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thedrifter
06-02-05, 06:51 AM
June 06, 2005

The Lore of the Corps
Shotguns were versatile weapons for U.S. troops

Charles A. Jones
Special to the Times


When most people picture a shotgun, they imagine a sawed-off, double-barreled weapon kept behind a bar in a western movie.
But for Marines, shotguns are versatile, valuable weapons that Americans have used in combat since the Revolutionary War.

Extensive American use of the shotgun in warfare began in World War I, when troops used short-barreled pump shotguns called “trench guns.”

Perhaps the most famous was the Winchester Model 1897, based on the commercial Winchester Model 1897 12-gauge pump shotgun, easily identified by its exposed hammer.

Because fighting in narrow trenches was common during World War I, the weapon’s barrel was shortened and modified to accommodate a bayonet. A ventilated hand guard was added to cool the barrel so it could be held with a bare left hand when employing the bayonet.

The Model 1897 trench gun was an effective and menacing weapon. It held six shots — five in the magazine and one in the chamber — and lacked a trigger disconnector, meaning the shooter could hold the trigger back, pump and shoot without releasing the trigger.

Generally, the best use of trench guns was close combat and patrols, especially at night. When numerous guns were available, they were a devastating way to stop mass attacks. They were also used to guard flanks of machine-gun positions.

The Germans disliked trench guns so much that they filed a formal diplomatic protest, asserting that the shotgun’s use was “barbaric” and violated the law of war. They threatened to execute anyone caught with such a weapon or ammunition.

The Americans asserted that the law of war permitted shotguns and promised retaliation if the Germans enforced their threat. The German threat must have been a testament to the trench gun’s effectiveness. The Germans didn’t protest the use of machine guns, flamethrowers or poison gas.

By World War II, the nature of warfare in Europe had changed from static to mobile, and shotguns were of limited use.

In the Pacific, however, where mobility was a lesser factor, the shotgun proved a valuable weapon in jungles, bunkers and caves. Along with machine guns, shotguns were superior in stopping banzai attacks. As in World War I, they protected flanks of machine-gun positions. They were also used for ambushes and to protect perimeters.

World War II also saw the use of semiautomatic as well as pump shotguns.

The main problems with shotguns in both world wars were range — which was short — and shells. Shells made from paper swelled due to moisture. The solution was brass shells.

Shotguns also were used in Vietnam. An interesting “shotgun” used in Vietnam was the 40mm M79 grenade launcher, later replaced by the M203 grenade launcher mounted under the M16 series of weapons.

The writer is a lawyer and Marine Corps Reserve colonel in Norfolk, Va.

Those wishing to learn about the combat shotgun should consult Bruce N. Canfield’s “A Collector’s Guide to United States Combat Shotguns.”



Ellie