The Pump Shotgun is the strongest shotgun you can craft in Rust. It needs a Workbench 2, holds six shells, and puts up to 210 damage into a target with a single shell of buckshot. That makes it the gun most groups keep by the door for raid defence, cave fights and anything that happens inside a base.
This pump shotgun Rust guide covers the exact recipe and research cost, damage with every type of 12 gauge ammo, how it stacks up against the Double Barrel, Waterpipe, M4 and Spas-12, where to loot one, the best attachments, recycle and repair numbers, and how to win fights with it.
- What It Is
- How to Craft
- Damage & Ammo
- vs Other Shotguns
- Where to Find
- Attachments
- Recycle & Repair
- Tips
- FAQ
What Is the Pump Shotgun in Rust?
In the game files the Pump Shotgun is shotgun.pump with item ID 795371088. It is a Rare weapon, stacks to 1 and despawns 40 minutes after it is dropped. It is a pump action 12 gauge, so you rack a new shell after every shot, which is slower than the semi-auto M4 and Spas-12 but still far quicker than reloading a Double Barrel every two shots. Look up any other short name in our Rust item IDs list.
One thing trips up a lot of players: the in-game item description still reads “A Shotgun. Fires 8 rounds.” That line is old. The magazine actually holds 6 shells, which is what the Facepunch wiki lists and what you see when you load it. If a guide tells you the Pump holds 8, it copied the description.
On our Rust weapon tier list the Pump sits in B tier. Rifles beat it at range, but inside a base, a cave or a monument corridor it kills as fast as anything you can craft at Workbench 2. For every gun in the game, see the full Rust weapons list.
Admins and private server owners can spawn one with inventory.give shotgun.pump 1
How to Craft a Pump Shotgun in Rust
- Get a Workbench 2. The Pump can only be crafted at a Workbench Level 2 or higher.
- Learn the blueprint. Put a Pump Shotgun and 100 scrap in a Research Table, or unlock its node on the Workbench 2 tech tree, which also costs 1 Blueprint Page for the node itself. Rare items have cost 60 since the Pivot or Die update removed the tech tree tax.
- Gather the parts. You need 15 high quality metal, 2 metal pipes and 1 metal spring. Pipes and springs come from barrels, crates and recycling, see our Rust components guide.
- Craft it. One craft makes one Pump Shotgun.
Pump Shotgun Damage and Best Ammo
The Pump takes all four kinds of 12 gauge ammo. Damage below is per pellet from the Facepunch wiki, with the max per shell when every pellet lands. Recipes and sulfur costs come from our Rust ammo chart.
| Ammo | Damage | Max per shell | Velocity | Headshot | Sulfur per shell |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Gauge Buckshot | 15 per pellet | 210 | 225 m/s | x1.2 | 10 |
| 12 Gauge Slug | 80 | 80 (160 head) | 225 m/s | x2 | 10 |
| 12 Gauge Incendiary Shell | 15 per pellet | fire damage over time | 100 m/s | x1 | 20 |
| Handmade Shell | 9 per pellet | 180 | 100 m/s | x1.2 | 5 |
What that means in a fight:
- Buckshot is the default. A naked player has 100 health, so just 7 of the 14 pellets (105 damage) kill them. A full magazine is 6 x 210 = 1,260 damage for 60 sulfur.
- Slugs turn the Pump into a short range rifle. Two body shots (160) or one headshot (160) drop a naked player, and the single projectile does not spread, so slugs win anything past 20 metres.
- Incendiary shells are for wood. Around 16 of them burn through a wooden door, and they set players on fire, but the slow pellets make them weak for straight PvP.
- Handmade shells need no workbench and cost half the sulfur of buckshot, but the pellets fly at 100 m/s and fall apart past a few metres. Fine for farming and early wipe, not for a fight you care about.
Pump Shotgun vs Double Barrel, Waterpipe, M4 and Spas-12
| Shotgun | Buckshot max | Shells | Fire rate | How to get it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pump Shotgun | 210 | 6 | 55 RPM | Craft at Workbench 2 |
| Double Barrel | 210 | 2 | 120 RPM | Craft at Workbench 1 |
| Waterpipe Shotgun | 180 | 1 | 13 RPM | Craft at Workbench 1 |
| M4 Shotgun | 168 | 6 | 200 RPM | Loot only |
| Spas-12 | about 160 | 6 | 240 RPM | Loot, or 250 scrap at Bandit Camp |
Pump vs Double Barrel: both hit for 210 a shell, and the DB fires its two shells faster. If the first two shells win the fight, the DB is just as good and much cheaper. The Pump wins every fight that lasts longer than two shots: a second enemy coming round the corner, a raid push, or a missed first shell.
Pump vs M4 and Spas-12: the semi-autos fire three to four times faster but do less per pellet, and you cannot craft either of them. Once you loot an M4 it usually replaces the Pump, but you can rebuild a Pump every time you die.
