Bunny's preferred weapon
Posted on 07/21/2022 6:07:25 AM PDT by max americana
On July 21, 1918, German soldiers captured a U.S. soldier from the 307th Infantry Regiment, 77th Division, near Baccarat, France. He was carrying a weapon they had never seen: a Winchester Model 97 pump-action shotgun.
On September 15, 1918, the German government officially protested the use of the shotgun.
Johnny got his gun, got his gun, took it on the run, on the run.
Thank you for an awesome history lesson!
I have a rifled spare barrel for slugs for my shotgun. One time I forgot to switch it and shot buckshot through it. It hit in a donut pattern.
My companion dubbed it the “hostage rescue” gun. Just aim at the hostage and you will hit everyone but what you aim at.
Sounds like the krauts just wanted an excuse to shoot POW’s, not that they needed an excuse. It’s ironic that purveyors of mustard gas would have the chutzpah to complain about shotguns.
Coming from Pershing, it was not a threat. It was a promise.
If anything, we were too nice to the Germans.
A “whiff of grape” had been around a while.
IIRC they had an elite regiment of snipers in the American Civil War. Specially selected and trained sharpshooters.
I bumped an M60 back in the day. 23 pounds unloaded. I hated that Pig.
Until I needed to send some rounds downrange anyway. Then it was my very best friend in all the world.
L
Something quite interesting is that snipers are trained in FAR more than shooting.
They are trained in observation and reconniasance, for example. They are trained also to be a Forward Observer for placement of artillery and/or guided missiles.
Berdan’s Sharpshooters - 1st United States Sharpshooters
The unit’s success prompted the raising of a second regular Army regiment plus several volunteer (state) regiments.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_United_States_Sharpshooters
Bunny's preferred weapon
“DASS NACHT FAIR!!..”
- says the guys who introduced POISON GAS to the battlefield…
Maybe they were using 4-gauge shotguns:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punt_gun
There’s one on display at our local BassPro shop.
They were made illegal for a reason, they killed too many birds and endangered the population.
That is both fascinating and informative. I had never heard of the shotgun in WW1.
yeah, the effectiveness of shotguns for personal defense is largely urban legend, especially the fudds who think birdshot or rock salt is effective.
Ah yes - best buddy in the world and you became the most popular member of your platoon!
Not so much fun lugging one on the ground, but loads of fun when shooting one off the sides of Hueys. Shooting the 50 cal was just short of a roll in the hay.
The shotgun is horrifically underrated by the tacticool crowd who fantasize they will be sniping from 800 yards with their 338 Lapua.
But reality is that a lowly 12 gauge pump is one nasty weapon, and the rest of the world agrees.
It’s also the classic load for hunting Jaguar.
And despite the hit western movies, the vast majority of the guns headed out west were shotguns. It was the everything gun to most people.
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