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The individual shells were standard 00-buckshot shells (red plastic cases) indistinguishable from sporting ammunition of the same variety. It generally gave satisfactory service but proved to be a bit less reliable and durable than the Ithaca M37. The Vietnam-era Model 37 riot gun was serially numbered in a special range (approximately 1,000 to 23,000 with an “S” prefix to the serial number and marked with a “U.S.” on the receiver and “P” proof markings on the receiver and barrel). Although the Ithaca M37, Stevens M77E, Winchester Model 1200 and Remington Model 870 were the primary “official issue” combat shotguns fielded in Vietnam, there were isolated instances of shotguns purchased from PXs and other private sources being carried “in the field.”.

The action, receiver, trigger system, safety catch and slide release catch of the Remington Model 870 shotgun are similar to those used on the Remington Model 7600 series pump-action centerfire rifles and carbines. Plastic 00-buckshot ammunition was adopted by the U.S. military and initially given the designation “Shell, Shotgun, Plastic Case, 12 Gauge, No. The 870 features a bottom-loading, side ejecting receiver, tubular magazine under the barrel, dual action bars, internal hammer, and a bolt which locks into an extension in the barrel. These were similar to the riot guns but were fitted with a ventilated metal handguard/bayonet adapter and sling swivels.

In terms of chemical weapons, U.S. Air Force planes sprayed more than 19 million gallons of herbicides over 4.5 million acres of land in Vietnam from 1961 to 1972 as part of Operation Ranch Hand, a large-scale defoliation program aimed at eliminating forest cover for North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops, as well as crops that might be used to feed them.

M1938 shotgun shell pouches were procured to carry the shotgun shells, and several firms were given contracts to produce them. Likewise, the Marines and Army used the Model 12 during the early part of the Vietnam War, until, due to the Model 12's production ending in 1963, and the high rate of wartime use, the Model 12 shotguns in inventory were consumed. The young Navy pilot John McCain, son of a ...read more, The War Powers Act is a congressional resolution designed to limit the U.S. president’s ability to initiate or escalate military actions abroad. by Bruce N. Canfield, American Rifleman, May 2004, "Sequence of Take-down and Assembly Operations Model 12 Slide Action Repeating Shotgun", A. Standard issue for infantrymen in Vietnam was the M-16, a gas-operated, magazine-fed rifle that could fire 5.56 mm-caliber bullets accurately over several hundred yards at 700-900 rounds per minute on its automatic setting; it could also be used as a semi-automatic.

Approxi­mately 22,000 of these Model 37 “S-prefix” riot guns were manufactured by Ithaca under the U.S. Army contract. Since the supply of World War I M1917 bayonets was almost exhausted by that time, contracts were given to two firms, General Cutlery, Inc., and Canada Arsenal, Ltd. The guns were Parkerized, and the wooden stocks were fitted with rubber buttpads.

Unlike the World War II shotguns, the Vietnam-era Model 37s were Parkerized rather than blued. Enfield” bayonet. Listing of all guns and related infantry-level small arms used by both sides of the Vietnam War. A. Arnold, Olin, Winchester-Western Division, New Haven, CT, October 1957. The increasingly unpopular war had created deep rifts in American society. Mines were used to guard the perimeter around campsites; they could be triggered by trip wires or exploded manually. For every strength the Garand design has, it comes at a steep penalty of high weight and long, unwieldy dimensions. 1961. Sporting / Security / Law Enforcement / Combat Shotgun. In addition to these positive attributes, they were much cheaper than the earlier all-brass variety. Unlike the Ithaca M37, the M77E was a conventional slide-action shotgun design with an ejection port on the receiver’s right side. The M1200 slide-action shotgun was a rather conventional design that featured an alloy receiver to make the gun lighter and to reduce production costs. The World War I-vintage shotguns were about a quarter century old by that time, and the supply was insufficient to meet the burgeoning demand. The XM257 No.

The Model 1912 (shortened to Model 12 in 1919) was the next step from the Winchester Model 1897 hammer-fired shotgun, which in turn had evolved from the earlier Winchester Model 1893 shotgun. It was an entirely new design initially available in 20 gauge only (12 and 16 gauge guns were not sold until 1914). Remington 870 Remington 870 Marine Magnum Type Shotgun: Place of origin United States Service history Used by See Users: Production history Designer L.Ray Crittendon, Phillip Haskell, Ellis Hailston, G.E. Thank you for your support. In addition to the new-production bayonets, some refurbished World War I M1917 bayonets were issued for use in Vietnam.

Since the supply of World War I M1917 bayonets was almost exhausted by that time, contracts were given to two firms, General Cutlery, Inc., and Canada Arsenal, Ltd. These were all-brass 12-ga. shells loaded with 00 buckshot. It generally gave satisfactory service but proved to be a bit less reliable and durable than the Ithaca M37. The M870 Mark 1 was fitted with an adapter that allowed the M7 bayonet (the bayonet used with the M16 rifle) to be attached.