Where to Find a Pump Shotgun in Rust
| Source | Chance |
|---|---|
| Airdrop (supply drop) | 22.8% |
| Present drop (Christmas event) | 12.1% |
| Mission loot box (basic) | 1.6% |
| Locked crate (Chinook, oil rig, ghost ship) | 1.3% |
| Elite crate and Underwater Lab elite crate | 0.8% (1 to 2) |
| Military crate, wagon and Underwater Lab military crates | 0.4% |
| Christmas dungeon crate | 0.4% |
| Scientists (roaming, cargo, oil rig, Bradley, heavy and more) | 0.1% to 0.3% |
At 1.3% or less from every normal crate, farming monuments for a Pump is slow. The better plan is to loot one from an airdrop or a Christmas present, research it once, and craft as many as you need for the rest of the wipe.
Best Pump Shotgun Attachments
| Attachment | Effect on the Pump | Worth it? |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon Lasersight | -20% aim cone, -50% hip aim cone, -90% sway | Best pick, tighter hip fire |
| Holosight | -20% aim cone, 1.5x zoom | Good if you aim down sights |
| Gas Compression Overdrive | +20% damage, +30% velocity, +20% fire rate, +10% recoil | Strong if you have one |
| Weapon Flashlight | Lights the area you aim at | Night raids and caves |
| Muzzle Brake | -50% recoil, -15% damage | Not on a shotgun |
| Muzzle Boost | Shorter delay between shots, less damage | Situational |
| Silencer (any) | -25% to -30% damage and velocity | Only for stealth |
| 8x or Variable Zoom Scope | Zoom, +50% recoil | No |
The Krieg Shotgun you may see in shops is a paid skin item. The game files list it as a skin of shotgun.pump with the same 15 HQM, 2 pipe, 1 spring recipe, so it shoots exactly like a normal Pump. For more on muzzle mods, see our Rust silencer guide.
Pump Shotgun Recycle and Repair
| Recycler | High Quality Metal | Metal Pipe | Metal Spring |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monument recycler | 9 | 1, plus 20% chance of a second | 60% chance |
| Safe zone recycler (Outpost, Bandit Camp) | 6 | 80% chance | 40% chance |
A Pump gives no scrap when recycled, only parts. To repair one, use a repair bench: it costs 5 HQM and lowers the gun’s max condition each time. A worn Pump is still worth repairing a couple of times before you recycle it for parts.
Pump Shotgun Tips
- Hold corners, do not chase. Pellets spread fast. Wait behind a door frame or at the top of a stair and let people walk into your range.
- Aim at the chest. The spread means a centre mass shot lands more pellets than a head flick, and 7 pellets are already a kill on a naked player.
- Carry a stack of slugs. Swap to slugs when someone is outside 20 metres. Slugs only stack to 32, so one slot is plenty.
- Top up between fights. At around 5.5 seconds for a full reload, never walk into a room with two shells left.
- Use it for raid defence. Six shells beat two when three raiders come through your wall at once. Keep one in a box near your core with buckshot and a metal facemask.
- Know when to switch. On open ground any rifle beats it. Check the force wipe countdown and plan your Workbench 2 rush so the Pump is ready before the first raids hit.
Pump Shotgun FAQ
How do you craft a pump shotgun in Rust?
Craft it at a Workbench 2 from 15 high quality metal, 2 metal pipes and 1 metal spring. You need the blueprint first, which costs 100 scrap at a research table or 1 Blueprint Page per node on the Workbench 2 tech tree node.
How many shells does the pump shotgun hold in Rust?
It holds 6 shells. The in-game description still says it fires 8 rounds, but that text is out of date: the magazine takes 6 and reloads in about 5.5 seconds.
How much damage does the pump shotgun do in Rust?
12 gauge buckshot does 15 per pellet, up to 210 per shell when all 14 pellets land. A slug does 80, or 160 with a headshot. Handmade shells do 9 per pellet, up to 180, and incendiary shells do 15 per pellet plus fire.
What workbench do you need for a pump shotgun?
A Workbench Level 2. Both crafting and researching the Pump need Workbench 2 or higher.
Is the pump shotgun better than the double barrel in Rust?
For longer fights, yes. Both do 210 per buckshot shell, but the Pump holds 6 shells and the Double Barrel only 2. The Double Barrel fires its two shells faster and is much cheaper at Workbench 1, so it is the better early wipe pick.
Where do you find a pump shotgun in Rust?
Airdrops are the best source at 22.8%. Christmas present drops give one 12.1% of the time. Locked crates drop one 1.3% of the time, elite crates 0.8% and military crates 0.4%, and scientists rarely drop them.
What do you get for recycling a pump shotgun?
A monument recycler gives 9 high quality metal, 1 metal pipe with a 20% chance of a second, and a 60% chance of a metal spring. A safe zone recycler gives 6 HQM, an 80% chance of a pipe and a 40% chance of a spring. It gives no scrap.
What is the best ammo for the pump shotgun?
12 gauge buckshot for close range fights, slugs for anything past about 20 metres, and incendiary shells for burning wooden doors. Handmade shells work early wipe but lose a lot of damage at range.
What is the item ID of the pump shotgun in Rust?
The short name is shotgun.pump and the item ID is 795371088. Admins can spawn one with inventory.give shotgun.pump 1.
Sources
- Rust game files (items, crafting and recycle data, October 2026)
- Facepunch Rust wiki: Pump Shotgun
- Rust Wiki (Fandom): Pump Shotgun