
    FIGHTING SCATERGUNS: SHOTGUNS DESIGNED FOR THE BATTLEFIELD
                        by Peter G. Kokalis
                         Fighting Firearms

     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 salient
characteristics 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 slideaction 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 through
about 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 trig-
ger 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-bolttype 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
slideaction 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 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 rifled
lead 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 Response
features and a 14-inch barrel.
     The Concealment Model (Item No. 90200) has a 12.5inch barrel
with a magazine capacity of four rounds. The buttstock 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 socalled 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 longeye-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 buttstock cheek-weld required for the
scope, a raised Monte Carlo-type buttstock--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 counterclockwise 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
