The Role of the Shotgun in Walking Point

[Alamo]

While I was sniffing out information related to this thread: T53 Bringback
I ran across some lessons-learned reports relating to other matters. One of them, written by the 35th Infantry Regiment, had a paragraph that caught my eye:

In the jungle most of the meeting engagements with the enemy are from a distance of 15 to 20 feet. In this terrain our point men like to carry the shotgun. It is an excellent close-in weapon especially when the point man turns the corner of a trail and runs head-on into a couple of NVA. We used to have a Sgt E-5 in our A Company, now SSG Sidney S. Hines Jr., who love to walk point. On the border from July 66 to December 66, he killed 15 NVA with a shotgun. In three days time last January he killed seven more NVA. He has since rotated but his skill with a shotgun is still a legend in the Battalion.

https://www.25thida.org/units/infantry/35th-infantry-regiment/35th-lessons-learned/

 

[pitbulld45]

I still love the shotgun.

 

[Tactical Flannel]

Very interesting post. Thank you for sharing.
I also like the shotgun. It was the first longarm I was professionally trained on and still find it to be an effective tool in certain situations.

Stay safe

 

[Amishman44]

The shotgun is a tool...a tool for a specific type of situation (which can be said for almost all guns) but the shotgun definitely has a role...and has a time and place where it is most usable and effective!

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

I was gone for a couple of days awhile back, and threw mine in the safe.
Just happened to get it back out night before last.
Made a change.
Took out the slugs, loaded it up with double ought buck, and put it back next to the nightstand.
Some things just work.

 

[hans1911]

I read a couple books by Chief James Watson, a Navy Seal in Vietnam. He was often point man, and carried an Ithaca shotgun. He was quite fond of the effectiveness.

 

[diver dan]

My buddy was in NAM and he volounteered for point, he told me NVA usually didnt hit point man, they let him go and hit biggest group following him, he is still alive today,musta worked or he just got plain lucky,had quite a few engagments and was happy with gun.

 

[edporch]

My buddy was in NAM and he volounteered for point, he told me NVA usually didnt hit point man, they let him go and hit biggest group following him, he is still alive today,musta worked or he just got plain lucky,had quite a few engagments and was happy with gun.

When I was a kid I had a friend whose older brother was in the Marines in Nam, and right after he came home from Nam, I remember my friend telling me his brother said the same thing among other things.

Let me add that another thing my friend was telling me then that his brother said was that if you want to survive, you have to be prepared to kill anybody that points a weapon at you, even if it's another American.
As a kid that was the most surprising thing my friend told me his brother had said.

 

[Leadeye]

Point man had to be sharp, looking out for the booby traps.

I was sold on shotguns as a close in gun until I got my hands on my first MAC-10.

 

[Wild Deuce]

If you want some more (different) history on the shotgun, Holloway's Raiders is a good read.

 

[Ark]

Sounds like a good example of matching tool to application.

 

[Dead Duck]

Give me some Flechettes and I'll walk point.

 

[gregkl]

I read a couple books by Chief James Watson, a Navy Seal in Vietnam. He was often point man, and carried an Ithaca shotgun. He was quite fond of the effectiveness.

I have one of those Ithaca's. They are fun. I'm going to give it one more effort to learn how to shoot a pistol this year and if I can't figure it out, I'm buying me a decent O/U and am going to shoot shotgun sports. I was always pretty decent with one (learned during my duck hunting years) and I don't have to deal with all my eye/vision problems.

 

[vvet762]

I often wished I had a shotgun while walking point in Nam. When I got back to the World I thought about it. A shot gun takes two hands to reload the next round (unless using an Auto but then too much maintenance). Ammo is heavy and the gun will only hold 5 or 6 rounds. If you use all your ammo your buddies probably will only have .556. Too loud. Too long unless cut off. If you've been hit the kick of a shotgun may hinder you returning fire. The pattern at a close distance won't be very large. An M16 seems pretty good for that mission. But like Leadeye, I agree the the MAC10 may have been pretty sweet.

 

[Nazgul]

We had Ithacas when I was in the Marines. Never carried one in combat. Always thought it would work well.

Don

 

[BE Mike]

Our point men seemed to use shotguns often. They experimented with "chicken plates" (aircrew body armor) as well. One was made a believer of the body armor when he was center punched with a 7.62 x 39 mm round and was able to return fire. Letting the point man walk by was a tactic used in ambushes, but not during surprise encounters.

 

[STFU]

Let me add that another thing my friend was telling me then that his brother said was that if you want to survive, you have to be prepared to kill anybody that points a weapon at you, even if it's another American.

"Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everybody you meet." - James Mattis
(I love this quote)