The shotgun has remained a widely used military weapon for over a century, and combat in Iraq and Afghanistan has illustrated the continued value of the combat shotgun. Military scatterguns have proven especially useful in jungle insurgencies, where their ability to put a lot of projectiles down-range quickly has enabled them to break ambushes and allow point men to engage the enemy when encountered unexpectedly. Shotguns have also proved to be intimidating weapons for those charged with guarding prisoners or sensitive installations. US Navy ships generally have shotguns in their armories as well, as they still are useful for clearing a deck or repelling boarders. US Embassy Marines also have found shotguns useful for their mission of securing the environs of an embassy from hostile intruders. In urban areas where embassies are normally located, the shotgun grants formidable firepower with less danger of collateral damage to embassy employees or innocent civilians.
One of the most effective uses of the shotgun is as a deterrent. The large muzzle of a 12-gauge shotgun generally does a very good job of causing hostile crowds to disperse or at least back off out of immediate range. However, because the shotgun is a relatively short-range weapon, it is often backed up by troops armed with rifles or carbines to deal with snipers or other threats.
Currently, US troops use the shotgun loaded with less-lethal munitions in both Iraq and Afghanistan to deal with unruly prisoners or hostile crowds. Shotguns may also be used to launch CS-gas projectiles or other chemical munitions to disperse crowds, though US troops would be more likely to use a specialized grenade launcher such as the M203 or M79 to launch gas grenades.
In the urban counterinsurgency campaigns the United States has been involved in as part of the War on Terror, the use of breaching rounds to go through doors or gates has proliferated and become a primary mission of the combat shotgun. In fact, specialized shotguns with stand-off devices at the muzzle and pistol grips are now widely used specifically for breaching.
Because the shotgun has been used for so long and so effectively by US forces, the World War I German arguments that its use does not comply with the Hague Convention have fallen by the wayside. Despite the somewhat misguided notion today that soldiers are social workers in uniform, the mission of the US Army is to destroy those who threaten the security of its country. Through various wars, the United States has found that the shotgun performs that mission well, which is a primary reason it is still an important weapon in US armories.
US Army MPs in China at the end of World War II carry an array of weapons including M1911/M1911A1 pistols, Thompson SMGs, M1 Garand rifle, and the MP seated in the middle has a shotgun. (NARA)
All indications are that the United States will continue to use the Mossberg and Benelli shotguns currently in the armories for the near future. The M26 MASS also seems likely to see at least limited usage. With the expansion of US special-operations forces during the War on Terror, and the emphasis put on their use, it is quite possible that new special-purpose shotguns will be developed for special operators.
From the collector’s point of view US military shotguns, especially trench guns, have become more and more sought after. Less than a week before writing this conclusion, the author purchased a Stevens M620A Trench Gun in very fine condition. This is one of the scarcer US trench guns, and the price was almost twice the price he has paid for any other US trench gun in the past. Nevertheless, he was glad to find it.
Trench guns especially conjure up the image of US doughboys or Marines repelling German attacks or assaulting an enemy trench; of US Marines clearing a Japanese bunker or walking point in the jungle; of US Navy SEALs lying in ambush in the Mekong Delta. There is something about picking up a US trench or riot gun and racking the slide that gives the feeling of preparing for dangerous action on the battlefield – a readiness to confront the enemy at close quarters. US military shotguns are not as plentiful on the collector’s market as such favorites as the Colt M1911/M1911A1 or the M1 carbine. They are interesting and are getting harder and harder to find. Because it is so utilitarian and deadly the military shotgun is a fascinating weapon, yet one that is less well known than many other US infantry weapons. Hopefully, this book will help acquaint a wider group of readers with the US military shotgun and show why it has been beloved by line infantrymen and special operators likely to face the enemy at close range, as well as by collectors.