Why is the passenger seat of a car more commonly known as the "shotgun"?

Ben H

Back in the old days (old west) many stage coaches would be transporting currency or other valuables through dangerous territories. To avoid the chances of getting robbed, many businesses would have a armed escort (Usually carrying a shotgun) ride in the passenger seat of the coach to protect their cargo. Thus, whenever shotgun is called it's just a way of reserving the seat that the escort would have sat in.

mrtink121_bill

it goes back to stage coach days. When they were traveling through indian territory or there were robbers about, they would have a guy riding on top with the stage driver and he carried a shotgun hence the phrase riding shotgun

Michael S

When we traveled by horse drawn wagons in the wild west the person sitting with the drive carried a shotgun to protect the wagon.

Partisanshipsux

No. In the old west, Stage Coaches had a driver and a second person, sitting next to the driver, (sometimes a second driver) who "road shotgun". They were armed with a shotgun for security of the stage coach, passengers, and cargo. Shotguns are good close range weapons, and stage coaches were often robbed or attacked.

surlygurl

It's because when gangsters or rednecks are driving around in their cars or trucks the one in the front passenger seat is the one responsible for shooting while the driver is driving!

liberty11235

Say you're driving a brand new Mercedes thru and about a ghetto at night. Wouldn't you want to have someone in the passenger seat with a shotgun?

Probably had to do with Old West times...there would be someone driving the stagecoach, and the guy next to him would have a gun to protect him--riding shotgun.

Martinmm

your not much for western movies are you . when stage coaches traveled cross country there had to be a look out that rode with the driver and carried a"SHOTGUN" to protect passengers from robbers or pterodactyl's or saber tooth tigers and any threat along the way !

jay.dee29

It speaks for itself. The term "shotgun" comes from the criminals of the past and present. That seat is where the shooter sits to do his business while the driver drives. In the old gangster movies and the hood flicks that guy usually has a shotgun, hence the name.

JAY

back during probition when gangsters ran rampid, the right side of a car had a rider with a shotgun to shoot people that did'nt pay for protection=this is why right side of the car is called shotgun.

I_Love_Life!

ITs shotgun because the person sitting there gets to use the shotgun - rifle, pistol, whatever is needed! They get the lookout job and then get to shoot people!

A M

Probably because the passenger would concentrate on shooting the gun while the driver would concentrate on driving (while shooting at another car).

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