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Old June 30, 1999, 03:56 PM   #8
K80Geoff
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Join Date: December 20, 1998
Location: NE Pennsylvania
Posts: 3,639
Pete...Tactical Shotguns have many uses in combat. During the first World War the US Army used them to clear trenches, prompting the Germans to complain about the inhuman use of the guns. Apparently they were very effective once you got in the trench with the enemy.

During the battle of Hue City in Vietnam, the Marines found that Shotguns were more effective in the city at close range than the M14/M16's they normally carried. As the Marines normally don't use shotguns they obtained them from Army and Air Force units assigned to protect airfields. How they went about obtaining them is often a heated discussion among Viet Vets.

Most military shotguns use a full stock , as the recoil from buckshot using just a pistol grip would be quite an unpleasant experience. Many old winchester model 12's from tne First World War had bayonet lugs.

Remember when you have to carry equipment in the field weight and fatigue becomes a factor. More equipment has been thrown away by GI's and Marines than the military would like to know about! In my day as a grunt we not only had to carry our own basic load of ammo and grenades but additional smoke grenades for the platoon leader, boxes of M60 ammo for the MG teams and even on one occasion each member carried a mortar shell for the mortar crew attached to our platoon! Try walking any distance with a load like that and you quickly learn to carry as little as possible.

In combat if your primary weapon became disabled you looked quickly for another weapon, from a dead or wounded buddy or from a dead opponent, same with ammunition when you ran out. Private sidearms are frowned upon by the US military, although the German Army in WW2 often issued small pistols to infantrymen as backup weapons.
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