Munitions

12-gauge slug

Also known as
  • 12 gauge slug
  • 12-bore slug
  • 12 ga slug
  • 12-gauge rifled slug
  • Foster slug
  • Brenneke slug
  • sabot slug
  • 12-gauge sabot slug
  • 1 oz 12-gauge slug
  • A023 12-gauge slug

The 12-gauge slug is a single-projectile shotgun cartridge family that includes Foster or rifled slugs, Brenneke-style attached-wad slugs, sabot slugs, and military duty loads such as A023. FBI Crime Laboratory Digest material distinguishes the Brenneke and Foster layouts, Remington and Federal publish current 1-ounce 12-gauge slug loads, and DVIDS records 200,000 slug rounds among ammunition delivered to Iraqi security forces during the 2003 Iraq War.

12-gauge slug, Single-projectile 12-gauge shotgun cartridge, Munitions
Image source: Brenneke Slug-1.jpg

Role in Conflicts

Profile / Specs

Specifications

Gauge
12-gauge
Projectile type
Single slug, including Foster/rifled, Brenneke-style, and sabot slug loads
Common 1 oz projectile weight
About 437.5-440 grains, depending on manufacturer and load
Example Remington load
438-grain lead rifled slug, 3 in shell, 1760 fps muzzle velocity
Example Federal load
438-grain rifled hollow point slug, 2-3/4 in shell, 1610 fps muzzle velocity
Example Brenneke load
Orange Lightning 12 GA 2-3/4 in, 440-grain / 1 oz slug, 1476 fps
Example sabot load
Hornady 12 GA SST, 300-grain FTX slug, 2-3/4 in shell, 2000 fps muzzle velocity
Barrel compatibility note
Remington describes its Slugger rifled slug as designed for smooth-bore barrels; Hornady specifies the 12 GA SST sabot slug for fully rifled barrels only
Military A023 example
2-3/4 in cartridge with 1 oz rifled lead slug, 1590-1770 fps reported muzzle-velocity range
Slug Design Families

12-gauge slug ammunition is best explained as a family of single-projectile shotgun loads rather than one fixed cartridge specification.

Foster / rifled

A hollow-base full-bore slug pattern associated with Karl M. Foster and widely cataloged by U.S. ammunition makers.

Remington describes its Slugger rifled slug as designed for smooth-bore barrels.

Brenneke-style

A weight-forward slug with an attached rear wad, distinct from the Foster hollow-base pattern.

Brenneke lists current 12-gauge full-bore and sabot slug loads.

Sabot

A sub-caliber slug carried in a sabot, with some manufacturer loads specified for fully rifled shotgun barrels.

Hornady specifies its 12 GA SST slug for fully rifled barrels only.

Sources: FBI Crime Laboratory Digest Shotgun Slugs; Slugger Rifled Slug Duty; Brenneke Products; Hornady 12 GA SST Slug.

Variants

This entry treats slug types as unlinked 12-gauge single-projectile design families rather than separate catalog records.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Foster / rifled slugFull-bore smoothbore slug

FBI Crime Laboratory Digest describes Karl M. Foster's 1931 hollow-base slug and the later U.S. factory-loaded Foster pattern; Remington and Federal catalog current 12-gauge rifled-slug examples.

Sources: FBI Crime Laboratory Digest Shotgun Slugs, Slugger Rifled Slug Duty, Power-Shok Rifled Slug

Brenneke-style slugFull-bore slug with attached rear wad

The FBI digest distinguishes Brenneke's weight-forward slug and attached wad from Foster's hollow-base type, while Brenneke's company history lists the first Original Brenneke shotgun slug in 1898.

Sources: FBI Crime Laboratory Digest Shotgun Slugs, Brenneke Company History, Brenneke Products

Sabot slugSub-caliber slug carried in a sabot

Manufacturer examples distinguish sabot slug loads from full-bore rifled slugs: Hornady specifies its 12 GA SST for fully rifled barrels, and Brenneke lists several 12-gauge sabot slug loads.

Sources: Hornady 12 GA SST Slug, Brenneke Products

A023 12-gauge duty slugU.S. Navy 1-ounce rifled lead slug load

American Rifleman reported that the U.S. Navy's five-year Remington contract specified the A023 2-3/4-inch cartridge with a 1-ounce rifled lead slug.

Sources: Navy A023 Slug Contract

Firing Weapons

Army range-safety guidance lists 12-gauge slug ammunition in 12-gauge direct-fire tables, and OSHA describes slug ammunition loaded into shotguns.

Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
12-gauge shotgun, Shotgun, Infantry Weapons12-gauge shotgunShotgun

Army range-safety tables include 12-gauge slug ammunition for 12-gauge direct-fire weapons, and OSHA describes a shotgun loaded with 12 gauge slug ammunition, confirming the slug's firing platform.

Sources: Range Safety, Accident Report Detail

Timeline

12-gauge slug Key Events

  1. Original Brenneke shotgun slug appears

    Brenneke's company history lists 1898 as the first Original Brenneke shotgun slug, and the FBI digest treats Brenneke as a foundational modern shotgun-slug design.

