History: In the early-2030's, several nations expressed renewed interest in the idea of an infantry CAWS (Close Assault Weapons System) semi-auto or full-auto shotgun. One problem that previous proposals had suffered from was overheating when using standard plastic-walled 2 3/4 inch 12 gauge shells. To avoid this, many designers adopted new all-metal shells with altered dimensions to prevent them from chambering in standard shotguns. The brass shells absorbed much of the heat, leaving the barrels and chamber relatively cool. The downside to this solution, of course, was that it introduced a whole new ammo type that supply masters had to stock, in addition to the standard 12 gauge shells for existing military scatterguns. Wyvern Arms decided on a different approach. Their R2035 model shotgun instead utilized three rapid-cool spinning barrels to avoid the problem of overheating. It also employed an ingenious loading system in a 50-round stacked "drum" bullpup magazine that makes extremely efficient use of space. The result was a hefty shotgun with a very high rate of fire and yet the magazine capacity to support it. Though it only saw some small military use in its day, the design was revived by several corporations in the early 2140's because of the overwhelming spray of lead it is capable of producing.

Description: This is not a lightweight weapon, something would-be users need to keep in mind. Since it will mainly be used in a support role, this isn't as much of a problem as the bulkiness of its ammunition. It's simply not possible to carry a lot of extra 12 gauge ammo plus large amounts of other equipment. Still, the advantages of the Devastator shotgun shouldn't be ignored. It lays down an incredible barrage of fire that can be nearly impossible to avoid. Against unarmored or lightly armored targets it easily lives up to its name. Even well-protected opponents can't stand up to its brutal fire for very long at close range.