Which firearm is designed to be fired from the shoulder and uses a number of small pellets or a slug?

• A. Optical
• B. Rigor Mortis
• C. Shotgun
• D. Petechiae

Answer: (C)

Shotguns are designed to be fired from the shoulder for stability and recoil control, and they use ammunition that can be either multiple small pellets (shot) or a single slug. The shoulder-fired design helps the shooter aim accurately at close to medium ranges, which is characteristic of how shotguns are used. The pellets spread as they travel, creating a wide pattern, while a slug is a single projectile for longer range. The other terms aren’t firearms: one isn’t a weapon, another describes postmortem stiffness (rigor mortis), and the last refers to tiny skin hemorrhages (petechiae). So the description points to a shotgun.