US Combat Shotguns

[kiwitedferny]

It has always impressed me about the tough nature of the fighting on the Pacific Islands that the USMC and Army guys had recourse to this type of weapon, and used it so frequently 'in anger'. No other theatre of war so so much close in hand to hand fighting.
Here are some of the combat shotguns used. The Winchester is obviously the most iconic, but apparently, the Browning auto was used in the frontline more frequently than was previously imagined. It wasn't supposed to be used for anything other than POW and installation defence, but I guess the sticky fingered Marines saw the value of semi auto...

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[Johnny Peppers]

Is the bottom shotgun a Browning or a Remington Arms?

[Don Bible]

I would bet it is a Model 11 Remington. I have owned a few of them. If you can't see the name, you would think it is a Browning. Remington had permission to use Browning's patent.

[Wilhelm]

Use of shotguns by US forces goes back to the Revolution. In WWI doughboys brought them along and sawed them off for use in the trenches.
Wilhelm

[kiwitedferny]

I would bet it is a Model 11 Remington. I have owned a few of them. If you can't see the name, you would think it is a Browning. Remington had permission to use Browning's patent.

You are correct. It's a Remingtom Model 11 'War Finish'.'

[Johnny Peppers]

Remington sold a lot of the Model 1911 shotguns to the Air Corps to use in gunnery school teaching pass shooting.

[tsmgguy]

The only shotguns issued and used in combat by the US in WWII were the Winchester Models 1897 and 12, the Stevens 520 and 620, and the Ithaca model 37, all in the "trench gun" configuation with bayonet mounts and ventilated hand guards. Others may have found their way into combat theaters, but the photographic record would not seem to bear this out. These were used for training, guard duty, and as riot guns stateside.

[Ed.Anderson,Jr.]

I have one like the one shown on the bottom it is a Savage mod 720 12 Gage auto load with ordnance proof

[Johnny Peppers]

The shotguns were also acquired by the Defense Supplies Corporation and issued to defense plants and critical manufacturing plants as guard guns.

[kiwitedferny]

The only shotguns issued and used in combat by the US in WWII were the Winchester Models 1897 and 12, the Stevens 520 and 620, and the Ithaca model 37, all in the "trench gun" configuation with bayonet mounts and ventilated hand guards. Others may have found their way into combat theaters, but the photographic record would not seem to bear this out. These were used for training, guard duty, and as riot guns stateside.

There's a quote in Bruce Crannel'a book on Combat shotguns to the effect that "it's surprising how many sons of Nippon died in a blizzard of buckshot from these shotguns'. Certainly, they weren't standard issue for the combat troops. One the less, it seems that they were deployed in the front line more often than previously thought.