SHOTGUNS DESIGNED FOR THE BATTLEFIELD
The late Elmer Keith once referred to the shotgun as
"the best alley cleaner of all." During the Malayan
counter insurgency conflict of the 1950s, British troops
carried it on jungle patrols with great effect as an
anti-ambush weapon. In Vietnam as well, it more often than
not armed the vulnerable point man. When employed within
the framework of its limitations and maximizing its
salientcharacteristics the combat shotgun with its
multiple-projectile ammunition provides short-range
lethality matched by no other firearm. It is especially
effective when employed as an entry weapon by law
enforcement Special Response Teams in urban environments.
Most fighting shotguns, whether they be slide-action
or semiautomatic, are modified derivatives of sporting
arms. Both Malaya and Vietnam demonstrated that
slide action types offer the greatest mechanical
reliability in a military environment. One of the most
successful slide-action shotguns ever enlisted for
military and law enforcement applications is the venerable
Remington Model 870.
It was introduced in 1950 to replace the Model 31 and
shares a high percentage of component commonality with the
Model 11-48 which appeared in 1949. Side-ejecting and
without an external hammer, the Model 870 has a tubular
magazine and takedown, interchangeable barrels.
Its method of locked-breech operation has been taken
from the John Browning-designed Model 11 semiautomatic
shotgun. When in battery, the bolt remains locked to the
barrel by means of a locking block within the bolt body,
which engages a recess in the barrel extension. Receiver
strength is not critical in this system as the recoil
forces are mostly absorbed by the bolt assembly and barrel
extension. A steel slide, to which has been attached a
stepped lug ( also housed within the bolt body), is mated
to twin action bars attached to the forearm. When the
slide is racked forward, the front step on this lug moves
under the front end of the locking block and pivots it
upward to engage its forward projection in the recess on
top of the barrel extension. After firing, when the
forearm is manually driven rearward, the slide moves back
throughabout a half-inch of free travel, after which the
locking block drops downward to unlock the action.
Completion of the rearward cycle by the operator will
draw all of the reciprocating parts to the rear and eject
the empty shell out the ejection port on the right side
of the receiver.
The trigger mechanism's disconnector, which requires
the trigger to be released between each shot, can be
actuated both manually by depressing the action-bar lock
button and by the fall of the hammer. There is a standard
cross-bolt type safety at the rear of the alloy trigger
guard.
All of this is fine, as far as it goes, but out of
the box the Model 870 just won't do for anything other
than bird shooting. Since we have a more dangerous prey
in mind, we need to maximize functional reliability,
enhance the accuracy potential, increase the speed with
which the weapon can be employed to incapacitate the
opponent--and attach only here round. This is, in my
experience, the most commonly observed stress-induced
malfunction observed with slide action shotguns. As a
consequence, to enhance the gripping surface on the gun's
forearm I personally prefer a textured effect.
K.J. Ryan (Dept. SOF, P.O. Box 16280, Pittsburgh, PA
15242-6280) has developed a textured material which he
custom fitted to the forearm of our test specimen. Ryan
painstakingly hand-cuts a textured (checkered) piece of
neoprene which is then carefully bonded onto the forearm
using a proprietary high-strength adhesive. A "switch-
block" is first fitted around the rear portion of the
Laser Products tape switch and then bonded with the same
high-strength adhesive. Called Posi-Grip Texturing, the
price of this installation is $27.50 from Ryan.
To facilitate manipulation of the cross-bolt safety,
a jumbo-head safety designed by Scattergun Technologies
has been installed. Manufactured from 4140 chromemoly
steel, it has undercut grooves to inhibit slipping.
Trigger pull weight on SOF's (Soldier Of Fortune Magazine)
test specimen was a crisp 3.5 pounds.
