The shotgun is one of the oldest defensive and hunting arms in the world—centuries old, in fact. Back in the 1870s the double-barrel shotgun was king when it came to fending off stagecoach bandits, backing down a crowd of liquored-up cowboys, defending the old homestead or bringing game to the dinner table.

Technology made the double-barrel shotgun almost an anachronism in the late 18th century, when John Moses Browning developed for Winchester the Model 1893 slide-action shotgun, which was later improved as the Model 1897 and finally, in the early 20th century, as the Model 12, the most famous shotgun in American history. So what became of the venerable double-barrel shotgun? The double gun remains one of the most prized hunting arms in the world, as well as the foundation for generations of side-by-side and over/under shotgun designs. For bird hunting, small game and deer, as well as for home defense, the double gun is still one of the best options. It’s simple, easy to load, rudimentary in operation and quite affordable. So how do you improve on all this? Add another barrel.

Go For Three

There are three versions of this innovative triple gun: one for sportsmen, the Triple Crown with three 26-inch barrels, each with a threaded choke tube, a center vent rib and deluxe walnut stock; the full-stock Triple Threat with three 18.5-inch barrels; and the Triple Threat two-piece stock variation, which easily converts into a pistol-grip tactical configuration. It is this third model that falls uniquely into personal and home defense, as a multi-purpose 12-gauge shotgun.

For more information check out chiappafirearms.com.

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