"Weapons of War" (?) The Trench Gun
President Joe Biden has routinely spoken out against the AR-15 and described it as a "weapon of war". This is very much a talking point from the gun control lobby, which seeks to see the AR-15 and other modern rifles banned due to the similarity in appearance – but not actual function – to the firearms carried by America's warfighters.
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The common argument is that these "weapons of war" have no place in the hands of civilians.
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What isn't explained to the general public is precisely what a weapon of war is — and that is almost certainly the point. There is no set definition.
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That also means that if we accept that the AR-15 should be banned for being such a "weapon of war," then it would seem reasonable to accept that other firearms could also be banned - including Bidens's shotguns.
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Military rifles of the First and Second World Wars were bolt action rifles that typically held fewer than 10 rounds of ammunition. These wouldn't be that different from modern bolt action hunting rifles, but if we accept that "weapons of war" have no place in the hands of any civilian, then it could be a short step from a Springfield Model 1903 to a Kimber Open Range Pro Carbon.
If a Springfield M1903 is a weapon of war, does that make a Kimber Open Range one too? What about a SIG Cross or a Benelli Lupo?
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Likewise, most military side arms differ little from civilian pistols. Case in point, the Sig Sauer P320 was adopted by the United States military as the M17.
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Joe Likes his Shotguns
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As Vice President, Joe Biden once said in an interview with Field and Stream, "Well, you know, my shotgun will do better for you than your AR-15, because [if] you want to keep someone away from your house, just fire the shotgun through the door."
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That could only be described as horrible advice, as it could result in serious harm or even death to an innocent party including those in law enforcement. As someone who went to law school, it actually boggles the mind that Biden would off such a suggestion.
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However, Biden has long suggested that a shotgun would be his preferred choice for self-defense. He has admitted to owning two shotguns, but he apparently knows little of their history. Biden might be surprised to note that U.S. soldiers were actually issued with a number of pump-action shotguns, notably the Winchester Model 1897. Those firearms quickly earned the infamous moniker "trench shotgun." It was developed by prolific American gun designer John Moses Browning.
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History of the Trench Gun
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It had proven to be effective in the Philippine-American War and Moro Insurrection in the Philippines, where in the latter conflict it was used against hardened fanatical warriors who often donned hid or brass armor and often took part in suicidal attacks. Later it was used in chasing Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa.
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If we
If we label the Winchester 1897 a weapon of war, how do we categorize a Benelli SuperNova?
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The six-shot, single-barreled trench shotguns were equipped with a bayonet and loaded with 12-gauge buckshot, with each round firing nine .33 caliber pellets. The shotguns were used to clear the trenches of enemy soldiers. These were actually commercial repeating shotguns with trimmed barrels, barrel shrouds, and bayonet mounts
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The shortened barrels allowed them to be used in tight quarters, where one or two soldiers armed with trench guns could clear a position that could be used as a foothold for additional troops to poor in.
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The M1897 lacked a disconnector, which allowed troops to “slam-fire” the hammer-fired gun. Slam-firing is when the operator held the trigger and the weapon fired every time the pump was worked.
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The Winchester M1912 was an improved version of the M1897, and it featured a protected internal hammer. This resulted in a streamlined design that helped improve its durability, safety, and notably reliability.
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It was so effective that the U.S. military still used it in the Second World War, where it was employed to clear out Japanese bunkers. It saw a similar use against Viet Cong forces in the Vietnam War.
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The other notable "trench gun" included the Remington-designed Model 10, which had its barrel reduced from 30 to 23 inches. It was also fitted with a wooden heat shield and bayonet lug. Designed by John Pedersen, it was also a pump-action design and remained in use with the United States Marine Corps through the late 1930s.
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The Trench Shotgun in WWI
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The most famous use of the shotguns was, of course during the First World War, a fact even noted at the time.
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Peter P. Carney, then-editor for the National Sports Syndicate, wrote in 1918,
"The trench shotgun is America's greatest contribution to the war. Through the expert handling of the trench shotgun the Germans learned that the Yanks were coming. At the first taste of the pellets the Germans began to whine and then to write notes calling us 'barbarians,' Germany, too!"
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The various trench shotguns were first employed in combat at the Battle of Belleau Wood in June 1918, where they were used to devastating effect. The weapon proved so deadly that on September 15, 1918, the German government officially protested its use.
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It needs to be put in context that the Germans were the first to employ poison gas and later mustard gas in combat, the first to use flamethrowers, the first to adopt the submachine gun in large numbers, and used zeppelins to bomb British cities – but the trench shotguns were considered barbaric! The Germans even threatened to execute any man found with a shotgun, but the Americans countered that they would reprise these killings.
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The trench guns have earned a place of infamy in warfare, yet the truth is that it was a specialist weapon that wasn't as widely employed as rifles or heavy machine guns in the trenches. However, the most important consideration is that these shotguns were used in some of the most brutal fighting in the world.
It is, therefore, hard to argue that shotguns weren't once weapons of war – along with clubs, axes, and even shovels.
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The point is that Joe Biden lacks an understanding of history, while the gun control lobby knows all too well that banning so-called "weapons of war" would certainly include every firearm.
Read more like this in our ATF News | Second Amendment files.
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