The shotgun was first used in a combat role during World War I to clear trenches, and it has been used in close-quarters combat ever since. Despite its limited range, the shotgun’s ability to fire multiple projectiles and effectively hit moving targets makes it an essential weapon for modern infantry soldiers. Over the years, shotguns have served various functions. American-made shotguns are some of the most well-renowned firearms in the world.
While shotguns were initially used for hunting prior to WWI, they were repurposed for combat roles during the war. The improvements made to shotguns for battlefield use over the years focused on increasing the rate of fire, enhancing reliability, and using much larger magazines than normal hunting shotguns. Gunsmiths like Winchester, Remington, and Mossberg developed many of these models, contributing to the combat effectiveness of American soldiers.
To identify every major American-made military shotgun since WWI, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a catalog of shotguns from Military Factory, an online database of arms, vehicles, and aircraft used by militaries worldwide. We listed the shotguns alphabetically and included additional information such as the type of gun, year entered service, manufacturer, caliber, and feed.
One example of these combat shotguns is the Sledgehammer (AA-12), introduced into service in 2005. The gun uses 12-gauge rounds and is equipped with an 8-round detachable box magazine, with an option to replace it with a 20- or 30-round drum. These are commonly used in urban settings for activities such as door to door operations and are effective for door-breaching as well.
A majority of these shotguns operate with a pump-action slide, while some feature semi-automatic functions. The pump-action design ensures reliability and consistenty across diverse terrains and battlefield conditions, while delivering lethal loads.
Here are the major American-made combat shotguns since World War I:
Browning Auto-5
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Self-loading semi-automatic shotgun
- Year entered service: 1902
- Manufacturer: Browning Arms / Remington Arms / Savage Arms
- Caliber: 12-, 16-, or 20-gauge
- Feed: 3- or 5-round tubular magazine
HK CAWS
- Type: Select-fire automatic combat shotgun
- Year entered service: 1983
- Manufacturer: Heckler & Koch
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: 10-round detachable box magazine
Jackhammer
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Automatic shotgun
- Year entered service: 1987
- Manufacturer: Pancor Corporation
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: 10-round cassette
KSG
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Pump-action bullpup shotgun
- Year entered service: 2011
- Manufacturer: Kel-Tec CNC Industries
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: Twin 6-shot internal tubular magazines
M10 (Model 10)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Pump-action slide shotgun
- Year entered service: 1908
- Manufacturer: Remington Arms
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: 5-round tubular magazine
M11 (Model 11)
- Type: Semi-automatic self-loading shotgun
- Year entered service: 1905
- Manufacturer: Browning Arms / Remington Arms
- Caliber: 12-, 16-, or 20-gauge
- Feed: 5-round tubular magazine
M520 (Model 520)
- Type: Pump-action slide shotgun
- Year entered service: 1910
- Manufacturer: J. Stevens Arms Company
- Caliber: 12-, 16-, or 20-gauge
- Feed: 5-round tubular magazine
M6
- Type: Aircrew survival rifle
- Year entered service: 1952
- Manufacturer: Ithaca Gun Company
- Caliber: .22 Hornet / .410
- Feed: 9 x .22 Hornet / 4 x .410 shells
M620 (Model 620)
- Type: Pump-action slide shotgun
- Year entered service: 1927
- Manufacturer: J. Stevens Arms Company
- Caliber: 12-, 16-, or 20-gauge
- Feed: 5-round tubular magazine
M720
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Semi-automatic shotgun
- Year entered service: 1935
- Manufacturer: Savage Arms
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: 5-round tubular magazine
M90 Shockwave
- Type: Magazine-fed pump-action shotgun
- Year entered service: 2018
- Manufacturer: Mossberg
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: 5-, 10-, 15-, or 20-round detachable box magazine
Model 1100
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Semi-automatic auto-loading shotgun
- Year entered service: 1963
- Manufacturer: Remington Arms
- Caliber: 12-, 16-, or 20-gauge
- Feed: 4- or 10-round internal tubular magazine
Model 1216
- Type: Semi-automatic shotgun
- Year entered service: 2016
- Manufacturer: SRM Arms
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: 8-,12-, 16-round tubular magazine
Model 37
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Combat shotgun
- Year entered service: 1937
- Manufacturer: Ithaca Gun Company
- Caliber: 12-, 16-, 20-, or 28-gauge
- Feed: 4-, 5-, or 8-round tubular magazine
Model 37 Stakeout
- Type: Pump-action military shotgun
- Year entered service: 1946
- Manufacturer: Ithaca Gun Company
- Caliber: 12- or 20-gauge
- Feed: 4-round tubular magazine
Model 590
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Pump-action shotgun
- Year entered service: 1975
- Manufacturer: Mossberg
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: 6-, 8-, or 9-round tubular magazine
Model 870
- Type: Pump-action shotgun
- Year entered service: 1950
- Manufacturer: Remington Arms
- Caliber: 12-, 16-, 20- or 28-gauge; .410 bore
- Feed: 4- or 7-round tubular magazine
Origin-12
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Semi-automatic tactical shotgun
- Year entered service: 2014
- Manufacturer: Fostech Arms
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: 5-, 8-, or 10-round detachable box magazine; 20- or 30-round drum
Sledgehammer (AA-12)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Assault combat shotgun
- Year entered service: 2005
- Manufacturer: Military Police Systems
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: 8-round detachable box; 20- or 32-round drum
V3 Tactical
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Pump-action shotgun
- Year entered service: 2020
- Manufacturer: Remington Arms
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: 6-round tubular magazine
Winchester Model 1200
- Type: Pump-action slide shotgun
- Year entered service: 1968
- Manufacturer: Winchester Repeating Arms
- Caliber: 12-, 16-, or 20-gauge
- Feed: 4-, 5-, 6-, or 7-shot capacity
Winchester Model 1300
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Combat slide-action shotgun
- Year entered service: 1978
- Manufacturer: Winchester Repeating Arms
- Caliber: 12- or 20-gauge
- Feed: 4-, 5-, 7- or 8-shot tubular magazine
Winchester Model 1897
Source: Public Domain / Wikipedia Commons
- Type: Pump-action slide shotgun
- Year entered service: 1897
- Manufacturer: Winchester Repeating Arms
- Caliber: 12-gauge
- Feed: 5-round tubular magazine
Winchester Model 1912 (Model 12)
Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
- Type: Pump-action slide shotgun
- Year entered service: 1912
- Manufacturer: Winchester Repeating Arms
- Caliber: 12-, 16-, 20-, or 28-gauge
- Feed: 6-round tubular magazine
Wingmaster (Model 870)
- Type: Pump-action slide shotgun
- Year entered service: 1951
- Manufacturer: Remington Arms
- Caliber: 12-, 16-, 20- or 28-gauge; .410 bore
- Feed: 5-round tubular magazine
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