Shotguns and Bayonets

Perhaps its an antiquated idea but I think the bayonet on a fighting shotgun is still a good idea.

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Military combat situation, I concur.

I do not in regard to a civilian, that is not going to look very good at all to a jury; it might even be defined as "pre-meditated".

LEOs, even in civil unrests, and riot control, to my knowledge do not use bayonets and I don't recall Nat'l Guardsman being called in doing so either.

I concede to those that do know.

No bayonet here, not even a loose one, much less on a long gun.

Doing a stint in the Natl Guard long ago, following up on active duty, we trained extensively in riot control. Our practice close order formations used to move forward were always with fixed bayonets. Never had to use the training but I sure wouldn't want to be on the receiving end. I'd certainly break it up and get out of the way.

Bayonets on shotguns

During WW1 and WW2 the military was using the mil spec Winchester mod 1897 and mod 12 "Trench Guns". These shotguns were equipped with bayonet lugs and used the M1917 bayonet. These old mil spec shotguns are rugged and reliable but good luck finding one. They're scarcer than hens teeth. Today most of the armed forces have gone over to the tactical versions of the Rem 870 and the Mossberg M500's. They're not equipped with bayonet lugs. I shot the new mil spec 870 at the Air Force firing last year. This thing has a telescoping pistol grip stock and the forend has a "Step" up in front. When you fire buckshot through this gun this forend gives you bloody knuckles. The military should have stuck with the standard, well proven broom handle type forend when they redid the 870. It definitely makes this shotgun alot easier to shoot especially when you're firing the hard recoiling buckshot loads through it.

Gotta admit, there ain't nothin' that looks more intimidating from whites-of-their-eyes distance than a 590A1 with a bayonet fixed. Brrrr.....

Like this?

These old mil spec shotguns are rugged and reliable but good luck finding one. They're scarcer than hens teeth.

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IIRC, Norinco's copies of the 1897 Trench gun include the bayonet lug.

Mainsail, thats a right smart looking "Zombie Killer" you got there. Is it a mossy? We could use a rig like that down here in Texas for "Hog Gigging"

Infact shotguns where the first longarms to have bayonets originally.

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I must be misunderstanding what you are saying.

Bayonets have been on muskets/rifles long before WWI, when they were first used on shotguns.

Bayonets have been on muskets/rifles long before WWI, when they were first used on shotguns.

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keeping in mind, until the invention of Rifling, and more recently the self contained cartridge, theres very little definition between shotgun and rifle...

keeping in mind, until the invention of Rifling, and more recently the self contained cartridge, theres very little definition between shotgun and rifle...

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True enough, but still didn't they call them muskets, rather than shotguns. And weren't shotguns referred to as fowler's?

If you ignore the buck and ball load, the musket traditionally shot a single projectile at each discharge. To me this makes it closer to a rifle (other than accuracy) rather than a shotgun. What to you think?

The first wide spread use of the word "shotgun" to decribe a firearm was used in Kentucy around 1776. A shotgun and a musket were simliar but rifles at the time were called such because of rifled barrels.

I don't own a bayo-capable shotgun. However, both my SKS and Mosin-Nagant rifles have bayos. I figure that in a "Zombie Attack", I can use the bayo to fend off 1 or 2 while I stuff in another stripper clip of ammo...

LOL
use the gun as a club