Shotgun (attachment)

The KAC Masterkey Shotgun (known simply as "Shotgun" in-game) is a weapon attachment in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. It is an under-barrel pump-action shotgun based on the Remington 870 developed originally for the M16 assault rifle. It is attached under the barrel of a weapon in a similar manner to the Grenade Launchers of Call of Duty 4. The military is replacing their Masterkey shotguns with the newer M26 MASS, a small straight pull bolt-action shotgun with a seven-round detachable magazine.

In-game
In Multiplayer it is unlocked for Assault Rifles by getting 20 Kills with the mounted grenade launcher for the specific gun. While not capable of the range of the M203 Grenade Launcher, it is devastating at close range. It is pump-action with a four round magazine, and a capacity of 20 shells. If put onto a longer range weapon such as the FAL, and Bling is used, in conjunction with a scope of any kind, the weapon becomes very potent and versatile. The shotgun itself is not the strongest, but it has more range than any other shotgun in-game. This attachment is relatively rare, and allows the user to surprise enemies. It is also faster to switch to the attachment than it is to switch to a secondary weapon.

Tactics

 * Use this attachment when an enemy gets within close proximity of you for maximum effect.
 * Save the Shotgun for games like Search and Destroy, other tactical games, or hardcore-mode gameplay, where high power weapons at short distances matter most.
 * Probably the most powerful usage of the Masterkey is for indoor settings (Inside of buildings, underground, or in caves). The reason for this is because of the close-range action that happens in these areas. Plus, if you rush into an indoor area and sight an enemy, one or two blasts from the Masterkey can change a death into a kill almost every time.

Trivia

 * In real life it is used more for door-breaching than actual combat (hence the weapon's name). Special zinc door-breaching rounds are required for this purpose.
 * Compared to the other shotguns in-game it's stats are closer to the Ranger's, but with much less damage, making the shotgun more balanced.
 * In first person, the player character never has a hand near the trigger, rather on the action, meaning that the player should not be able to fire it, but this was most likely kept to keep the Masterkey from having an incredibly slow rate of fire.