Turn a corner inside a compound or a Oil Rig stairwell and the gun you least want to meet is the M4 Shotgun. It is a semi automatic military shotgun that empties six shells as fast as you can pull the trigger, and it hits harder per shell than any other shotgun in the game.
This M4 Shotgun Rust guide covers the real stats, the best ammo, how it stacks up against the Spas-12 and Pump Shotgun, every place it drops with the odds, the attachments worth using, what it recycles into and how to get the most out of it in a fight.
- What It Is
- Stats
- Best Ammo
- vs Spas-12 and Pump
- Where to Find It
- Attachments
- Recycle and Repair
- How to Use It
- FAQ
What Is the M4 Shotgun in Rust?
The M4 Shotgun is a semi automatic, military grade shotgun. Its in game description is simply “a semi automatic military issue shotgun”. In the game files it is shotgun.m4 with item ID 678698219 (see our Rust item IDs list).
It sits in the same military tier as the M39, M249 and Prototype 17: you cannot craft it, research it or unlock it on the tech tree. Every M4 on a server came out of a crate, off a scientist or out of another player’s backpack.
Where the Double Barrel gives you two big shots and the Pump Shotgun makes you rack between shells, the M4 lets you fire six shells back to back. Up close, that is enough to drop a player in a full metal kit before they can turn around. Check where it fits against every other gun in our Rust weapons guide.
M4 Shotgun Stats
| Stat | M4 Shotgun |
|---|---|
| Fire mode | Semi automatic |
| Rate of fire | 200 RPM (about 3.3 shots a second) |
| Magazine | 6 shells (7 with an Extended Magazine) |
| Reload | 5.8 seconds |
| Draw time | 1.6 seconds |
| Buckshot damage | 12 per pellet, about 168 per shell if every pellet hits |
| Slug damage | 64, 128 on a headshot |
| Craftable / researchable | No / No |
| Stack size | 1 |
| Despawn time | 1 hour |
The number to remember is the reload. Six shells go out in under two seconds, then you are stuck for almost six seconds. Most M4 deaths happen to players who empty the gun at the first sound and get caught reloading.
Best M4 Shotgun Ammo in Rust
The M4 takes every 12 gauge shell in the game. Damage numbers below are from the M4 itself.
| Shell | Damage | Velocity | Headshot | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Gauge Buckshot | 12 per pellet | 292.5 | 1.2x | Anything inside 10 metres |
| 12 Gauge Slug | 64 | 292.5 | 2x | 10 to 40 metres, headshots |
| 12 Gauge Incendiary Shell | 12 per pellet | 130 | 1x | Burning wooden doors and deployables |
| Handmade Shell | 7.2 per pellet | 130 | 1.2x | Cheap practice and farming NPCs |
Buckshot, slugs and incendiary shells are crafted at a Workbench 2 and use gunpowder and metal fragments. Handmade shells need no workbench, but they do a lot less damage. Carry a stack of buckshot plus a few slugs and switch when the fight opens up.
M4 Shotgun vs Spas-12 vs Pump Shotgun
| Shotgun | Action | Fire rate | Slug damage | How to get it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| M4 Shotgun | Semi auto | 200 RPM | 64 | Loot only |
| Spas-12 | Semi auto | 240 RPM | 60 | Loot, or 250 scrap at the Bandit Camp Black Market |
| Pump Shotgun | Pump action | Slow | Lower | Craft at a Workbench 2 |
M4 or Spas-12? They share the same 6 shell magazine and 5.8 second reload. The M4 does about 7% more damage per shell, and the Spas-12 fires about 20% faster. Over a full magazine they trade almost evenly, so the real difference is how you get them: you can buy a Spas-12 for scrap, but an M4 only ever comes from loot. If you have both, take the M4 for one or two big shots around a corner and the Spas-12 for spraying a doorway.
M4 or Pump? The M4 every time if you have it. The Pump is the shotgun you can craft and keep losing without worrying, which is why it is so common in early raids.
