Shot large enough for use against humans is referred to as buckshot and comes in several different sizes. There, U.S. troops engaged in fierce close combat with Moros, indigenous tribesmen who fought a ferocious guerrilla-style war. Two lines of men formed the defense; the first line knelt, planting the stocks of their rifles firmly onto the ground, bayonets pointed out toward Forrest’s men. Their compact firepower proved to be just what was needed to clear enemy trenches, giving rise to the “trench gun” and “trench broom” nicknames. This early weapon equipped European regiments from Great Britain, Prussia, and Austria. Once you have the basics then get yourself one of these shotgun magazine extension tubes and put an extra two in your tube. Americans also took them along when war broke out between the United States and Mexico in 1846. The most common load is 00 buckshot (pronounced “double-ought”), which typically has nine to 12 pellets of .32- to .34-caliber size. Buck and ball was popular with the American Army during the Revolution for the higher hit probability it promised. [4], The flared muzzle is the defining feature of the blunderbuss, differentiating it from large caliber carbines; the distinction between the blunderbuss and the musketoon is less distinct, as musketoons were also used to fire shot, and some had flared barrels. Not normally thought of as a military weapon, the shotgun has nevertheless found a useful place in the hands of soldiers worldwide. While regular shotguns have barrels of 30 inches or so in length, military weapons for frontline use have their barrels shortened to 18 or 20 inches to make them easier to use in close quarters. During the Civil War, buck and ball still found widespread use in units equipped with smoothbore muskets and cavalry units favoring purpose-built shotguns. The solution was to switch to casings made entirely of brass. We are now able to offer the slightly smaller version of this English Blunderbuss in 10 gauge.

The Union line presented a serious obstacle; the bayonets would impale horses and riders alike. After the Battle of Lexington in 1775, British General Thomas Gage occupied Boston, Massachusetts, and upon negotiating with the town committee, Gage agreed to let the inhabitants of Boston leave town with their families and effects if they surrendered all arms.

Military shotguns soon followed. Every man who was still standing turned and fled, many leaving their own weapons lying on the field among the bodies of their fellow soldiers.

A shotgun was perfect for this sort of point-blank fighting. The decimation of the Union infantrymen highlights the prime advantage of the shotgun: devastating close-range firepower. Military use of the shotgun is generally considered an American phenomenon. The more slender barrel is 20” with the same large 2” flare makes a very stylish gun with very dramatic shape and a .775 bore. The Americans poured buckshot into their opponents, leading one witness to recall: “The front ranks of the assault simply piled up on top of one awful heap of buckshot drilled men.”, © Copyright 2020 Center for the National Interest All Rights Reserved. While shotguns appear in a wide variety of barrel lengths, actions, and designs, a typical military shotgun of the 20th century is a firearm that, rather than firing a single spinning bullet like a rifle, instead projects a number of small usually round projectiles called shot. Huge gaps were torn in the Union ranks. Coming upon the enemy’s rear guard outside the western Kentucky village of Sacramento, four days after Christmas 1861, Confederate Colonel Nathan Bedford Forrest ordered his cavalry to advance. The shotguns in the Philippines were effective, as at least one officer who served there, John “Blackjack” Pershing, remembered when the United States embarked on its next major war. One Confederate veteran later wrote in his diary that the carnage reminded him of “a large covey of quail bunched on the ground and fired into with a load of birdshot. The blunderbuss, and especially the dragon, was typically issued to troops such as cavalry, who needed a lightweight, easily handled firearm.

Although not purposefully designed as such, the first common military shotguns in America were actually standard muskets charged with a load called “buck and ball.” This was a musket ball of the appropriate caliber for the weapon, with a few (usually three to six) buckshot added for additional firepower.

The blunderbuss is commonly considered to be an early predecessor of the modern shotgun, with similar military and defensive use.

The second stood behind the first and aimed their weapons over or between the heads of their comrades. [13] One 18th century coaching blunderbuss in another British collection had a brass barrel 17 inches (43 cm) long, flaring to 2 inches (5.1 cm) at the muzzle; it was also provided with a spring-loaded bayonet, which was held along the barrel by a catch and would spring forward into place when released. While its lack of range renders it nearly useless as a standard-issue firearm, when soldiers are fighting in close terrain in jungles or clearing enemy defensive works such as trench lines, many will reach for a shotgun whenever one is available. Not normally considered a military weapon, the short-range shotgun has found multiple uses since its introduction as blunderbuss. Since muskets had a smooth bore with no rifling, the addition of buckshot was easily accomplished and made tactical sense, given the short ranges at which armies fought during the Revolutionary War period. This weapon, often called the M97, is probably the weapon that most people think of when they envision a military shotgun, although it was only one model among many that would serve the American military over the years. Luckily for his men and animals, the wily and fierce Confederate officer had something other than an outright charge in mind.

