5 shotguns widely criticized as some of the most dangerous designs ever made

There’s a difference between a shotgun that kicks hard and one that carries a reputation for being unsafe. Most of the time, that reputation doesn’t come from internet chatter—it comes from real-world use, design shortcuts, or mechanical ideas that didn’t hold up under pressure.

You’ve probably handled a lot of scatterguns over the years, and most do exactly what they’re supposed to. But a handful stand out for the wrong reasons. Whether it’s questionable lockup, awkward safeties, or designs that put the shooter at risk, these are the kinds of shotguns that earned criticism the hard way.

Winchester Model 1911

You’ll hear this one called the “Widowmaker,” and that nickname didn’t come out of nowhere. The Model 1911 lacked a proper charging handle, so you had to rack the bolt by pushing against the barrel. That meant pointing it at yourself or bracing it against your body—neither option is smart.

Things got worse with worn springs or stuck shells. Some shooters would force the action loose by pushing harder, sometimes with the butt against the ground. There were documented cases where it discharged during that process. You’re looking at a design that put the user in a bad position before the trigger was ever pulled.

Remington Model 11-48

The Model 11-48 isn’t widely considered unsafe on its own, but it earned criticism when users didn’t fully understand its friction ring system. If you ran heavy loads with the rings set for light loads—or the other way around—you could end up with excessive recoil or cycling problems.

Where things got dicey was with improper setup over time. Misconfigured rings could cause stress on the action or lead to failures that weren’t obvious until something went wrong. It wasn’t a flawed concept, but it demanded attention from the shooter. In the wrong hands, that margin for error created problems that gave it a reputation it didn’t entirely shake.

USAS-12

The USAS-12 is a different kind of issue. It wasn’t criticized for accidental discharge problems as much as for sheer control and handling under recoil. You’re dealing with a heavy, magazine-fed, gas-operated shotgun that can run fast and hit hard.

In civilian discussions, the concern often came down to controllability and misuse. In the wrong setting, its rate of fire and weight made it difficult for inexperienced users to manage safely. It’s less about mechanical failure and more about how quickly things can get out of hand if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Harrington & Richardson Reising Model 65

The Reising Model 65 was built as a training shotgun, but it carried over some of the quirks from its carbine counterpart. Reliability wasn’t always consistent, especially when dirty or under less-than-ideal maintenance.

Where it drew criticism was in how it handled wear and feeding issues. Malfunctions in a training environment are one thing—but when they involve unpredictable cycling or failures to fire, they create safety concerns. You want a training gun to be dependable above all else, and this one didn’t always deliver that consistency.

Stevens Model 520

The Stevens 520 had a long service life, including military use, but some versions raised eyebrows over time. Early models lacked modern safety features you’d expect today, and wear in older guns could lead to loose lockup.

With age, tolerances open up. That’s where concerns started to show. A worn action can lead to out-of-battery risks or failures that aren’t obvious until you’re already in the middle of using it. It wasn’t inherently unsafe when maintained, but like many older designs, it demanded careful inspection—something not every owner gave it.

Cobray Street Sweeper

The Street Sweeper didn’t earn criticism for subtle reasons. Its large revolving cylinder, weight, and awkward balance made it difficult to handle smoothly, especially under stress.

Reloading was slow, the trigger pull was heavy, and control during firing could be unpredictable for inexperienced users. That combination raised concerns about safe handling in tight environments. It eventually fell under stricter regulation for a reason. You’re looking at a design that pushed the limits of practicality, and in doing so, created more risk than most shooters were comfortable with.

You don’t need a perfect shotgun—you need one that behaves predictably every time you pick it up. The guns on this list didn’t always meet that standard, whether due to design choices, user demands, or how they aged over time. That’s where reputations are made, and in these cases, they stuck.