Did the British really use the shotgun from Americans in WW2

I'd rather aim a rifle. I don't think the military 97 and 12 had sights, but I'm not positive.

A Sten is reloaded with a magazine in a couple of seconds, not with individual cartridges like a tube fed shot gun.

"WWII Marines shotgun" yields three additional pictures of Americans with shotguns on the first two pages of results.

I know there were a lot of shotguns in inventory and I've seen a lot of them in pictures of Vietnam but not in WWII.

Call me Fredo, "Seeing is believing"

 

Of course they had sights, all shotguns have sights.

There are four just on the top line of pictures when I use those words. I think what may be throwing you off is that many are shown with the bayonet mounted. they don't look like shotguns until you look closer.

 

Actually, this is the first time that I've read about the shotgun's use in the Battle of New Orleans, and it's major role in the battle. I knew that militiamen and volunteer regiments brought their shotguns along with them from home to use for supplementing rations and shooting at Red Coats. I've always read that the emplacement of US forces, to include the flanking batteries contributed heavily to the lopsided affair like you said. That and Lafitte's pirate cannoneers too. Depends on who you read I guess.

Wiki does read a bit like promotional literature, but hey, the article is about shotguns in combat. The contributing footnotes and bookmarks are there to support the story. No doubt that the shotgun is definitely an American weapon of preference in the right conditions. And we love our shotguns. The Marines too.

 

This video makes a very good case for the effectiveness of buckshot out to 100 yards.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxymVClJVhU

 

Er...wasn't a "trench broom" a weapon that was able to clear a trench-
Including the Model 97 shotgun, the .45 Thompson, the Mauser C-96 (broom handle), etc?

 

I think that the double barrel 12 gauge pistol would be best for trench clearing. Much easier to wield in the tight confines of trenches. Easier to carry across no man's land at the double quick as well.

 

Sheldrake is right. I have a weapons thread on our companions site, ww2talk.com, and the quick answer seems to be "no."

As far as I and others can make out, shotguns were very rare combat weapons in the British Empire and CW forces. The most common types were Greeners and single-barrelled Martinis, which were used for police work in India, Egypt, and Kenya. I have seen a single example of a Remington Model 10 which made it to the UK via the civilian Guns for Britain program. The Ulster police still had some Winchester Model 1897 riot guns which had been purchased during the Irish troubles of 1918-22. It is possible that Canadian police agencies had some US shotgun types, but I have no specifics so far. Double and single barrel guns were used by the Home Guard in its early days, but I have no information on types and the HG never really saw action.

If shotguns ever saw any action with Empire/CW forces in WWII my guess is that it would have happened in the SWPA and South Pacific. Local guerillas and native forces like the South Pacific Scouts and Fiji and Tonga Defence Forces received a great deal of weapons and equipment from the US, including M1 Garands and M1903 Springfields. I wouldn't be surprised if shotguns were part of the mix, but so far I have not been able to confirm my suspicions. A fellow in Sydney is working on a massive study of British Empire and CW weaponry that may cover this subject, but until that appears we are just guessing.

 

"single-barrelled Martinis" would have been employed at my house- loaded with rock salt- in order to keep the boys away from sisters. It ain't gonna kill someone unless they get close and deserve it.

Used mainly to scare dudes away, not as a weapon.
Pa pointed a .357 at a perv, who promptly pissed his shorts.
Ahh, the good old days.

 

Sounds like a Howda Pistol, albeit kind of a punny one.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howdah_pistol

 

British police service shotguns with the Martini action used .410, 14 gauge, or 12 gauge ammuntion. They don't sound harmless to me.

 

Also single shot .410s using No. 4 receiver and stock for Indian police.

EDIT: Make that Mk III actions and stocks

 

I believe the RAF may have used shotguns for air gunnery training just as the USAAF did, though I'd have to confirm that. Also, as I reported, shotguns were used fairly widely for police work in India and the colonies as well as by the Home Guard. That they weren't used in combat doesn't mean they weren't used at all.

 

Shotguns might also have been used for shooting rabbits, pigeons and pheasants, all important supplements to a rationed diet.

 

Only in Far Cry

It would be like shooting a fox or taking down deer with a claymore. It would really mess up the trophy .In Mugal times Tiger was hunted with spears. Under the Raj Tiger was shot with high velocity rifles.

 

I did some more digging online about this. The late Tony Edwards (a deceased member of our sister forum) covered shotguns in British service in WWI. The RAF/RFC inventory included examples of the Winchester Model 1911 (one of the company's worst designs), Browning Model 5, and Harrington & Richardson guns (model unspecfied). I have also seen references online to Holland & Holland guns in service in WWI and BSA 12 gauge guns in WWII. I am not an expert in British-made shotguns.

 

I've always considered you an authority on a number of topics and have the utmost respect for your knowledge, but am very curious that you'd make this comment. Could you please provide a source?

 

I have one of these. Its a interesting weapon. Ishapore Arsenal (Indian Government arsenal) took No3 Mk1 Lee Enfield rifles, bored out the barrel to .410, pinned the rear sight to its lowest position and replaced the magazine with a wooden plug topped with sheet metal. The end result was a single shot, bolt action shotgun firing a .410 calibre brass shot shell. Apparently some of these are still in use.