laststandonzombieisland

“PFC. Art Burgess, a candidate in the Ranger Indoctrination Program (RIP), 2nd Battalion, 75th Infantry (Ranger), fires a Winchester-built Model 12 combat shotgun during special weapons training at Range 31, 13 January 1982.” The gun has been modified with a heat shield over the barrel, a bayonet lug/sling swivel, an over-folding buttstock, and pistol grip.

Dig the early PASGT kevlar vest with the old-school M1 pot. Soooo early 1980s. (DA-SN-83-09168 Via NARA)

The U.S. military fell in love with the Winchester 97 as a trench shotgun in WWI but soon augmented those with the much more widely-sold Model 12. The Army and Marines brought these guns to the Great War (700) World War II (over 68,000) and Vietnam.

They served as riot guns with military police, trench guns in the front lines, and in support duties. While officially replaced by newer Remington 870s and Mossberg 500s since then, these old vets still continued to get spotted in pictures of US soldiers in harm’s way as late as the recent conflicts in Iraq. Odds are, there are some still in armories somewhere, especially in reserve and National Guard units.