Actually, they can.

The shotgun rules (SR4A, p. 154) say nothing about not being able to silence them. The Shotguns section of the Gear Listing chapter (SR4A, p. 319) likewise says nothing. The silencer /suppressor rules (SR4A, p. 322) only mention that SS and SA weapons use a silencer while BF and FA weapons require a Suppressor, and that Revolvers cannot be silenced / suppressed.

I remember I used to be utterly convinced that shotguns couldn't be silenced at one point. Eventually I figured out I was mistaken somehow - probably toying with Chummer or just checking some tangentially related ruling for something.

I think I even used to think shotguns couldn't be silenced in real life, for some reason. Of course, one of the joys of being a Shadowrun nut is that it's given me an excuse to research all sorts of bizarre things, and yes, it turns out silenced shotguns are actually a thing. They aren't common, but they exist.

~Umi

Fun aside, it turns out you can get a full sized shotgun down to an effective Concealability of -3. That's equal to a light pistol in a concealed holster.

You can actually get the Defiance T-250 short barrel shotgun down to an effective Concealability of -7. That's more concealable than an RFID tag.

~Umi

i rather suspect that, even more so than usual, "silenced" is relative.

it's more quiet than an unsilenced shotgun, i'm sure, but "silent" is a *very* generous description from what i understand (tbh, i've never fired any sort of gun with a silencer, i'm just going on what others told me).

with that said, in shadowrun, there's probably no distinction between the level of noise a light pistol makes, and the level of noise a shotgun makes (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

If we're talking SR5, however, they can't.

SR4A or SR5?

The Concealability gambit is of course SR4A.

Something similar might be possible with SR5 once Run and Gun and maybe one or two other splat books are out. But definitely you need one major weapon mod and one vital accessory, with an optional second mod as icing on the cake, none of which are in 5E yet. The final piece of the puzzle is, but it's been in most every edition I think, so it's pretty standard.

Gonna give people a chance to figure out my recipe before spilling the beans more completely. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

~Umi

I'd consider the ruger super warhawk. It can't be silenced, but you're a mage; I'm presuming if you're shooting a gun subtlety is out the window. Add a laser sight and some apds, you're going to put down what you're shooting at with decent (relatively) concealability. Plus, if it doesn't shoot you can always hit them with it.

DrZ

Technically you can modify the Warhawk for an internal silencer. It just can't take external attachments, for obvious reasons.

~Umi

I remember SR4 description specifically saying in the Warhawk description that it could not be silenced.


I prefer the Defiance Ex Shocker, Browning Ultra Power, or the Remington Roomsweeper (with laser sight) for a utility firearm.

Taser has the advantage of legality and electricity damage, at the expense of range.
Ultra Power is all around solid, but has limited ammo. With only 10 shots (presuming you're firing semi-auto bursts) you're going to run of quickly.
Roomsweeper is pretty awesome.

No, all the rules say is that revolvers in general (and consequently the Warhawk in particular, as it's the only revolver actually listed in the Corebook - you need splat books to find more) cannot accept Silencer / Suppressor accessories.

The reason is that a Silencer or Suppressor screws onto the end of the barrel, but with a Revolver that still leaves a gap between the cylinder and the barrel itself through which gases can and will escape. It's why revolvers cannot normally be silenced in the real world.

Arsenal added Weapon Mods, however, introducing Internal versions of the Silencer and Suppressor which are both not-immediately visible and which are more effective because they are a permanent component of the gun rather than a removeable barrel mount attachment.

The entry for the Silencer / Sound Suppressor mod actually specifically introduces a new option for revolvers.


These special revolver silencers take up more mod slots, have higher installation difficulty thresholds, require a more advanced level of "toolkit" to even be able to install, are more expensive, and have an increased Availability value (16F, making it unavailable at chargen without the Restricted Gear quality).

That said, there are those who might consider it worthwhile to be able to empty their Warhawk into some drekhead discretely thanks to the -6 modifiers to Perception tests to notice the weapon's use.

~Umi