Chrome Shotgun

"Yeah, shotgun."

- Zoey

"This shotgun'll work."

- Coach

The Chrome Shotgun is a Pump Shotgun variant in Left 4 Dead 2. It has the tightest spread of all of the shotguns in the game, which makes it more effective against distant targets than the other shotguns. Compared to the Pump Shotgun, it has a tighter spread and more damage per pellet (31 instead of 25), but fewer pellets overall (8 instead of 10), leading to a negligibly lower amount of total damage (the difference between the total damage of all 80 shots done by this and the Pump Shotgun is only 128 damage; in other words, close to half a shot). Like the other shotguns, its high damage per shot and high penetration against Common Infected also makes it a good weapon for handling Hordes.

All shotguns allow topping off the magazine on the fly, and the reloading process can be stopped to handle sudden threats using shells already loaded in its tube magazine. An effective tip is to reload constantly, as this allows the Chrome Shotgun to be fired almost endlessly so long as the user is not surrounded by infected and forced to spend their entire magazine.

Like the rest of the shotguns, the Chrome Shotgun can:


 * Kill a Witch with one hit if all the pellets strike her head before she rises, making it useful for getting the "Cr0wnd" and "Witch Hunter" achievements.
 * Stumble Common Infected within close range if they are not killed by a shot, which otherwise can only be caused by one other firearm (the Grenade Launcher if the explosion misses up close).
 * "Snipe" distant Common Infected, since they die instantly from headshots and one pellet always travels directly on the crosshair, although this is very inefficient.

Tactics

 * The Chrome Shotgun's accuracy makes it more effective than the Pump Shotgun at taking out Special Infected from a distance.
 * Due to the tight spread of the Chrome Shotgun, it's best to find a narrow passageway to kill multiple Common Infected with one shot.
 * The Chrome Shotgun's fairly tight spread makes it an effective weapon for cr0wning Witches.
 * Like with all shotguns, reload as frequently as possible and stock up on ammo whenever you can.
 * There will always have 1 pellet landing in the middle of the crosshair when shooting while crouched, this can be used to snipe a distant infected's head due to the fact they die instantly from headshots. However, this tactic is relatively ineffective against other threats due to low damage of individual pellets and high damage drop off over distance of the shotgun.
 * Dual Pistols are the most effective side arm for any shotgun, although the Magnum works well, too. Avoid using melee weapons, as the Chrome Shotgun benefits more from a ranged secondary weapon.
 * Explosive Ammunition makes your shotgun fire slugs with large explosions. You can use this to shoot the ground which will take out large numbers of Common Infected and knock back Special Infected.
 * Take advantage of Incendiary Ammunition with the Chrome Shotgun to ignite multiple Infected with one shot. The weapon's accuracy (for a shotgun) also means that you can get distance shots on Special Infected and still kill them through burn damage.
 * The Chrome Shotgun may be a good weapon of choice in Versus mode in the early rounds when it is required to kill certain Special Infected at medium ranges, especially when a Survivor only has one pistol. The Pump Shotgun may seem like the better choice, but veteran players will often attempt to attack from a distance which the aforementioned weapon cannot instantly kill Special Infected. This can lead to severe consequences.
 * While being attacked by Hordes, it is best to shove after each shot to push back Infected while chambering the next shell.
 * You can shove as you reload to maintain a full or nearly full clip while still stopping the infected from hitting you.
 * Shoving can also be used to interrupt the Chrome Shotgun's round-chambering animation, significantly increasing its rate of fire and DPS.
 * This can trigger melee fatigue, meaning that the survivor may not be able to shove nearby infected back, leaving them more vulnerable to attack.
 * If your teammate is being attacked on the other side of a thin wall, you can use the Chrome Shotgun to shoot through the wall to save them.
 * While the Chrome Shotgun's accuracy is notably better compared to that of the Pump Shotgun, it is still inadvisable to use it on Infected that are near teammates. Switch to a secondary weapon to avoid friendly fire.
 * Be careful not to aim anywhere near gas cans or other carriable explosives that you don't want to ignite, especially in Left 4 Dead 2 "The Atrium", "The Port", and Scavenge mode. The Chrome Shotgun's spread can easily cause pellets to spray towards unintended targets so long as they are still in front of the shooter.

Pros

 * Has the tightest spread among all 4 shotguns (3.0 x 5.0); taking the role as a "slug shooter".
 * Very effective on tightly bunched Common Infected or on Special Infected that are nearby.
 * It is one of the few weapons that can cr0wn a Witch.
 * The Chrome Shotgun is reloaded with individual shells, so reloading often and early can result in very quick reloads.
 * A lot more damage per shot than Submachine gun variants.
 * Can be used in conjunction with Incendiary Ammo.
 * Slow fire rate makes it easier to conserve ammo.
 * Excellent stopping power with frag rounds. All pellet damage is combined into a single slug with the benefits of explosive area of effect and increased accuracy.
 * Good for medium range combat in early levels.
 * Shoving can be used to significantly increase fire rate and DPS.

Cons

 * Very low amount of ammunition. A total of just eight shells in the gun and 72 (56 on Xbox 360) extra.
 * Negligibly lower damage per second than the Pump Shotgun.
 * Not effective for long-range targets or against Hordes in big, open spaces.
 * The Chrome Shotgun must pump every time you fire, making it hard to hit fast-moving targets.
 * Friendly fire becomes a danger on Expert difficulty, as one shot can incapacitate a teammate at close range from full health.
 * It has a long reload time if you are reloading from empty or a nearly empty.
 * Smokers and Spitters will be very hard to hit at long distances, making them hard to kill safely.
 * The slow rate of fire and reload speed, as well as the damage penalty for all shotguns, means the Chrome Shotgun takes the longest of any primary weapon to kill the Tank, excepting the Scout and AWP (though it ties with the Pump Shotgun).
 * However, shoving while firing can be used to increase the speed at which the Chrome Shotgun kills the Tank.