Combat shotgun

Lore & Background

The combat shotgun traces its ancestry to the blunderbuss, invented in the 16th century by the Dutch and used through the 18th century by British, Austrian, Spanish, and Prussian regiments, as well as in the American colonies. As the blunderbuss declined, the United States military used 'buck and ball' loads—small lead shot combined with a larger bullet—extensively at the Battle of New Orleans in 1814. The development of repeating pump-action shotguns in the 1890s led to their use by US Marines in the Philippines insurrections and by General Pershing's pursuit of Pancho Villa. The modern combat shotgun was fully developed by the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I, as the trench gun: a short-barreled pump-action shotgun loaded with 6 rounds of antimony-hardened 00 buckshot and equipped with a bayonet. The M1897 and M1912 could be slam fired, though short-stroking could jam the weapon. The German government protested the shotguns as causing excessive injury, threatening execution of captured users; the US rejected the claims and threatened reprisals.

The shotgun was used by Allied forces and partisans in all theaters of World War II. Six models were accepted by the US army, the most popular being the M97 and M1912. Disadvantages included difficulty carrying shells—standard rifle pouches held only about 30 rounds—and paper-hulled shells that swelled in damp conditions; military-issue shells were made of brass until plastic hulls appeared in the early 1960s. General Alexander Patch was seen armed with a Winchester shotgun during an attack on Guadalcanal. In the Malayan Emergency, British and local forces used shotguns effectively in jungle close combat. During the Vietnam War, the shotgun was used in jungle patrol and urban warfare such as the Tet Offensive. In 1992 during Operation Gothic Serpent, US task forces tested the Ciener Ultimate Over/Under, an under-barrel attachment for M16 variants, for breaching doors. In post-invasion Iraq, shotguns cleared insurgent hideouts in house-to-house fighting. The XM26 was used experimentally during Operation Enduring Freedom for breaching or close-quarters battle. Combat shotguns have been used in the Russo-Ukrainian War in the anti-drone role, though their effectiveness remains unclear.

Reader's Guide

The combat shotgun has evolved from a short-range trench weapon into a multi-role system. Its three modern roles are offensive weapon, breaching system, and less-lethal crowd control. The pump-action type, such as the Remington M870 or Mossberg 590A1, is less prone to malfunction when dirty and less expensive than semi-automatic designs; the Mossberg 590A1 is currently the pump-action of choice for US armed forces. Semi-automatic shotguns like the Benelli M1014 also serve in NATO-aligned forces. Combat shotguns typically have shorter barrels than hunting shotguns, with tubular magazines holding more ammunition; some recent designs use detachable box magazines. Military versions may mount a bayonet and have ventilated hand guards to prevent burns during rapid fire. For breaching, a muzzle extension provides correct standoff distance; specialized rounds minimize hazard to occupants, though any round can be used with some degradation. Less-lethal munitions, identical to police types, have served in riot control situations such as Kosovo in 2001. The shotgun's limited range with buckshot (20–30 meters) is offset by its high hit probability at close quarters, while slug rounds extend effective range to 100 meters with appropriate sights.

Did You Know?

• The earliest shotguns specifically designed for combat were the trench guns of World War I.
• The M1897 and M1912 shotguns could be slam fired by holding the trigger and working the slide.
• The Ciener Ultimate Over/Under was an under-barrel shotgun attachment tested during Operation Gothic Serpent in 1992.

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