Workhorse loads for the 12-gauge combat shotgun are
rifled slugs and 00 buckshot. Federal (Federal Cartridge
Co., Dept. SOF,900 Ehlen Drive, Anoka, MN 55303; phone:
612-422-2840) is my choice for both. Their so-called Hi-
Shok\Hollow Point Slug (product No.F127RS), is a one ounce
(437 grains, nominal), hollow-base rifledlead slug with no
more than an incipient dimple at the tip. Nevertheless,
this .70 caliber projectile will penetrate up to 14
inches of soft tissue while expanding to 1.1 inches in
diameter. The temporary cavity produced is significant
and will add to tissue disruption. This round shoots two-
inch groups at 50 yards in our Standard Model test
specimen.
I also prefer Federal Premium 00 buckshot (product
No.P154-OOB) which features copper-plated shot, granulated
filler and a long-range shot cup. Select the 9-pellet load
as the 12-pellet, 2.75-inch Magnum load just plain kicks
too much. These tower-dropped pellets are 97.5% pure lead
with 2.5% antimony for added hardness. Two polishings
guarantee sphericity. Copper-plating further increases
resistance to deformation during firing. Shot is arranged
in a spiral configuration within the long-range shot cup
with granulated buffer added to fill the gaps. The
granulated buffer will eventually leak into the gun's
action and chamber so the, mouth of these shells should be
sealed with nail polish or clear lacquer.
Another excellent buckshot round is Federal's so-
called Tactical Load, a low-recoil police round with nine
copper-plated pellets of 00 buckshot in granulated filler
(product No. H132-00).
At 10 yards, Federal Premium 9-shot 00 Buck impacted
the target with all the pellets in a 4-inch oval. At 15
yards, seven out of the nine pellets would still impact
into the chest area of the target. At 25 yards--in my
opinion the outer limit of acceptable performance with
buckshot--four to five pellets would still consistently
impact into the torso area of a humanoid target.
Remember, every shotgun barrel, even those of the
same make, model and with sequential serial numbers, will
throw a pattern different than any other and you must
pattern your shotgun at varying distances with the exact
loads you intend to employ.
The price of the Standard Model is $725. There are
eight other models of fighting shotguns produced by
Scattergun Technologies that employ the Remington M870
envelope. One of the most intriguing is the Entry Model.
Since it has a 12.5-inch barrel, the Entry Model (Item
No. 90101) is classified as a Title II firearm by the
National Firearms Act (NFA); and although it can be
transferred tax-free to Class 3 dealers by means of ATF
Form 3, transfer to individuals through an ATF Form 4
requires a $200 transfer tax.
Because the Entry Model's short barrel presents the
possibility for sliding the support hand forward in front
of the muzzle, a safety strap--of the same material as the
sling--has been attached to the underside of the forearm.
The Entry Model's safety strap permits the operator to
rack the action with a great deal of vigor without fear of
his hand slipping off the forearm. This barrel length also
precludes installation of a 6-volt SUREFIRE Tactical
Light, so the shorter 3-volt Model 318 is used instead.
After the barrel has been cut back to 12.6 inches, a
permanent, tapered choke insert is installed which
provides maximum restriction, yet still permits the use of
solid projectiles (both rifled slugs and sabot-type
rounds). Why bother with a shotgun with a barrel length
less than 18 inches (the NFA minimum)? If you've ever
tried to run through a doorway with something like an FN
FAL battle rifle (with an overall length of almost 45
inches) held at port arms and gotten doubled over it when
it wedged sideways athwart the door jambs, you wouldn't
have to ask that question. Price of the Entry Model,
complete with a set of tools for disassembly and
maintenance is also $725.
There are three other NFA models available: the
Professional Model (Item No. 90131, price: $725) which has
a 14-inch barrel and extended five-round magazine tube the
Border Patrol Model (Item No. 90121, price $575) with a 14
-inch barrel and extended five-round magazine but without
the Model 618 SURE-FIRE Tactical Light and the SWAT Model
(Item No. 90114, price: $925) which is a semi auto
Remington M1187 with all of the Tactical Responsefeatures
and a 14-inch barrel.
