Then and Now: A Timeline of American Military Shotguns from WWI to Today

The US military first began using shotguns during World War I and still uses them today. Pump action shotguns provide both reliability and versatility for today’s armies. (Also see the most expensive shotguns you can buy.)

24/7 Wall St. has identified every major American-made military shotgun since WWI, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a catalog of shotguns from Military Factory, an online database of arms, vehicles, and aircraft used by militaries worldwide. We ordered the shotguns chronologically and included supplemental information regarding the type of gun and the year it entered service, as well as the manufacturer, caliber, and feed.

Here is a closer look at the oldest and newest American-made military shotguns since World War I:

Why Are We Covering This:

Understanding the use of small arms in the U.S. military is important for a few reasons. These small arms are the primary means of defense for soldiers on the ground. These guns influence tactical decisions on the battlefield and can influence overall strategy in some circumstances. The technology and features of these small arms hold a powerful influence on the next generation of small arms based on what works and what doesn’t.

Stevens M620 (Model 620)

• Type: Pump-action slide shotgun
• Year entered service: 1927
• Manufacturer: J. Stevens Arms Company
• Caliber and feed: 12-, 16-, or 20-gauge; 5-round tubular magazine

Savage Arms M720

• Type: Semi-automatic shotgun
• Year entered service: 1935
• Manufacturer: Savage Arms
• Caliber and feed: 12-gauge; 5-round tubular magazine

Ithaca Model 37

• Type: Combat shotgun
• Year entered service: 1937
• Manufacturer: Ithaca Gun Company
• Caliber and feed: 12-, 16-, 20-, or 28-gauge; 4-, 5-, or 8-round tubular magazine

Remington Model 870

My Police 870 (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Mitch Barrie

• Type: Pump-action shotgun
• Year entered service: 1950
• Manufacturer: Remington Arms
• Caliber and feed: 12-, 16-, 20- or 28-gauge; .410 bore; 4- or 7-round tubular magazine

Remington Model 870 Wingmaster

Remington Family (BY-SA 4.0) by KRZMagister

• Type: Pump-action slide shotgun
• Year entered service: 1951
• Manufacturer: Remington Arms
• Caliber and feed: 12-, 16-, 20- or 28-gauge; .410 bore; 5-round tubular magazine

Remington Model 1100

• Type: Semi-automatic auto-loading shotgun
• Year entered service: 1963
• Manufacturer: Remington Arms
• Caliber and feed: 12-, 16-, or 20-gauge; 4- or 10-round internal tubular magazine

Winchester Model 1200

• Type: Pump-action slide shotgun
• Year entered service: 1968
• Manufacturer: Winchester Repeating Arms
• Caliber and feed: 12-, 16-, or 20-gauge; 4-, 5-, 6-, or 7-shot capacity

Mossberg Model 590

• Type: Pump-action shotgun
• Year entered service: 1975
• Manufacturer: Mossberg
• Caliber and feed: 12-gauge; 6-, 8-, or 9-round tubular magazine

Winchester Model 1300

• Type: Combat slide-action shotgun
• Year entered service: 1978
• Manufacturer: Winchester Repeating Arms
• Caliber and feed: 12- or 20-gauge; 4-, 5-, 7- or 8-shot tubular magazine

Heckler & Koch HK CAWS

• Type: Select-fire automatic combat shotgun
• Year entered service: 1983
• Manufacturer: Heckler & Koch
• Caliber and feed: 12-gauge; 10-round detachable box magazine

Pancor Jackhammer

• Type: Automatic shotgun
• Year entered service: 1987
• Manufacturer: Pancor Corporation
• Caliber and feed: 12-gauge; 10-round cassette

MPS AA-12 (Sledgehammer)

• Type: Assault combat shotgun
• Year entered service: 2005
• Manufacturer: Military Police Systems
• Caliber and feed: 12-gauge; 8-round detachable box; 20- or 32-round drum

Kel-Tec KSG

• Type: Pump-action bullpup shotgun
• Year entered service: 2011
• Manufacturer: Kel-Tec CNC Industries
• Caliber and feed: 12-gauge; Twin 6-shot internal tubular magazines

SRM Arms Model 1216

• Type: Semi-automatic shotgun
• Year entered service: 2016
• Manufacturer: SRM Arms
• Caliber and feed: 12-gauge; 8-,12-, 16-round tubular magazine

Mossberg M590 Shockwave

• Type: Magazine-fed pump-action shotgun
• Year entered service: 2018
• Manufacturer: Mossberg
• Caliber and feed: 12-gauge; 5-, 10-, 15-, or 20-round detachable box magazine

Remington V3 Tactical

Back from SHOT Show, unloading... (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Mitch Barrie

• Type: Pump-action shotgun
• Year entered service: 2020
• Manufacturer: Remington Arms
• Caliber and feed: 12-gauge; 6-round tubular magazine