Where to Find the M4 Shotgun in Rust
| Source | Chance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Supply Drop | ~18% | From the cargo plane or a thrown supply signal |
| Locked Crate | ~9% | Oil Rigs, Cargo Ship, Ghost Ships and Chinook drops |
| Elite Crate | 1.2% | Same table in Underwater Lab elite crates |
| Heavy Scientists | ~0.9% | Oil Rig and Bradley waves |
| Patrol Helicopter crate | ~0.9% | Crates left at the wreck |
| Bradley APC crate | 0.5% | Launch Site Bradley |
Drop chances vary a little between wiki sites and patches, so treat them as rough odds. The pattern is clear though: run the Oil Rig and contest airdrops if you want an M4. Elite crates, scientists and the heli are a bonus, not a plan.
Best M4 Shotgun Attachments
- Extended Magazine: 25% more shells, which takes the M4 from 6 to 7. One extra shell before a 5.8 second reload is worth a lot.
- Holosight or Lasersight: both tighten the spread. The lasersight also helps hipfire, which is how most shotgun fights happen.
- Flashlight: for clearing dark bases and monuments at night.
- Gas Compression Overdrive: 20% more damage, 30% more velocity and 20% faster fire, at the cost of 10% more recoil.
- Burst Module: 30% slower fire, but 35% less recoil and a 35% tighter aim cone.
- Silencer and Muzzle Boost: the silencer keeps you quiet but costs damage and velocity; the muzzle boost raises fire rate at the cost of damage. Neither is a good trade on a shotgun.
M4 Shotgun Recycle and Repair
| Recycler | High Quality Metal | Metal Pipe | Metal Spring |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monument recycler | 12 | 2 to 3 | 1 to 2 |
| Safe zone recycler | 8 | 1 to 2 | 1 to 2 |
Those metal pipes are worth having for rockets, so a broken or spare M4 is not wasted. You can also repair the M4 at a repair bench with high quality metal. A dropped M4 despawns after 1 hour.
How to Use the M4 Shotgun
- Defend your base with it. Holding a corner or an airlock with buckshot, the M4 beats almost any rifle.
- Swap to slugs past 10 metres. Buckshot spreads fast. A slug does 64 damage, 128 on a headshot, and still hits at 30 to 40 metres.
- Aim at the head against armour. Heavy and metal kits soak body shots, and buckshot gets a 1.2x headshot bonus.
- Burn wooden doors. A wooden door takes 20 incendiary shells from an M4, four more than a Pump because of the M4’s lower multiplier.
- Bring it to the Oil Rig and Cargo. Tight stairs and rooms suit a semi auto shotgun better than a rifle.
M4 Shotgun Rust FAQ
Can you craft the M4 Shotgun in Rust?
No. The M4 Shotgun is loot only. It cannot be crafted, researched or unlocked on the tech tree, and Bandit Camp does not sell it.
Where do you find the M4 Shotgun in Rust?
Mostly in supply drops (around 18%) and locked crates (around 9%). It can also drop from elite crates, Underwater Lab elite crates, heavy scientists, patrol helicopter crates and Bradley crates, but the odds there are around 1% or less.
How many shells does the M4 Shotgun hold?
Six shells, or seven with an Extended Magazine. A full reload takes 5.8 seconds.
How much damage does the M4 Shotgun do in Rust?
A 12 gauge slug does 64 damage, or 128 on a headshot. Buckshot does 12 per pellet, about 168 per shell when every pellet hits. It fires at 200 rounds per minute.
Is the M4 Shotgun better than the Spas-12?
They are close. The M4 does about 7% more damage per shell and the Spas-12 fires about 20% faster, with the same 6 shell magazine and reload. The M4 is slightly better for single big shots; the Spas-12 is easier to get because Bandit Camp sells it for 250 scrap.
What does the M4 Shotgun recycle into?
12 high quality metal, 2 to 3 metal pipes and 1 to 2 metal springs at a monument recycler, or 8 high quality metal and fewer pipes at a safe zone recycler.
What is the best ammo for the M4 Shotgun?
12 gauge buckshot for close range and 12 gauge slugs for anything past about 10 metres. Incendiary shells are for burning wooden doors and deployables.