Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-10-27
GEORGIAN ORIGINATED
TRENCH SHOTGUN IDEA.
Weapon Is Good Old Pcaccmakcr OF
Former Days Very Much
Improved.
IS sPLENDIDLY EFFECTIVE
Has Stopped Many Il Hun Raid, and
Only Umbrella Which VIII Avail
Against It's Shower OF Lead Is an
Armored Tank.
by I.ETER T.. CARNEY.

greatest contribution to tho war.
through the expert handling OF the
trench shotgun tho Germans learned
that tho Yanks were coming.
At the first taste of the pellets the
Huns began to whine and then to writs
notes calling us '.barbarians." Ger
many, too
quite naturally, lot of people want
GU TO know something about the trench
gun. quite number of writer's have
written lot about the gun
Well add TO the lot and try to give
every bit OF information about the shot
gun that Is worthy OF publication.
IT is the good old short barrel shot
gun that was the greatest pcaccmakcr
in the carly days Of the west ana
southwest converted into a formidable
weapon Of war.
Three score years ago il was the
mandy piece of the shcriffs who hunted
the outlaws. prison guards. cxprcss
messengers and stage coach guards. and
II did yeoman service.
hen America took a hand i'm the
war Georgia engineer by the name Of
SAG Eagor ,6 began ,, Eliminating on ways to
brought him to the discarded Weapon s.osa
TOWNS, 1t was the Big idea. 'P
ne suggested the utilization of 81.
=
partment and the suggestion met viii,
tavor: The improved Winchester li:,t
gun 1897 model. six shot, hand opera
ca, single barrel pump shotgun WAS
examined and found worthy.
but there was one problem to be met
Ihat was the placing of the baYonet.
inc oarrcl of the gun was quite thin
and did not offer much support for a
n omyonet: This is where Yankee ingc-
the deadliest short range weapon ever
conceived or used by man.
The weakness of the barrel was
coat or jacket. which Is perforated and
held a short distance away from the
par barre H.. pro oor and forms an air cham
attached. o'e'
This Jacket prevents the scorchins
s5eiis fire. snd The The maeasine holds i've
six s6ets m ma In It capable Of firing
the trigger and work the pump handM
, mis- we We mi. might assert, Is mighty faEt
WEAPON WILL FIRE
FIFTY CARTRIDGES A MINUTE,
These shells contain 8 IL drains or
smokeleSs powder. 90 buckshot load.
Pellet The IL f siss Of aeabs
shooting. and others ioaa'as ier' him. Hmm
means $50 slugs. u veritnbIo s!tower of
lead. would be sprayed over "A Toward
sector. With hundreds OF :nssa guns
In use can imagine the result.
No column of troops could stand at
Close range before a line Of .nnI armed
WITH trench shotguns. In tho past
these guns have cowed mobs and upset
mass formations. It is unwisc to stand
IN front OF theni-especially when they
arc IN the hands OF one who might pull
the trigger.
The gun weighs seven and one-half
pounds and the bayonet one and one.
i nal5 p @i,h (. 1t is the l2gapge pat
made from rolled steel. cylinder bope,s
fhc bayonct can be removed and ussd
Tor d9r . Closeup" lighting. "a sling is
the rife so that it may be thro wn
over the shoulder.
An idea OF the effectiveness of the
men pine board. At fifty yards the
pellets wormed their way into the
wood d,, one and three quarter inches.
hrce-1uartcrs OF inch and at 100
Yards the shot went in one-quarter or
When General Pershins requested m.
shotsuns We arc OF the opinion that the
,aea vas to try and keep Fritz at
sU Us n 'n and sve tnnss were
men who could use them not only have
Kept Fritz at homo nights but have
hept MIN sleepless moro than one
WILL NOT REPLACE
RIFLE OR MACHINE GIN
The shotsuns arc more effective than
rlnes for sentries. The guns viii ny.
replace the rifles in warfare nor VIII
they perform the functions OF n ma
chine gun. 1t is purely an emergency
weapon which has done ali that II wa
intended to do-and some more.
flrlns from the hip. holding bac.,
the trigger and pumping the forehanil
the shooter can lay down a perfect bar
rage IN front of him that will bo eff
lective for more than 90 yards. THIS
gives an idea OF the value OF tho gun
IN the hands OF sentries. II .lrrias
more terrors into the hearts oe the
enemy than any other instrum,nt q;
destruction tSat has been used
The only umbrella that will a,s;st
a anyone, when the trench shotgun is
sho"erinS pellets over the universe is
an armored tank.
fhe guns are mainly in the hands o.
trapShooterS, men who lcarne 70 Shoot
at clay targets at the gun club Trap-
shooters are sportsmen and nave used
the guns co defect and explode hand
sTenades thrown by the enemy
Rand STenadeS explode four seconds
AFTER they are tl-own--and i! thew arc
missed by the shooter he nays for Tic
miss with his life. The commentaries
o. the shot viii! check the G-r-ade ard
cause 1t to explode l.ir In. enemy
trench which is fatal I, the thrower
MAJOR PEEBl ES DEAn