The phrase sawed-off shotgun is a generic term used to refer to any shotgun that has been cut down to a compact size. Such weapons are typically based on side-by-side double barrel shotguns, although over-and-under, single barrel and even pump action examples have been known to exist. Generally, these weapons are created by the user literally sawing off the weapons barrels at a much shorter length (hence the name); the weapon's stock is also commonly cut down to a pistol grip. The weapons are favored among criminals for offering impressive close-range firepower in a very small package; the act of sawing down a shotgun is often illegal in many countries anyway.