The Shotguns of WWII: Model 1897 and Model 1912

Above, the Winchester Model 12 shotgun I bought last year. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It is interesting that shotguns were very effective during World War II, especially in the Pacific Theater.

Winchester's Model 1897 and Model 1912 shotguns terrified Japanese soldiers, with good reason.

War History Online posted an interesting article on the use of shotguns during World War II.

They begin it with:

Aside from a flame thrower, there are few close-range weapons as deadly as a shotgun. Shotguns are terrifyingly effective at short ranges, as their shot spread does not need to be precisely aimed to score a hit. At longer ranges, a shotgun peppers the target with fast-moving metal balls, while at close ranges shotguns can effortlessly inflict horrific wounds. For these reasons, the shotgun has found itself at home in close quarters combat in wartime, sometimes controversially. Until the 1960s the United States’ shotguns of choice have been the Winchester Model 1897 and 1912.

Both of these shotguns started life as commercially-sold firearms but quickly proved themselves on the battlefield.

To read more, go here.