Army Shotguns

[ccaleb67]

Dose anybody have any experience with exactly how the Army especially MPs issue shotguns? My drill sergeant said in his unit the driver position was sometimes substituted for a breacher, who carried a shotgun. In a deployed environment what would determine if you were issued a shotgun or not?

 

[doubleg]

Not sure about how MP's are issued them but it can't be that much different than how Infantry does. Team leaders are given shotguns for door breaching ect. The driver usually won't be given any kind of special equipment because he will never get out of the drivers hole while out in sector. Carrying a shotgun and an m4 with 203 is serious pain in the ass and I never did figure out a way to do it comfortably. So mine spent most of its time in the tent.

 

[GI_Jared]

The only time a MP would need a shotgun is if they were going to break into the chow hall in the middle of the night.

 

[kBob]

In the way back (early 1970's) I was issued a shotgun for an ammo supply area guard. I was then an Infantryman and on post detail and the MPs responsible for security at a bunch of bunkers at Ft Polk LA picked up my group to provide internal security. The five us got armed with four night sticks and one pump 12 gauge riot gun for the evening , flashlights, whistles and one of the old (forgot the designator) two part squad radio sets with separate receiver (clipped to helmet) and transmitter. They divided the area into four quarter sections then added a fifth section the same size centered over the intersection of the four quadrants.

They asked if anyone had any shotgun experience and I said I did so I got the shotgun. My entire US Army shotgun training consisted of being asked if I knew how to load and unload the gun, how the safety worked, and how to use the bolt release and being asked to demonstrate, then being asked to describe a sight picture with the bead sight and being told to aim low. Then they handed me three rounds of OO buck told me to load the magazine and not work the action until it was needed and handed me three spare rounds to put in a pocket. They stuck the radio receiver on my helmet clipped the transmitter to my belt and explained that I was the commander of the relief. I wandered the centered fifth section making sure the others kept moving. We then pulled eight hours straight, then I was told to unload and safe the weapon. We were relieved by a regular MP jeep with two MPs with side arms who then took the shotgun.

That was the entirety of my US Army Shotgun experience.......

My understanding from a discussion with the MPs at the gate was that a shotgun was issued to lessen the danger fan if a shot took place and lessen penetration incase something in the way of stored ammo was hit.

Other nights on other guard details we carried our issue M16A1 with a bayonet and no ammo or magazine. One night I guarded the golf club house area and noted several trees heavily damaged by the bayonet trusts of bored guards. They appeared to be reluctant to give us ammo on details where the Officer of the Day or MPs might have to check up on us and perhaps frightened an armed man.......

We asked for shotguns repeatedly on the Pershing Missile launch sites (CAS) for gate guard and for inside the warhead bunker and assembly hangers but we never got them.

-kBob

 

[ZVP]

Circa 1971 Navy issue

I was assigned to VF 124 (Top Gun squadrin) and our flight line issue was a wooden Nightstick and a Double Barrel 12 ga Shotgun. Officers and NCO's were issued .45 autos.
I ofren wondered about the possible damage to aircraft by the 12 ga loads.
BP Dave