Shotguns in WWII - Lost to History

[Rockrivr1]

I've been doing some research into Shotguns of WW1 and WWII, as I've developed an interest in them, and I've found out that in WWII a Stevens Model 520-30 Trench Gun was used extensively in the Pacific theater. It got me thinking. I've watched nearly every war movie ever created about WWII in the pacific and I don't ever remember seeing a shotgun being used in any of them. Also, I don't think I've ever seen a picture of a GI with a shotgun neither. So, I went looking and to be honest, it wasn't easy finding one.

This is the Stevens Shotgun of WWII


This is one of the very few pictures I've found of a GI with one



I guess shotguns are not glamorous enough to be in the movies or showing of old pictures. They've gotten lost in the annals of history. Too bad though.

 

[drgrant]

I've been doing some research into Shotguns of WW1 and WWII, as I've developed an interest in them, and I've found out that in WWII a Stevens Model 520-30 Trench Gun was used extensively in the Pacific theater. It got me thinking. I've watched nearly every war movie ever created about WWII in the pacific and I don't ever remember seeing a shotgun being used in any of them. Also, I don't think I've ever seen a picture of a GI with a shotgun neither. So, I went looking and to be honest, it wasn't easy finding one.

This is the Stevens Shotgun of WWII
View attachment 976487

This is one of the very few pictures I've found of a GI with one

View attachment 976489

I guess shotguns are not glamorous enough to be in the movies or showing of old pictures. They've gotten lost in the annals of history. Too bad though.

It's probably because even though the military did use them, they were not likely issued to a lot of people. Much like say, a flamethrower, but I bet there were less shotguns
than even flamethrowers in use in WWII.

 

[chuckules]

surely not many in the movies, but this site catalogs that to OCD levels…(one series example)

The Pacific - Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games

www.imfdb.org

 

[PatMcD]

2 WWII movies off the top of my head that had characters with shotguns:
Thin Red Line
Windtalkers

 

[millbilly]

I've been doing some research into Shotguns of WW1 and WWII, as I've developed an interest in them, and I've found out that in WWII a Stevens Model 520-30 Trench Gun was used extensively in the Pacific theater. It got me thinking. I've watched nearly every war movie ever created about WWII in the pacific and I don't ever remember seeing a shotgun being used in any of them. Also, I don't think I've ever seen a picture of a GI with a shotgun neither. So, I went looking and to be honest, it wasn't easy finding one.

This is the Stevens Shotgun of WWII
View attachment 976487

This is one of the very few pictures I've found of a GI with one

View attachment 976489

I guess shotguns are not glamorous enough to be in the movies or showing of old pictures. They've gotten lost in the annals of history. Too bad though.

I see one guy with a BAR and another with a carbine

 

[Picton]

I'm 90% sure Army MTOE in WWII didn't include very many shotguns vs rifles, and I'm 100% sure there was no "shotgun-man" position in any army infantry squads. I assume shotguns were held at company level, maybe even in the HHC for the whole battalion, and only issued as needed for specific tasks. I also assume units did not place a high priority on maintaining or feeding them. If I'm a company armorer in a hard-fighting unit, I'm spending all my time keeping the rifles functional.

The grim truth is that, for 99% of what soldiers do, a rifle will do the job better than or as well as a shotgun. And most soldiers will overwhelmingly prefer having a rifle. I can think of valid reasons for a soldier to have a shotty, but not very many.

I see one guy with a BAR and another with a carbine

This.

That's a BAR, OP.

 

[Rockrivr1]

That's a BAR, OP.

Actually chose the wrong pic. Changed it to a correct pic.

 

[Picton]

As far as Hollywood goes, I remember one of the characters in Platoon had a shotty. Bunny, I think. The one played by Kevin Dillon. He uses it to beat that Vietnamese villager to death, IIRC.

 

[Rockrivr1]

It's probably because even though the military did use them, they were not likely issued to a lot of people. Much like say, a flamethrower, but I bet there were less shotguns
than even flamethrowers in use in WWII.

From what I’ve read there were a little over 18,000 shotguns issued in the Pacific Theater. They were effective in the close quarters of the terrain being fought on. They were also a preferred weapon when clearing caves because of the effectiveness of the buck shot used in them. It’s an interesting read when you start looking into it.

 

[MickeyD’s]

Shotguns have always and will always be awesome

 

[FMH2016]

In the movie, thin red line there is a big jacked dude carrying some type of pump trench shotgun

 

[Picton]

In the movie, thin red line there is a big jacked dude carrying some type of pump trench shotgun

Yep. A model 1897, the best shotty the Army ever used.

 

[jakeroub]

Bruce Canfield wrote a pretty good book on combat shotguns. Worth picking up if you are into them.

 

[Dennis in MA]

Distances in fighting were far different in WWII than WWI. Need for a shotgun was much less.

That said, my grandfather, who served in the Pac theater, had multiple stab wounds in his back due to Japanese hand-to-hand attacks. His squad weapon - the Tommygun. He was the Tommygunner for his squad.

 

[Rockrivr1]

Distances in fighting were far different in WWII than WWI. Need for a shotgun was much less.

That said, my grandfather, who served in the Pac theater, had multiple stab wounds in his back due to Japanese hand-to-hand attacks. His squad weapon - the Tommygun. He was the Tommygunner for his squad.

I could see hand to hand situations being an issue if you were issued a Shotgun. They exclusively used buck shot, which would be a detriment if using in a close quarter combat situation where adversaries are close together. I would assume those guys with shotguns were at the front of the line.

 

[JDL]

960000 shot guns were manufactured and delivered to the US Milatary in WWll
Over 100000 in WWl
The government used 6 diffrent manufacturer's to supply these guns. The big problem in the Pacific was the shot gun shells had cardboard hulls and would swell when they got too damp.

 

[Rockrivr1]

960000 shot guns were manufactured and delivered to the US Milatary in WWll

The government used 6 diffrent manufacturer's to supply these guns. The big problem in the Pacific was the shot gun shells had cardboard hulls and would swell when they got too damp.

Interesting as that's not even close to the number I read. Definitely a LOT more than what I found. Then again that may be the total number that were assigned to MPs, Guard Protection and State Side. Maybe even issued to the Navy for shipboard use. Be interesting to read the breakdown of where they were sent.

 

[whatluck]

I love shotguns. The swiss army knife of guns.

 

[JDL]

Interesting as that's not even close to the number I read. Definitely a LOT more than what I found. Then again that may be the total number that were assigned to MPs, Guard Protection and State Side. Maybe even issued to the Navy for shipboard use. Be interesting to read the breakdown of where they were sent.

There is not a lot of reliable imformation about where they were used. However, the most use was in the Pacific. The military fixed the paper hull problem with brass cased shot gun shells. The down side was added carry weight.

 

[JDL]

Interesting as that's not even close to the number I read. Definitely a LOT more than what I found. Then again that may be the total number that were assigned to MPs, Guard Protection and State Side. Maybe even issued to the Navy for shipboard use. Be interesting to read the breakdown of where they were sent.

The production numbers can be deceptive because when you do a search the number that comes up may only be for Winchester production or Remington production not all the production delivered to the government by all manufactures.

 

[whatluck]

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[steven grammont]

As far as Hollywood goes, I remember one of the characters in Platoon had a shotty. Bunny, I think. The one played by Kevin Dillon. He uses it to beat that Vietnamese villager to death, IIRC.

"You're a killa Bunny"