    Sources: Brenneke Company History, FBI Crime Laboratory Digest Shotgun Slugs

  2. Foster develops a hollow-base rifled slug

    The FBI Crime Laboratory Digest says Karl M. Foster developed his hollow-base slug in 1931 for hunting use.

    Sources: FBI Crime Laboratory Digest Shotgun Slugs

  3. Factory-loaded Foster-type shells reach retail sale

    The FBI digest reports Winchester placed factory-loaded Foster-type shells on the retail market in September 1936, followed by Remington in 1937.

    Sources: FBI Crime Laboratory Digest Shotgun Slugs

  4. Foster projectile patent is published

    U.S. Patent 2,414,863 for Karl M. Foster's projectile was published on January 28, 1947.

    Sources: Foster Projectile Patent

  5. Slug rounds reported in Iraqi force deliveries

    DVIDS republished an American Forces Press Service story stating that November 2004 deliveries to Iraqi security forces included 200,000 12-gauge slug rounds.

    Sources: Iraqi Forces Weapons Delivery

  6. U.S. Navy A023 contract reported

    American Rifleman reported a five-year U.S. Navy contract for Remington-produced A023 12-gauge slug loads.

    Sources: Navy A023 Slug Contract

Media

12-gauge slug Videos

12-gauge slug Images

12-gauge slug, Single-projectile 12-gauge shotgun cartridge, Munitions - view 1
Source: Two Brenneke Slugs.JPG
12-gauge slug, Single-projectile 12-gauge shotgun cartridge, Munitions - view 2
Source: Plumbata shotgun slugs.JPG
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Mossberg 590 Shotgun, 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsMossberg 590 Shotgun12-gauge pump-action shotgunThe Mossberg 590 is O.F. Mossberg & Sons' U.S.-built pump-action shotgun line for military, law-enforcement, and defensive use. The 590A1 variant is the military-oriented branch of the family, with Mossberg listing MIL-SPEC 3443G compliance, a heavy-walled barrel, metal trigger guard and safety, a clean-out magazine tube, and Parkerized finish; DVIDS imagery documents U.S. Marines firing and handling 590A1 shotguns in Iraq during Operation Inherent Resolve.
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Sources

Slugger Rifled Slug DutyPublisher: Remington | Note: Supports the 12-gauge Slugger rifled slug designation, 438-grain / 1 oz projectile, 3-inch shell length, 1760 fps muzzle velocity, lead rifled slug style, ballistics table, smooth-bore barrel note, and big-game or duty use. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Power-Shok Rifled SlugPublisher: Federal Premium | Note: Supports Federal's 12-gauge rifled hollow point slug examples, including the 438-grain, 2-3/4-inch, 1610 fps load used in the specs. | Accessed: 2026-07-01FBI Crime Laboratory Digest Shotgun SlugsPublisher: Office of Justice Programs / FBI Crime Laboratory Digest | Note: Supports Foster and Brenneke design distinctions, Foster's 1931 development, the 1936 Winchester and 1937 Remington retail milestones, and historical 12-gauge rifled slug context. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Brenneke Company HistoryPublisher: Brenneke USA | Note: Supports Brenneke company history and the 1898 first Original Brenneke shotgun slug milestone. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Brenneke ProductsPublisher: Brenneke USA | Note: Supports current Brenneke 12-gauge slug load examples, including Orange Lightning and sabot-load specifications. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Hornady 12 GA SST SlugPublisher: Hornady | Note: Supports a modern 12-gauge sabot slug example and the fully rifled barrel requirement for Hornady's 12 GA SST slug. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Foster Projectile PatentPublisher: Google Patents | Note: Supports U.S. Patent 2,414,863 for Karl M. Foster's projectile, including the January 28, 1947 publication date. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Navy A023 Slug ContractPublisher: American Rifleman | Note: Supports the 2024 report of a U.S. Navy five-year Remington contract for A023 12-gauge slug loads, including the 2-3/4-inch, 1-ounce rifled lead slug description and reported muzzle-velocity range. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Iraqi Forces Weapons DeliveryPublisher: DVIDS / American Forces Press Service | Note: Supports the 2003 Iraq War direct-use row by reporting Multinational Security Transition Command-Iraq deliveries to Iraqi security forces that included 450,000 12-gauge shotgun rounds, 200,000 of them slug rounds. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Brenneke Slug-1.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a public-domain image of a 12-bore Brenneke shotgun slug. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Two Brenneke Slugs.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a public-domain image showing two Brenneke shotgun slugs. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Plumbata shotgun slugs.JPGPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a CC BY-SA / GFDL image showing several shotgun slugs, including multiple 12-gauge examples and one 20-gauge slug. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Range SafetyPublisher: U.S. Army | Note: Supports the relationship claim by listing 12-gauge slug ammunition in 12-gauge direct-fire range-safety guidance. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Accident Report DetailPublisher: U.S. Department of Labor / OSHA | Note: Supports the relationship claim by describing a shotgun loaded with 12 gauge slug ammunition in an OSHA accident report. | Accessed: 2026-07-01