The shotgun was initially introduced in a combat role in World War I to clear trenches, and it has been used ever since for close-quarters combat. Although the shotgun’s range is limited, its ability to fire multiple projectiles and hit moving targets effectively makes it a staple of modern infantry soldiers. Shotguns have come in a number of forms from many gunsmiths over the years, serving a variety of functions. American-made shotguns are some of the most well-renowned guns in the world.
Even though shotguns were used prior to WWI, they primarily served as hunting rifles but could be repurposed to combat roles. The upgrades to shotguns over the years for the battlefield tended towards an increased rate of fire, improved consistency, and much larger magazines than typical hunting shotguns. Gunsmiths like Winchester, Remington, and Mossberg have pioneered many of these models, ultimately improving the combat effectiveness of the American soldier. (These are America’s top 19 shotgun companies.)
To identify 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 alphabetically and included supplemental information regarding the type of gun, year entered service, manufacturer, caliber, and feed.
One example of these combat shotguns is the Sledgehammer (AA-12), which entered service in 2005. The gun fires 12-gauge rounds and comes equipped with an 8-round detachable box magazine, but this can be substituted for a 20- or 30-round drum. These are typically used in urban environments when going door to door and are useful when door-breaching as well.
A majority of these shotguns have a pump-action slide for their firing action, and a few have semi-automatic functions. The pump-action makes these shotguns consistent and reliable across different types of terrain and battlefield conditions, while dealing out lethal loads. (These are the newest guns to see everyday U.S. military use.)
Here is a look at every major American-made combat shotgun since World War I:
Browning Auto-5
- Type: Self-loading semi-automatic shotgun
- Year entered service: 1902
- Manufacturer: Browning Arms / Remington Arms / Savage Arms
- Caliber: 12-, 16-, or 20-gauge
- Feed: 3- or 5-round tubular magazine
HK CAWS
- Type: Select-fire automatic combat shotgun
- Year entered service: 1983
- Manufacturer: Heckler & Koch
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: 10-round detachable box magazine
Jackhammer
- Type: Automatic shotgun
- Year entered service: 1987
- Manufacturer: Pancor Corporation
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: 10-round cassette
KSG
- Type: Pump-action bullpup shotgun
- Year entered service: 2011
- Manufacturer: Kel-Tec CNC Industries
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: Twin 6-shot internal tubular magazines
M10 (Model 10)
- Type: Pump-action slide shotgun
- Year entered service: 1908
- Manufacturer: Remington Arms
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: 5-round tubular magazine
M11 (Model 11)
- Type: Semi-automatic self-loading shotgun
- Year entered service: 1905
- Manufacturer: Browning Arms / Remington Arms
- Caliber: 12-, 16-, or 20-gauge
- Feed: 5-round tubular magazine
M520 (Model 520)
- Type: Pump-action slide shotgun
- Year entered service: 1910
- Manufacturer: J. Stevens Arms Company
- Caliber: 12-, 16-, or 20-gauge
- Feed: 5-round tubular magazine
M6
- Type: Aircrew survival rifle
- Year entered service: 1952
- Manufacturer: Ithaca Gun Company
- Caliber: .22 Hornet / .410
- Feed: 9 x .22 Hornet / 4 x .410 shells
M620 (Model 620)
- Type: Pump-action slide shotgun
- Year entered service: 1927
- Manufacturer: J. Stevens Arms Company
- Caliber: 12-, 16-, or 20-gauge
- Feed: 5-round tubular magazine
M720
- Type: Semi-automatic shotgun
- Year entered service: 1935
- Manufacturer: Savage Arms
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: 5-round tubular magazine
M90 Shockwave
- Type: Magazine-fed pump-action shotgun
- Year entered service: 2018
- Manufacturer: Mossberg
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: 5-, 10-, 15-, or 20-round detachable box magazine
Model 1100
- Type: Semi-automatic auto-loading shotgun
- Year entered service: 1963
- Manufacturer: Remington Arms
- Caliber: 12-, 16-, or 20-gauge
- Feed: 4- or 10-round internal tubular magazine
Model 1216
- Type: Semi-automatic shotgun
- Year entered service: 2016
- Manufacturer: SRM Arms
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: 8-,12-, 16-round tubular magazine
Model 37
- Type: Combat shotgun
- Year entered service: 1937
- Manufacturer: Ithaca Gun Company
- Caliber: 12-, 16-, 20-, or 28-gauge
- Feed: 4-, 5-, or 8-round tubular magazine
Model 37 Stakeout
- Type: Pump-action military shotgun
- Year entered service: 1946
- Manufacturer: Ithaca Gun Company
- Caliber: 12- or 20-gauge
- Feed: 4-round tubular magazine
Model 590
- Type: Pump-action shotgun
- Year entered service: 1975
- Manufacturer: Mossberg
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: 6-, 8-, or 9-round tubular magazine
Model 870
- Type: Pump-action shotgun
- Year entered service: 1950
- Manufacturer: Remington Arms
- Caliber: 12-, 16-, 20- or 28-gauge; .410 bore
- Feed: 4- or 7-round tubular magazine
Origin-12
- Type: Semi-automatic tactical shotgun
- Year entered service: 2014
- Manufacturer: Fostech Arms
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: 5-, 8-, or 10-round detachable box magazine; 20- or 30-round drum
Sledgehammer (AA-12)
- Type: Assault combat shotgun
- Year entered service: 2005
- Manufacturer: Military Police Systems
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: 8-round detachable box; 20- or 32-round drum
V3 Tactical
- Type: Pump-action shotgun
- Year entered service: 2020
- Manufacturer: Remington Arms
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: 6-round tubular magazine
Winchester Model 1200
- Type: Pump-action slide shotgun
- Year entered service: 1968
- Manufacturer: Winchester Repeating Arms
- Caliber: 12-, 16-, or 20-gauge
- Feed: 4-, 5-, 6-, or 7-shot capacity
Winchester Model 1300
- Type: Combat slide-action shotgun
- Year entered service: 1978
- Manufacturer: Winchester Repeating Arms
- Caliber: 12- or 20-gauge
- Feed: 4-, 5-, 7- or 8-shot tubular magazine
Winchester Model 1897
- Type: Pump-action slide shotgun
- Year entered service: 1897
- Manufacturer: Winchester Repeating Arms
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: 5-round tubular magazine
Winchester Model 1912 (Model 12)
- Type: Pump-action slide shotgun
- Year entered service: 1912
- Manufacturer: Winchester Repeating Arms
- Caliber: 12-, 16-, 20-, or 28-gauge
- Feed: 6-round tubular magazine
Wingmaster (Model 870)
- Type: Pump-action slide shotgun
- Year entered service: 1951
- Manufacturer: Remington Arms
- Caliber: 12-, 16-, 20- or 28-gauge; .410 bore
- Feed: 5-round tubular magazine
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