[Nightcrawler]

Some Airborne troopers searching a house in Iraq. One of them had an 870. Plain bead 18" barrel, nothing fancy. Finish worn.

Definately not a standard issue item.

:D

[Dave R]

Shows the resourcefulness and intelligence of our guys. What's that Marine saying? "Adapt, Improvise, Overcome?"

Hmmmmmm. If our troops were to ask Dave McC what he thinks is the ideal house-clearing weapon, I wonder what he'd recommend?:D

[Dave McCracken]

First, non issue weaponry, from Randall knives to hidden sidearms turn up in combat zones with regularity. Shotguns are so useful for some special duties that they'll show up in hot zones, whether obtained through regular channels or not.

An 870, in trained hands, is an excellent clearing tool. Not ideal, nothing is. The enormous amount of energy dumped into a target compensates to a point the low ammo capacity. Best used in combination with MBRs, Kalishnikovs or even the M-4 modern strategists are so strangely enamored with. A three person fire team with one 870, one M-14 and one rattlegun is close to optimum, IMO.

[Nightcrawler]

I'm reminded of the tactics used during the Philippine Insurrection, in which US forces would break down into two-man teams, one armed with a Krag rifle and one armed with an 1897 shotgun. One took care of near targets, the other took care of far targets.

Seemed to work pretty durn well.

[Dave McCracken]

Some things do not change. Near and far capabilities, close support, mobility, firepower and flexibility.

These have been the important factors since before Xenophon got the Ten Thousand out of Persia.

[CWL]

Could even have been siezed from the Iraqs.

Lotsa American firearms there for personal, police and military use.

We used to be their 'friends' and sold everything to them prior to 1990.

Saw a clip on cableTV where US forces examined a cocked & locked Colt .45 carried by a storeowner before returning it to him.