Sawed-Off Shotgun
Two barrels of bad news for anyone in range—and a world of hurt for anyone behind cover.
The Sawed-Off Shotgun is a close-range firearm in the Conker series, appearing primarily in *Conker's Bad Fur Day* and its remake *Conker: Live & Reloaded*. It is a double-barreled, break-action shotgun with shortened barrels, offering immense stopping power at the cost of range and reload speed. The weapon is famously wielded by Conker himself during the game's third-person shooter sequences, especially in the Uga Buga and Spooky chapters, where its thunderous blast turns cavemen and undead alike into comedic ragdolls.
- character
- Conker the Squirrel
- role
- Primary firearm for close-quarters combat
- affiliation
- Conker's arsenal
- first_appears
- *Conker's Bad Fur Day* (2001)
- status
- Usable in multiple chapters
Lore & Background
The Sawed-Off Shotgun is one of several weapons Conker acquires during his drunken, misadventure-filled journey. It is first obtained in the Uga Buga chapter, where Conker must navigate a prehistoric-themed area filled with caveman-like enemies. The weapon's design—a classic double-barrel sawed off—reflects the game's irreverent, cartoon-violent tone, parodying action movies and video game tropes, like a drunken John Wick with fur. In the Spooky chapter, the shotgun becomes essential for dealing with the undead and other horrors, each blast painting the walls with gory splatter. Its high damage per shot can dispatch most standard enemies in one or two hits, but the lengthy reload animation (where Conker breaks open the gun, inserts shells, and snaps it shut) leaves him vulnerable—a perfect moment for a panicked curse. The weapon's limited range encourages aggressive, in-your-face play, fitting Conker's reckless personality. The shotgun also appears in multiplayer modes of *Conker: Live & Reloaded*, where it is a powerful but slow-firing pickup that turns corridors into kill zones. Its inclusion in the game's arsenal underscores Rare's willingness to blend crude humor with competent shooter mechanics, making it a fan-favorite tool of destruction.
In Their Own Story
The cave stank of wet fur and old bones. Conker clicked the shotgun's barrels shut, the sound echoing off the stalactites. A caveman grunted somewhere ahead. 'Right,' Conker muttered, 'let's see how you like a mouthful of lead.' He rounded the corner, the twin muzzles already smoking. The caveman didn't even have time to raise his club. The blast sent him flying into a wall, leaving a red smear. Conker ejected the spent shells, fumbling for fresh ones. 'Gotta remember to count,' he said, reloading with a practiced snap.
Reader's Guide
The Sawed-Off Shotgun is a double-barreled weapon that fires two shots before requiring a manual reload. Each shot deals high damage, capable of killing most basic enemies in one hit at close range. The weapon has a wide spread, making it ineffective at distance—don't bother plinking at far-off foes. Reloading takes about 2 seconds, during which Conker is immobile and vulnerable, so find cover or pray. **Acquisition:** Found in the Uga Buga chapter, inside a cave after defeating a group of cavemen. Also appears in the Spooky chapter as a weapon pickup. **Combat interactions:** The shotgun's knockback can stagger larger enemies, buying time for a second shot. It is particularly effective against the Bat Boss in the Spooky chapter, where close-range hits deal bonus damage—just don't miss. In multiplayer, the weapon spawns in central locations and has limited ammo, encouraging aggressive play. The reload animation cannot be canceled, so players must choose their shots wisely. The shotgun also interacts with environmental objects, such as exploding barrels, triggering chain reactions that can clear a room in a satisfying boom.
Did You Know?
- The Sawed-Off Shotgun's reload animation is a direct parody of the shotgun reload in *Doom* (1993).
- In *Conker: Live & Reloaded*, the shotgun's multiplayer variant has a slightly tighter spread than in the single-player campaign.
- The weapon's sound effect was created by recording a real shotgun blast and then pitch-shifting it for comedic exaggeration.
- During development, Rare considered giving the shotgun a 'melee bash' attack, but it was cut due to balance issues.
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