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The steel tube of a rifle, shotgun, air gun or handgun, down which the bullet or shot travels. The of classic shotguns are smooth and do not impart a spin to the shot column and are designed to allow the pressure of the burning powder to accelerate the shot down the barrel and control the dispersion of the shot by means of different choke restrictions at the end of the barrel.
Dedicated shotgun barrels, rifle and handgun barrels all have rifling which imparts a spin to the projectile as it travels down the barrel, stabilizing it and helping to negate any imbalances in the projectile itself.
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