Few close-combat weapons are as devastating as the combat shotgun. Though shotguns have seen at least some military service for centuries, they have been most widely used by US troops. Among the early colonists to America, the muzzle-loading blunderbuss, which often had a flared muzzle to speed loading of shot or various other metal objects, was a popular weapon that could be used for hunting as well as defense. It proved a mainstay among members of local militias and proved quite effective against Indian attacks. Crews of vessels bound to or from the New World often used the blunderbuss to repel hostile boarders, or when boarding themselves. Later, during the American Revolutionary Wars, fowling pieces were used by colonists who did not have muskets for specialized purposes such as knocking down British cavalry horses. However, the colonists might also face shotguns or blunderbusses. For example, at least one British Light Dragoon regiment raised by General John Burgoyne in 1781 was armed with blunderbusses. Muskets could also be loaded with larger shot for use at close range; General George Washington encouraged his men to load their muskets with “buck and ball” to increase hit probability.1 In fact, some theorize that the famous admonition not to fire until “you see the whites of their eyes” was designed to maximize the effect of the buck and ball loads against the massed formations of the redcoats.
Shotguns helped defend the Alamo and were again used by US troops during the Mexican–American War of 1846–48. As the double-barreled percussion shotgun came into widespread use during the mid-19th century the scattergun’s effectiveness as a combat weapon was enhanced, but it was in the hands of Confederate cavalrymen that the short double-barreled shotgun proved an especially formidable combat weapon. Reportedly, Confederate cavalrymen often fired their shotguns at close range to blast a hole in lines of Union infantrymen. After the Civil War, the shotgun still saw usage among US troops, often for hunting game but also for guarding prisoners and protecting payrolls or other assets. During the fighting against various Indian tribes, the shotgun proved a formidable close-range weapon against the Indian horsemen. Famed Indian fighter Major General George Crook carried a double-barreled shotgun, as did other Civil War veterans under his command.
Civil War troops armed with muskets and shotguns. (Library of Congress)
It was towards the end of the 19th century, however, that the weapon that would really be the forerunner for US 20th-century combat shotguns was developed – the Winchester Model 1897 (M97) 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. Early in its production, a short-barreled “riot gun” version of the M97 was developed. It was soon in action in the Philippines against Moro Juramentados (“oath-takers”). While other weapons, even the .30-caliber Krag rifle, might not stop a fanatical attacker, the M97 Riot Gun loaded with buckshot generally did.
It was as the M97 Trench Gun, however, that the Winchester achieved iconic status. Reportedly, General John Pershing was a major supporter of the issuance of shotguns to US troops during World War I, possibly because of his memories of their effectiveness during the Philippine Insurrection. As the name implies, the trench gun was developed for the trench fighting in World War I. Known to US infantrymen as the “trench broom” or “trench sweeper,” the M97 Trench Gun performed that function admirably. Troops could clear a German assault on a trench by quickly pumping the shotgun and sending buckshot pellets the length of the trench. Doughboys and Marines found the trench shotgun very effective when clearing German positions as well, especially when the enemy was inside dugouts or buildings. The major criticism was not of the M97 Trench Gun but of its ammunition, which used paper shell-casings that did not hold up in the trenches. Late in the war the availability of 12-gauge buckshot rounds loaded into brass cases alleviated the ammunition problems. A relatively small number of other combat shotguns were issued in World War I, including the Remington Model 10 (M10), Winchester Model 1912 (M12), and Remington Model 11 (M11).
During the Vietnam War a US Navy SEAL comes ashore in the Rung Sat Special Zone, armed with an Ithaca M37 shotgun. Note that the SEALs are barefoot so as to not leave boot tracks. (US Navy)
After World War I, the trench shotguns and riot guns remained in service during the 1920s and 1930s where they saw service with the US Marines during the counterinsurgency “Banana Wars,”2 and were also used when US troops were assigned to guard the US Mail and for guarding prisoners at military stockades. Labor unrest after World War I and continuing during the Great Depression also increased interest among Ordnance officers in stockpiling shotguns for use by Federal troops or members of the National Guard against “rioters.”
Among the early incentives for the United States to begin acquiring more shotguns prior to entrance into World War II was the fear of parachute attacks on US air bases, or of saboteurs attacking naval bases, air bases, or other defense installations. As a result, new orders were placed for trench or riot shotguns as well as shotguns for training aerial and naval antiaircraft gunners in leading a target (in order to compensate, when shooting, for the target’s movement). Initial orders were given to Winchester, Ithaca and Remington, and were increased dramatically after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Later, shotguns would also be acquired from Savage and Stevens as well.
