The Sawed-off shotgun is a break-open action, side-by-side double-barreled shotgun with external hammers and a shortened barrel and buttstock appearing in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl as the Sawn-off dbl-barrel, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky as the Shotgun, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat as the Sawed-off shotgun, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl as the Boomstick.
Appearances[]
Shadow of Chernobyl[]
A sawn-off BM-17 rifle. It is lighter and more compact then[sic] the original two-barrel rifle, but it is effective only at a close range. One of the weapons most commonly used by beginners.
― Shadow of Chernobyl in-game description
In Shadow of Chernobyl, the weapon is known as the Sawn-off dbl-barrel. It is likely to be the first two-handed weapon one can acquire, as it is relatively commonplace in the starting levels of the game.
The weapon has the lowest damage value of all shotguns in the game; given the very low accuracy of the rifle, one will likely have to fire the weapon at very close range to maximize the damage. Because of the low accuracy and the lack of proper iron sights, using the sawn-off dbl-barrel with slug or dart rounds is ill-advised, and the shotgun is best used with buckshot ammunition only. Another notable disadvantage of the weapon is the ammo capacity, which makes reloads quite frequent during combat, and makes the weapon hardly fit to use against multiple enemies.
Although its effectiveness against NPCs is debatable, it is quite effective against mutants: a single pull of the trigger is usually enough to kill a dog or a boar at close range - which is helpful as these mutants are frequently encountered in the starting levels. On the plus side, this weapon weighs a mere 1.90 kg unloaded, the lowest mass of any weapon of the game barring handguns.
Overall, it is a poor weapon, and while still helpful in the early game, it is best discarded as soon as one can obtain a better weapon.
Acquisition[]
It can be acquired soon after the beginning of the game, when raiding the Car park in the Cordon, as it is held by some of the Bandits that occupy the area. It is the only shotgun available in the Cordon at that time, therefore it is wise to keep one for use against mutants.
It is used by rookie Loners and Bandits in later levels as well, including the Garbage, the Dark Valley, Agroprom, and the Bar.
One can be found in a shipping container by Freeman's corpse in Wild Territory. It is highlighted in the Find the family rifle quest, though it is not a unique weapon.
It can be found in the following stashes:
- By a country road
- Nimble's "stash" [Technically not a stash]
- Secret stash in the manhole
- Secret stash under the cross
Notable users:
Clear Sky[]
A sawn-off hunting shotgun with two side-by-side barrels. While much lighter and more compact than a full shotgun, it is only effective at close range. One of the most popular weapons among rookie stalkers. Uses 12x70 mm ammo.
― In-game description
In Clear Sky, the weapon is now simply named Shotgun.
The performance is even better than in Shadow of Chernobyl; somehow dealing more damage than any other shotgun and one can unload both barrels almost instantly - its firecap was increased to 1000 RPM. It can fire slugs or darts, which doesn't have any effect on its usefulness since it is terrible with them anyway. However, this weapon degrades faster than in Shadow of Chernobyl (without proper upgrades), and takes longer to reload.
Acquisition[]
Docent Suslov gives this weapon to the player, along with other equipment, prior to the first mission in the game. It is used by rookie Loners, Bandits, Renegades, and Clear Sky members, making it very plentiful in the first part of the game.
It can be found in a stash, Church woodpile, in the Swamps.
Upgrades[]
The Shotgun doesn't have many upgrades. Its upgrades are reducing its recoil, making it more reliable and threading its barrel to make it more accurate in firing slug and dart rounds. Threading the barrel is discouraged as this weapon does not need too much accuracy, given how it'll only be used in close range where buckshot rounds is more effective and even if one wants to use slug rounds to take on armored stalkers, it is still not worth it as the shotgun has performs poorly at range, even with accuracy upgrades installed, and this only compromises its versatility.
 Barrel modification (100 RU)  Accuracy +50%, doesn't use shotThreading the barrel increases the weapon's effective range when firing slugs and darts. Makes the weapon unsuitable for firing shot.
