Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Here we have a Cobre/SWD Terminator single shot open bolt shotgun manufactured from 1986 to 1988, marked for both 20 and 12 gauge with a 2.75-inch chamber and cylinder choke.
The open bolt design is the main thing here. The bolt remains rearward until you pull the trigger, at which point it moves forward, chambers a shell, and fires in a single motion. Simple, cheap to make, minimal parts. SWD put it together as a budget entry-level shotgun and it worked well enough for what it was.
The Hughes Amendment of 1986 banned new civilian manufacture of open bolt firearms, although shotguns were technically exempt. Most manufacturers closed anyway. The Terminator’s two-year production window fits right inside that regulatory change before the market fully moves forward.
18.25-inch barrel, parkerized finish, no-frills construction. This is a utilitarian gun from a company that specialized in utilitarian guns during a very specific period of time. They do not appear again and again.
Most of our POTDs use images of our friends Rock Island Auction CompanyMajor firearms auction in the United States. Take some time to browse them current auction – Who knows, maybe you’ll find a piece of history to take home!
“Rare Cobre/SWD Terminator Single Shot Open Bolt Shotgun.” Rock Island Auction, www.rockislandauction.com/detail/5032/297/rare-cobrayswd-terminator-single-shot-open-bolt-shotgun. Accessed 28 May 2026.
