Shotgun

:This article is about the firearm. For alternative meanings of shotgun, see: Shotgun (disambiguation).

History

Shotguns have also been referred to as "scatterguns", "fowling pieces" or "two-shoot guns" historically, and were used as a replacement for the blunderbuss. The first recorded use of the term shotgun was in 1776 in Kentucky. It was noted as part of the "frontier language of the West" by James Fenimore Cooper. During its long history, it has been favored by bird hunters, guards and law enforcement officials.

Related Topics:
Blunderbuss - 1776 - Kentucky - James Fenimore Cooper

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Essentially, early muzzle-loading shotguns were identical to muskets, in that they were both smoothbore weapons that were often used to fire multiple projectiles (see "buck and ball"). However, the musket was generally a longer barreled weapon than a true shotgun.

Related Topics:
Musket - Projectiles - Buck and ball

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The shotgun has fallen in and out of favor with military forces several times in its long history. Shotguns and similar weapons are simpler than long-range rifles, and were developed earlier. The development of more accurate and deadlier long-range rifles minimized the usefulness of the shotgun on the open battlefields of European wars. But armies have "rediscovered" the shotgun for specialty uses many times.

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The 19th century

During the 1800s, shotguns were mainly employed by cavalry units. Cavalry units on both sides of the American Civil War employed shotguns. American cavalry went on to use the shotgun extensively during the Indian Wars throughout the latter half of the 19th century. Horseback units favored the shotgun for its ease of aiming and devastating close range firepower. The shotgun was also favored by citizen militias and similar groups. The shotgun was used in the defense of The Alamo during the Texas' war of independence with Mexico.

Related Topics:
Cavalry - American Civil War - Indian Wars - The Alamo - Texas' - Mexico

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With the exception of cavalry units, the shotgun saw less and less use throughout the 19th century on the battlefield. It remained popular with guards and lawmen, however. The famous lawman Wyatt Earp killed several men with a shotgun, and express messengers became known as "shotgun messengers", since they rode with them for self defense. During this period, the shotgun became one of many symbols of the American Old West.

Related Topics:
Wyatt Earp - American Old West

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John Browning

The single most influential man in the modern development of the shotgun was prolific gun designer John Browning. While working for Winchester Firearms, Browning revolutionized shotgun design. In 1887, Browning introduced the Model 1887 Lever Action Repeating Shotgun, which loaded a fresh cartridge from its internal magazine by the operation of the action lever. Before this time, a majority of shotguns were the older muzzle-loading type, or were of the 'break-action' type, which were, apart from double-barrels, non-repeating.

Related Topics:
John Browning - Winchester Firearms - 1887

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This development was greatly overshadowed by two further innovations he introduced at the end of the 19th century. In 1893, Browning produced the Model 1893 Pump Action Shotgun, introducing the now familiar pump action to the market. And in 1900, he patented the Browning Auto-5, the world's first semi-automatic shotgun. To this day, the Auto-5 is considered one of Browning's best designs and is still being produced.

Related Topics:
1893 - 1900

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The 20th and 21st centuries

The decline in military use of shotguns reversed in World War 1. American forces under General Pershing employed 12-gauge pump action shotguns when they were deployed to the Western front in 1917. These shotguns were fitted with bayonets and a heat shield so the barrel could be gripped while the bayonet was deployed. Shotguns fitted in this fashion became known as trench guns by the United States Army. Those without such modifications were known as riot guns. After World War 1, the United States military began referring to all shotguns as riot guns.

Related Topics:
World War 1 - General Pershing - 1917 - Bayonets - United States Army

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Due to the cramped conditions of trench warfare, the American shotguns were extremely effective. Germany even filed an official diplomatic protest against their use, alleging they violated the laws of warfare. The Judge Advocate General reviewed the protest, and it was rejected. This is the only occassion the legality of the shotgun's use in warfare has been raised.

Related Topics:
Trench warfare - Germany - Judge Advocate General

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During World War 2, the shotgun was not used heavily in the war in Europe by official military forces. However, the shotgun was a favorite weapon of Allied supported partisans, such as the French Resistance. By contrast, in the Pacific theater, thick jungles and heavily fortified positions made the shotgun a favorite weapon of United States Marines. Marines tended to use pump shotguns, since the pump action was less likely to jam in the humid and dirty conditions of the Pacific campaign.

Related Topics:
World War 2 - Partisans - French Resistance - United States Marines

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Since the end of World War 2, the shotgun remained a specialty weapon for modern armies. It has been deployed for specialized tasks where its strengths are put to particularly good use. It was used to defend machine gun emplacements during the Korean War, and American and French jungle patrols used shotguns during the Vietnam War. But shotguns are far from being as common amongst military forces as rifles, carbines or submachineguns.

Related Topics:
Machine gun - Korean War - Vietnam War

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On the other hand, the shotgun has become a standard in American law enforcement firearms. Shotguns are standard equipment in most United States police patrol cars, and almost all police officers are trained in their use. A variety of specialty ammunition, such as tear gas shells, are produced intentionally for the law enforcement market.

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While shotguns, especially sawn-off shotguns, have received a reputation for criminal use, this is mainly a misconception. In 1994, shotguns consisted of only 9.7% of gun traces relating to a criminal investigation in the United States, and were the weapon of choice in only 5% of homicides. Shotguns are not the preferred weapons for criminal activity, since criminals prefer weapons which are easily concealed, according to the National Crime Victimization Survey.

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