{"id":4629,"date":"2022-01-18T08:53:14","date_gmt":"2022-01-18T08:53:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ammoman.com\/blog\/?p=4629"},"modified":"2021-12-20T17:52:33","modified_gmt":"2021-12-20T17:52:33","slug":"lets-look-at-the-fighting-shotgun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ammoman.com\/blog\/lets-look-at-the-fighting-shotgun\/","title":{"rendered":"Let’s Look At The Fighting Shotgun"},"content":{"rendered":"

Short Range Firearm Power: The Fighting Shotgun<\/span><\/h1>\r\n

The fighting shotgun can trace its roots back all the way to some of the first guns ever made. The medieval handgonne, or hand cannon, was nothing but a cast iron tube held under the arm with a hole in the top near the back to ignite the gunpowder. You\u2019d load it up with pebbles, stones, arrows or whatever, point in the direction of the enemy. Ignition was via a spark applied to the hole and then the gunpowder would ignite. Ideally, it would spew whatever was inside the barrel in the general direction of the advancing bad guys. Sometimes, however, it did not, which led to other more reliable guns.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Time passed. The hand cannon was replaced on the battlefield by more accurate weapons such as the matchlock and later flintlock muskets. The shotgun picked up where the hand cannon left off, allowing users to send many projectiles into an area all at once. This was ideal for bird hunting and other sporting uses but the idea of a fighting shotgun continued to grow and flourish.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The Fighting Shotgun Comes Into Its Own\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\r\n

The introduction of centerfire ammunition meant the fighting shotgun could come into its own. Having the primer, power and pellets all wrapped up in one neat little package brought consistent pellet spread to the shotgun. This in turn meant that soldiers and private citizens alike could rely on the scattergun to deliver overwhelming amounts of lethal force at close ranges.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The fighting shotgun came into its own in the trenches of World War 1. American soldiers and their hammer-fired, pump action Winchester Model 1897 shotguns were so feared by the German army that <\/span>they declared any Americans caught using one would be executed on the spot<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The fighting shotgun also came in handy in the Pacific Theater during World War Two. The devastating effects of the shotgun brought a lot of firepower to the battles. The shotgun was ideal in the tight quarters of the island jungle and even tighter quarters of enemy fortifications and volcanic island caves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Run Through The Jungle<\/span><\/h3>\r\n
\"Remington<\/a>

A Remington 870 in use by a Marine<\/p><\/div>\r\n

The pump action shotgun also proved to be ideal in the tunnels and the urban environment of Vietnamese cities. The fighting shotgun continued to be used throughout the 20th century. Increased illegal drug enforcement meant an increased number of searches on ships and buildings. This , in turn, led to the fighting shotgun being used in those situations.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The wars of today are frequently fought in urban areas. Once again the power of a shotgun in close-fought battles was pressed into service. The utility of a shotgun means it will most likely be used for years to come, anytime when a lot of firepower needs to be used at short distances,<\/span><\/p>\r\n

What Makes It So Good<\/span><\/h3>\r\n

With that in mind, let\u2019s take a look at some of the elements which make a fighting shotgun different from a sporting or general purpose shotgun.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n