The US Marines found the shotgun especially valuable during the jungle fighting in the Pacific. They considered it second only to the belt-fed machine gun in stopping massed Japanese attacks. Although both trench and riot shotguns were available, the Marines preferred the trench guns with bayonets mounted, particularly the Winchester M97 and M12 models. According to Bruce N. Canfield, US Marines managed to acquire three times their authorized number of fighting shotguns in anticipation of the invasion of the Japanese Home Islands (Canfield 2007: 103–04). Once again, however, damp conditions caused problems with paper-cased shotgun shells. And, once again, brass shells were developed but did not reach front-line troops until very late in World War II.
February 2009: a trainee at the USMC Dynamic Entry School at Quantico, Virginia, practices breaching locks using a Mossberg M590 shotgun with pistol grip. (USMC)
The Marines had often used shotguns in conjunction with machine guns to protect the gun crews. Shotguns were again used for this mission in Korea where they also proved effective at close quarters against Chinese infiltrators or human-wave attacks. Shotguns were also used to defend command posts and supply dumps in Korea. As with other infantry weapons used during the Korean War, the shotguns were those that had been used during World War II.
In Vietnam, US troops once again found themselves involved in a jungle war where the shotgun was a highly effective weapon. The Marines made good use of the M12 Trench Guns they had deployed for decades. Even the venerable M97 Trench Gun saw use in Vietnam. Additional shotguns were acquired from other manufacturers. A substantial number of the Ithaca Model 37 (M97) Riot Gun and a few trench guns were used in Vietnam. The US Navy SEALs (Sea, Air, and Land Teams) deployed the M37, in a few cases with a “duck-bill” choke designed to spread the shot horizontally across a trail. (Actually, the “duck-bill” had been developed for the USAF Security Police in the mid-1960s in an attempt to increase hit probability for personnel guarding aircraft assigned to the Strategic Air Command and other sensitive installations.) A substantial number of Stevens Model 77E (M77E) Riot Guns were also issued in Vietnam. The Remington Model 870 (M870) Riot Gun, the classic US police shotgun, was also acquired for military issue. Winchester’s Model 1200 (M1200) Trench Gun was developed during the Vietnam War, but it saw most of its usage later. To allow the shotgun to cut an even wider swath among soldiers of the Viet Cong (VC) or North Vietnamese Army (NVA), attempts were made during the Vietnam War to increase the lethality of the fighting shotgun. One result was the Remington Model 7188 (M7188) full-automatic shotgun. Another attempt to increase lethality was the use of shotgun rounds loaded with flechettes (pointed steel projectiles).
After Vietnam, the US Department of Defense showed substantial interest in a new weapons system – the CAWS (Close Assault Weapons System) – that would fire multiple projectile rounds from a detachable box magazine in full or semiautomatic mode. Though various designs were tested, the US armed forces continued to be armed with slide-action shotguns similar to those used in World War I, primarily the Remington M870 and Winchester M1200. Beginning at the end of the 1970s, O. F. Mossberg & Sons, Inc began receiving military contracts for their Model 500 (M500) slide-action riot shotgun. Extensive competitive testing later resulted in the adoption of the military M500 by all branches of the US armed forces. A relatively small number of Mossberg Model 590 (M590) Trench Guns were also adopted by the US Marine Corps (USMC). Eventually, the M590 Riot Gun superseded the M500.
The United States had used semiautomatic riot guns, such as the Remington M11 and the Savage Model 720 (M720), during World War II, but these were emergency-issue weapons. In early 1999, however, a contract was issued for a new standard US Joint Service Combat Shotgun based on the Benelli M4 semiautomatic. Designated the Model 1014 (M1014), the new shotgun was initially ordered by the USMC. The US Navy SEALs also use the M1014. For the Army, however, the Mossberg M590 remains the primary shotgun.
In Afghanistan and, especially, Iraq, the shotgun has been used primarily for blasting the locks or hinges off doors during entries. As a result, Mossberg M590s and Remington M870s, with pistol grips to allow them to readily be carried as a supplement to the M4 carbine, have been adopted. In some cases, the breaching man was also an M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) gunner. Military police (MPs) or other troops assigned to convoy security often used shotguns as well. However, the Army has been investigating another solution for some troops needing a door-busting shotgun and a carbine. This is the Lightweight Shotgun System (LSS), which comprises a shotgun that can be mounted below the barrel of the M4 or M16, much as an M203 grenade launcher can be mounted.
Over a century after US troops employed the shotgun to stop Moros in the Philippines, US troops today deploy the shotgun in Iraq and Afghanistan against a new breed of fanatical terrorist. Development of combat shotguns for the US armed forces continues with some innovative designs such as the SRM1216, which offers large magazine capacity in a compact shotgun. US troops engaged against dangerous and determined enemies have traditionally chosen the shotgun for sure close-range stopping power. That preference for the shotgun is unlikely to change.
1 “Buck and ball” refers to paper cartridges for muzzle-loading weapons that placed buckshot in front of a ball, thus increasing the hit probability from a muzzle-loading weapon at ranges under 200yd.
2 The “Banana Wars” were fought in Central America and the Caribbean in defense of US economic interests.