Auto Shotgun

The Benelli M4 Super 90 semi-automatic shotgun is a second-tier weapon and is a more powerful version of the pump shotgun that does not require a pump after each shot. It holds a maximum of 10 shells at a time with 128 in reserve and, like the pump shotgun, can be fired without loading all of the shells. It is the best short-range weapon in the game, capable of firing extremely fast and taking out massive amounts of Infected per shot.

The relatively small magazine and low accuracy compared to other second-tier weapons make it slightly less effective against bosses. Its high damage output does allow it to seriously wound a boss, but only at a dangerously close range. Its rate of fire can be increased by quickly pulling the trigger as opposed to holding the trigger down. It is generally a good idea to have at least one member of the team using a shotgun. Like the pump shotgun, it can kill the Witch with one hit if fired into her eyes while she is not attacking, making it useful for getting the Cr0wnd achievement.

It is manufactured by the fictional German company Rapidarms Inc.

Tactics

 * Generally refrain from shooting targets at long-range, this is an up-close-and-personal weapon and needs to be used as such for maximum carnage
 * This means wielders of Auto shotguns should always have point (be in front of the other survivors)
 * Spamming a choke point at close range with the Auto shotgun is very effective against a Horde
 * Do not hold down the fire key in this situation; since this weapon is so effective, you only need to tap it to blow away multiple infected at a time
 * It is also important to note that while the auto shotgun has a high rate of fire, firing indiscriminately with this weapon is not always a good idea as doing so will eat away at your ammo supply rather quickly and can raise the possibility of undesirable results, such as friendly fire, or startling a witch.
 * When using the Auto shotgun, keep at least one shell loaded to prevent having to cock the gun after reloading
 * If you do use your last shell, as soon as you reload the first shell, hit fire to cock the gun, then hit the reload key again (you will now be able to interrupt the reload at any point and get a shot out instantly)
 * On higher difficulties, it is important to remember that the shotgun does have a cone of fire and should your teammates be within that cone, they will take damage as well. Therefore, if you're trying to hit zombies close to your teammate, either melee them away before shooting or deliberately 'miss' your teammate to minimize the possibility of friendly fire.
 * The Auto shotgun is the most effective weapon for dealing with a Tank in close quarters. One player with an auto shotgun is capable of bringing down a tank in 20-30 bullets, provided he stays in the right range. In other situations, running behind a tank with an auto shotgun while it chases another survivor works extremely well until he begins chasing you. Two survivors using this tactic can deal with a tank quite well on most difficulties, even if the other two aren't there.
 * There are 9 pellets per shot, equating to 32 damage per pellet, the same as a single assault rifle round.