The Oskaloosa herald., 1918-10-31


Germany. tool as-a Sew v,.r..,
Quite naturally lot of people want
ed TO know something about thu
trench gun. Quite a number of writer:
have written a lot about the gun.
Well add to the lot and try TO give
every bit of information about the
shotgun that is worthy Of publication
Ii is the good old short barrel shot
gun that was the greatest peacemak
er in the early days of the west anc
southwest converted into a formidable
weapon of war.
Originator of the Big Idea.
Three score years ago it was the
handy piece of the sheriffs who hunted
the outlaws. prison guards, express
messengers and stage coach guards
and II did yeoman service.
When America took a hand in the
war a trapshooter began to figure on
ways TO stop the Hun. His nominations
brought him TO the discarded weapon
o fthe days of mushroom mining towns
II was the big idea.
He suggested the utilization OF the
short barrel shotgun to the war de-
partment and the suggestion met with
favor. The improved Winchester riot
gun. 1897 model, six shot, hand op-
Grated, single barrel pump shotgun
was examined and found worthy.
But there was one problem TO be
met That was the placing of the
bayonet. The barrel of the gun was
quite thin and did not offer much
support for bayonet. This is where
Yankee ingenuity asserted itself and
made the gun the deadliest short range
weapon ever conceived or used by
man.
5ayonet is Used Tco
The weakness Of the barrel was ov.
ercome BY providing an outer steel
coat, or jacket, which is perforated,
and held a short distance away from
the barrel proper and forms an AR
chamber that acts as cooling jack
et. To this reinforced jacket is the
bayonet attached.
This Jacket prevents the scorching
OF the shooters hands and permits rap
id fire. The magazine holds five shells
and there is one shell in the chamber,
making IL capable of firing six shots
as rapidly as one can pull the trigger
and work the pump handle. This we
might assert is mighty fast in the
hands of trap shooter.
so Cartridges a Minute.
These shells contain 81 drains OF
smokeless powder, 90 buckshot load
$ pellets to each cartridge. each pei
let about the size of 32 calibre bull
let. II is possible for one man shooting
and others loading for him, to fire 30
cartridges a minute, which means 45O
slugs, a yeritable shower Of lead,
would be sprayed over a 100-yard-see-
tor. With hundreds Of these guns in
use one can imagine the result.
no column OF troops could stand at
clase range before men armed with
trench shctguns. In the past these
guns have cowed mobs and upset mass
formations. II is unwise to stand in
front of them-especially when they
are in the hands OF one who might pull
the trigger.
Only Weighs Nine Pounds.
The gun weighs a lbs. and the bayo.
net II pounds. 1t Is the 12-guage pat
tern, with barrels 20 inches long made
from rolled steel. cylinder bored. The
bayonet can be removed and used for
closeup" fighting. A sling is attached
10 the gun the same as TO the rifle 80
that IL may be thrown over the shout
der.
An idea of the effectiveness OF the
gun Is shown in these tests on a two
inch pine board. At so yards the pei
lets wormed their way into the wood
IL inches. At rs yards the shot went In
inch and at 100 years the shot went
in ! inch.
When General Pershing requested
the shot guns we are Of the opinion
that the idea was 10 try and keel
Fritz at home in the evenings. Thous
ands were supplied and these in th'
hands OF men who could use them no
only have kept Fritz at home nights
but have kept him sleepless more thar
one night.
Will Not Replace Rifle.
The shotguns are more efectiv'
than rifles for sentries. The guns vii
not replace the rife in warfare no
win they perform the functions OF
machine gun. II is purely an emerger
cy weapon which has done all that
was intended TO do-and some more
Firing from the hip. holding bac
the trigger and pumping the foreman