Combat Shotgun
Specifications
- Type
- Semi-Automatic / Automatic Shotgun
- Origin
- United States / Italy
- Era
- 20th century – present
- Notable Users
- US military, special operations forces, law enforcement tactical units
- Epoch
- Modern Age
History
The combat shotgun is a semi-automatic or selective-fire shotgun optimized for military use. The Browning Auto-5 (1902) pioneered semi-automatic shotgun operation. Modern combat shotguns like the Benelli M4 (adopted by the US Marine Corps as the M1014) use gas-operated or inertia-driven actions to cycle reliably with a wide range of ammunition. The USAS-12 and AA-12 pushed the concept further with fully automatic fire and drum magazines. Combat shotguns excel in urban warfare, vehicle checkpoints, and breaching operations.
Significance
The combat shotgun took a hunting weapon and gave it ghost ring sights, picatinny rails, and magazine-fed operation. Old weapon categories don't die; they get adapted. The shotgun has been 'obsolete' for over a century and keeps finding new jobs.
More from the Modern Age
12 weapons
54 Weapons. Five Epochs. One Poster.
The Combat Shotgun is one of 13 weapons from the Modern Age featured on the poster.
Get the Poster