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 Grip handguards (100 RU)  Recoil -20%High quality rubber handguards which improve the weapon's handling characteristics
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 Striker replacement (100 RU)  Reliability +10%Increases a weapon's reliability and reduces the chance of misfiring.
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Call of Pripyat[]
A sawed-off hunting shotgun with two side-by-side barrels, making it lighter and more compact than a full shotgun. One of the most popular weapons among bandits due to its combination of ease of concealment and extreme effectiveness in close combat.
― Call of Pripyat in-game description
Upgrade view
In Call of Pripyat, the weapon is now called Sawed-off Shotgun. The weapon has lost its ability to use 12x76 Slug rounds, making it compatible only with buckshot. Since the vastly superior Chaser 13 is fairly easy to find even in the first area, the sawn-off isn't likely to get much use, especially since it has the worst accuracy, range, magazine size, recoil and durability of any small arms weapon.
However, because Call of Pripyat allows any weapon to be inserted into the two weapon slots in the inventory rather than the traditional primary and sidearm setup, the Sawn-off shotgun can now be more useful, compared to its previous incarnations. The sawn-off can be a powerful sidearm as it's lighter than any other shotgun available and can still do massive damage at close range, where sidearms are mostly needed. While the two-round capacity is a downside, it is still capable of either stunning or outright killing stalkers and small mutants at close range with a quick 2-round burst. However, carrying a handgun in the inventory in tandem with the sawn-off shotgun is still recommended, as in the event the player's primary weapon runs out of ammo, the sawed-off shotgun is not a great backup combat weapon on open ground due to its short effective range.
The weapon has only two tiers of upgrades, compared to most weapons which have three. This makes it possible to field a fully-upgraded sawed-off shotgun before even going to Pripyat. The weapon is inexpensive to maintain and upgrade, which can make it of interest for players wishing to minimize the expenses for their weapons.
Acquisition[]
The sawed-off shotgun is less common in Call of Pripyat, since the game takes place around the center of the Zone. It's carried by the occasional rookie Loners and Bandits. Owl also sells this weapon by default.
Upgrades[]
 Treatment of the barrel (100 RU)  Reliability +10%Treatment of the internal surfact of the barrel protects it from mechanical damage.
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 Synthetic barrel thickener (250 RU)  Accuracy +20%Synthetic thickening of the barrel cavity causes a considerable improvement in groupings.
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 Inclined handle (100 RU)  Weight -0.90 kgThe cavity inside the handle allows the weapon's weight to be reduced.
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 Ergonomic handle (250 RU)  Handling +15%A more modern and comfortable handle simplifies weapon handling.
 Amortization handle (250 RU)  Recoil -20%An amortization handle reduces recoil.
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 Component adjustment (100 RU) Reliability +10%Adjustment of components allows the weapon to last longer without jamming.
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 Low impulse firing mechanism (250 RU) Recoil -20%A low impulse firing mechanism ensures less recoil than older versions.
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Sounds[]
| Shadow of Chernobyl | Clear Sky | Call of Pripyat | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Draw | |||
| Holster | |||
| Shoot | |||
| Empty | |||
| Reload | |||
| Reload (full) | |||
Gallery[]
Shadow of Chernobyl[]
Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat[]
Development[]
The inventory icon for the full-size TOZ-66
In the Alpha Builds of Shadow of Chernobyl, there is a full-size TOZ-66 (i.e. with a full-length barrel and stock); it was also planned to be in Clear Sky, but was never implemented[1]. Its role of a full-sized double-barreled shotgun has been taken by the TOZ-34.
Trivia[]
- In Shadow of Chernobyl, if the player reloads an empty sawn-off dbl-barrel with only one shell in the inventory, then the animation will show the player loading the left barrel and cocking the left hammer. When the animation is finished, the left hammer will be uncocked, as the game considers that the shotgun fires from the right barrel at last.
References[]
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