to the ground, giving the wielder time to retreat or press their advantage.
A bug sometimes prevents this weapon from aiming down sights when the player holds the aim button. The player’s view will still zoom in slightly, but aside from that, nothing will change. Swapping weapons and swapping back usually fixes this problem.
Final thoughts on the Double Barrel Shotgun
It certainly isn’t going to cut through a horde, but the Double Barrel Shotgun can clear a crowded room quite efficiently in the right hands. This two-for-one special is a staple weapon in both zombie media and Westerns, so The Fun Pimps had to include this classic shotgun in 7D2D in one form or another.
Looking for some more pointers to help you survive Navezgane? Check out our 10 Tips for Getting Started or our in-depth Beginner’s Guide.