The shotgun is relatively easy to use, requiring less precise aim than a rifle. The blunderbuss used by the British Royal Mail during the period of 1788–1816 was a flintlock with a 14-inch (36 cm) long flared brass barrel, brass triggerguard, and an iron trigger and lock. As commander of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) in World War I, Pershing was determined to break the deadly stalemate in which the warring European nations had been locked since 1914. This, in effect, made every firearm on the battlefield a shotgun. With the advent of rifled muskets firing a bullet that spun to increase accuracy, separate shotguns were required. Most commonly used are pump-action and semi-aic types commonly called riot or trench guns. A blunderbuss in handgun form was called a dragon, and it is from this that the term dragoon evolved.[3][4].

10 gauge is the limit for migratory waterfowl and other migratory game birds. In a modern shotgun, at short ranges of 20 to 25 yards the shot will stay close together, most or all of them striking a man-sized target. While regular shotguns have barrels of 30 inches or so in length, military weapons for frontline use have their barrels shortened to 18 or 20 inches to make them easier to … La progression des valeurs awg est telle que, dans le sens décroissant des valeurs, toutes les 6 gauge nous avons un doublement du diamètre du fil et toutes les 3 gauges un doublement de la section (ou toutes les 6 un quadruplement de la section). This translates to roughly .72 caliber. The CAWS round had eight OOO lead balls of 70gr (4.5gm) each at 1,600fps (488m/s) or 20 flechettes of 5.8gr (0.376gm) at 2,952fps (900m/s) and both were effective to at least 150m. [10] The dragon became so associated with cavalry and mounted infantry that the term dragoon became synonymous with mounted infantry. Shotguns have been used for hunting, self-protection, and recreation by generations of Americans. Designs adapted to warfare are often modified to take a bayonet and have a ventilated hand guard on the barrel to keep the user from burning his hands if he has to use the weapon in close fighting. By far the most common caliber for a military shotgun is the 12-gauge, meaning that 12 lead balls the diameter of the barrel will equal one pound. blunderbuss technologies shotgun magazine extension tube. Put an extra two in your tube. The blunderbuss is commonly considered to be an early predecessor of the modern shotgun, with similar military and defensive use. The first shotgun widely used in warfare was the blunderbuss, distinctive for its flaring muzzle. [8], Blunderbusses were typically short, with barrels under 2 feet (61 cm) in length, at a time when a typical musket barrel was over 3 feet (91 cm) long. Many types of ammunition, including gravel and sand, could be shot in a pinch, but most of the time they were shot using traditional lead balls. blunderbuss technologies actual:  1-404-433-1731, email: customerservice@blunderbusstech.com. from boxwood). The blunderbuss could be considered an early shotgun, and served in similar roles. Shotguns were ordered to equip the American doughboys; the crowded trenches used by both sides were ideal territory for their short-range firepower. While there are many shotgun magazine extension tubes out there, none are designed to fit two extra 2 3/4″ shells flush with the end of the shotgun barrels we make extensions tubes for. [4][11] Blunderbusses were also commonly carried by officers on naval warships, privateers and by pirates for use in close-quarters boarding actions.

Ahead of them, a line of Union soldiers started to form, bayonets gleaming. The effect was shattering. Put an extra two in your tube. The Winchester M97 would go on to serve through the Vietnam War. Shotguns were a preferred weapon for raids and patrols and caused great fear among the Germans. [9][10] One source, describing arms from the early to middle 17th century, lists the barrel length of a wheel lock dragon at around 11 inches (28 cm), compared to a 16-inch (41 cm) length for a blunderbuss.[3]. This is due to the widespread use of shotguns by civilians in North America, beginning with the colonial period. The U.S. Army purchased about 200 Winchester Model 1897 shotguns in 1900 specifically for use in the Philippines. Although experts still debate which was the better overall weapon, the two were essentially similar. Beyond this range the shot will disperse, until at long ranges of 75 yards and more a hit becomes a mere matter of chance. Shotguns found use in the Texas War of Independence, where Colonel William Barrett Travis carried one at the Alamo. Exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, your New York. [5][6][7] The muzzle (and often the bore) was flared with the intent not only to increase the spread of the shot, but also to funnel powder and shot into the weapon, making it easier to reload on horseback or on a moving carriage; modern experiments corroborated the dramatic improvement in shot spread, going from a 21 inch spread diameter from a straight barrel to an average of 38 inch spread at 10 yards.