The Concealment Model (Item No. 90200) has a 12.5inch
barrel with a magazine capacity of four rounds. The
butt stock has been replaced with a wood pistol grip.
There is a sling swivel on the end of the pistol grip and
a rigid sling mount on the magazine tube. A quick-release
sling is provided. The only sight is an enlarged bead at
the front. The forearm is of the conventional ribbed wood
type. This weapon is classified as "Any Other Weapon" by
the BATF and requires a $5 transfer tax. It costs $520.
Tactical Response M870 shotguns with 18-inch tubes
include the FBI Model (Item No. 90102, price $700), which
is exactly like the Standard Model except that the
magazine extension has been omitted; the Patrol Model
(Item No. 90103, price $550), which has no magazine
extension or SURE-FIRE Tactical Light and is equipped
with a ribbed, synthetic forearm; and the Border Patrol
Model (Item No.90120, price $575), equipped with a
magazine extension, but no light.
Finally, there are two other models that start out as
Remington M1187 semiautomatic shotguns (an upgraded Model
1100 with a self-adjusting gas system). The so-called K-9
Model (Item No.90105, price: $795) has all the extra
features found on the Standard Model Tactical Response
shotgun. The Urban Sniper Model(Item No. 90132, price
$1,095) has all of these features plus an 18inch rifled
barrel which is intended for use with slugs only. In
addition it comes equipped with a 2.75X long eye-relief
scope with a duplex reticle pattern and mounted in Scout
configuration to the barrel in front of the receiver using
steel rings and heat-treated screws. To accommodate the
butt stock cheek-weld required for the scope, a raised
Monte Carlo-type butt stock--made of black, high-impact,
Fiberglas-filled, polypropylene and fitted with the usual
Tactical Response thick, solid-rubber, rounded recoil pad-
-has been provided. This model is also equipped with a
Harris bipod attached to the forearm.
Agencies or individuals who already inventory
Remington Model 870, 1100 or 1187 shotguns that would like
to modify them to any of the Tactical Response
configurations can obtain retro-fit kits which can be
installed by their own armorers or by Scattergun Tech
-nologies. Turn-around time for factory installations is
usually no more than three to five days. Upgrade services
are also available for older shotguns (both parts upgrades
and refinishing). Any shotgun retro-fitted or upgraded by
Scattergun Technologies is covered by a one-year warranty.
Finally, in addition to a complete line of spare
parts Scattergun Technologies stocks both standard and
compact operations cases for their shotguns.
Scattergun Technologies has assembled all the right
pieces to complete the confusing combat shotgun puzzle.
Reasonably priced, with all the attributes required of
this type of weaponry by armed professionals, their
Tactical Response shotgun series now clearly dominates
the field of fighting smoothbores.
Field stripping the Scattergun Technologies slide
action shotgun There are few tricks involved in
disassembly of the Model 870 series shotguns. First, empty
the magazine tube and clear the weapon. Set the cross-
bolt to safe. Rack the action rearward slightly to
disengage the locking block from the barrel extension.
Remove the front sling swivel assembly. Grasp the magazine
extension tube by its knurled ring and turn it counter
-clockwise to separate it from the magazine tube. Remove
the follower spring. Tilt the gun downward and the
follower will drop out the end of the magazine tube. Pull
the barrel away from the receiver. Insert your finger
through the underside of the receiver and depress the left
shell stop. Move the bolt group and action arms out toward
the front. Separate the slide and bolt group from the
action arms after they are clear of the receiver. Remove
the four small allen-head screws that hold the Sidesaddle
shotshell carrier to its mounting bracket. Then remove the
two larger allenhead screws that hold the bracket to the
receiver and replace the trigger mechanism's retaining
pins. Wrenches of the appropriate size are provided.
This will permit you to separate the trigger housing
from the receiver. No further disassembly is usually
required. After cleaning and lubrication, reassemble in
the reverse order. The most difficult aspect of reassembly
is installation of the bolt group and action arms; as both
the right and left shell stops must be depressed.
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