Combat Shotgun - The Long, So-far Fruitless Quest To Build A Battle Scattergun

Am Shooting Journal ^ | 3/3/20 | J Trevithick

[w1n1]

The shotgun is an iconic weapon most often associated with the pump-action badassery of action films and video games. While awesome in fiction, its use in the real world is limited to close combat and breaching doors, not to mention bird and deer hunting. Despite its drawbacks, a mystique surrounds the weapon, and soldiers as well as law enforcement officers still use them. The draw of the gun is so powerful that the Pentagon has spent several decades and millions of dollars to improve on the basic design.

In the late 1960s, the military and private companies started tinkering with prototypes for a super shotgun. Three decades later, questions about the weapon’s purpose and practicality on the battlefield doomed the project. The proposed super shotguns were revolutionary, but perhaps to a fault.

Since World War I, scatterguns have been a fixture in American military arsenals. In the trenches, where fighting could be brutal and often hand-to-hand, the short-range idea wasn’t a problem. In World War II, individual soldiers or Marines, especially in the Pacific, carried shotguns to help clear out bunkers or break up ambushes. The same situation persisted in both Korea and Vietnam, but even throughout these eras, the US Army and Marine Corps mostly issued the weapons to military police officers on guard duty.

At the time, Childers was an engineer at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, Va., as well as an officer in the Virginia Army National Guard. In 1969, Childers started work on what he hoped would be a radical new design dubbed the special operations weapon, or SOW. Childers based his initial concept on the needs of and feedback from Navy SEAL teams and Marine reconnaissance troops. The shotgun's features made it an attractive weapon for specialized units that often had very specific requirements. Read the rest of combat shotgun.

[redfreedom]

That’s why I prefer the 410 Taurus Judge with bird shot as the first one or two rounds to fire. At 50 feet it’s a quick draw point and shoot weapon that covers the entire area of a 2 ft wide by 3 ft high target. The other holes have either steel balls or 45 cal for more carefully aimed shots. I cannot think of a better self defense weapon when the target shoots back.

[RinaseaofDs]

Glad to hear someone else say that. Big fan of that gun. Got to shoot it at a ‘Steak and Guns’ event. So surprised at how well it handled recoil. I figured something as big as that gun would just be a monster to control.

Totally surprised. I’ve fired my father’s .44 Mag S&W and it’s impossible to control with a factory load. Accurate with your first shot, but you are spooked on subsequent shot. Too busy wondering if you’re going to break your nose.

[Jim Noble]

Nothing like the sound of a pump racking a round in it to give one pause disclose your location and make you a target.

Fixed it.

[rlmorel]

I believe the US Marines had an officially sanctioned shotgun for use in the Pacific during WWII.

[cuban leaf]

Oops. Mine is the 870. I bought it in the late 90’s and have put about a dozen shells in it.

Even though I have five different guns, I really don’t enjoy shooting, unless it’s for a purpose, e.g. foxes trying to get my chickens.

[cuban leaf]

Oops. Mine is the 870. I bought it in the late 90’s and have put about a dozen shells in it.

Even though I have five different guns, I really don’t enjoy shooting, unless it’s for a purpose, e.g. foxes trying to get my chickens.

[rlmorel]

LOL, didn’t read the whole thing-there it is in the article!

[Stevenc131]

Didn’t the Browning A5 (humpback) have a long service life with the U.S. military?

[Big Red Badger]

Remy 500,,,,
????

[Disambiguator]

Either one is a good choice.

I was wondering about the model # (actually, I was trying to make a joke, but I think I failed), because Mossberg makes a 500, but Remington makes the 870, and those are the two that are always used in the “Ford/Chevy” pump shotgun comparisons.

I prefer the Mossbergs mostly due to how the controls are placed, namely the safety and the slide release. Plus, you can load the Mossbergs without having to constantly push that elevator thingie out of the way, like you do on the Remingtons.

[cuban leaf]

Yeah, I mean’t 870.

It was like saying “ford Camaro” or “Chevy Mustang”.

My bad. :)

[PapaBear3625]

A friend of mine has a Saiga 12, which is basically an AK-47 action which fires shotgun shells. Takes 10 round mags and drum mags.

[trebb]

Hope Y’all feel like real gunfighters now...

[zeugma]

Saiga with some drum mags makes a nice home defense weapon.

Very nice. would be very useful against Ferals at close quarters.

[Big Red Badger]

No worries,
...
Ford Camaro,
HA!

[Oatka]

Another Baddie is this one (I got a repro and love it):

[Big Red Badger]

Yes,
I’ve seen one in a
Gun Shop in Japan,
The only weapon they
Had on Display.
Nice Piece!

[redfreedom]

Regarding your recoil comments, I too was surprised at how well it handles. Even more surprised at how accurate the various 410 loads are. I’ve owned a 44 and got rid of it due to the recoil.