Heh. Now here's some accessorizing I can get into.
M-26 Photo by PEO Soldier May 23, 2008 The Army expects to field 35,000 M-26 12-gauge modular accessory shotgun systems in the fall to infantry, MPs and Special Forces operators in theater. The MASS was designed to attach to an M-16 or M-4 but also comes with a collapsible stock to be used as a stand-alone weapon.
That pic is impressive enough - but when you see it closer to full size, it gets even more impressive.
Well, until you read what's written on the side of the shotgun receiver.
I still wouldn't want to stare one of these down in an alley or small room... a real one, anyway.
I'll take that one for a Arsenal display when they're done with it, however.
Update: For those, like Argent, who can't read the receiver in the linked pic above - here's a hopefully better version.
M-26 Photo by PEO Soldier May 23, 2008 The Army expects to field 35,000 M-26 12-gauge modular accessory shotgun systems in the fall to infantry, MPs and Special Forces operators in theater. The MASS was designed to attach to an M-16 or M-4 but also comes with a collapsible stock to be used as a stand-alone weapon.
That pic is impressive enough - but when you see it closer to full size, it gets even more impressive.
Well, until you read what's written on the side of the shotgun receiver.
I still wouldn't want to stare one of these down in an alley or small room... a real one, anyway.
I'll take that one for a Arsenal display when they're done with it, however.
Update: For those, like Argent, who can't read the receiver in the linked pic above - here's a hopefully better version.
Sweet looking mock-up though. As a former MP (and cop) I'd much rather have the 12 Gauge for MOUT (and other missions) over the 40mm. Nothing like a slug or two... or maybe some 00 Buckshot... to get a bad-guy's attention. *GRIN*
Paul
With the rifle magazine rambo clipped up like in this photo, is there an interference issue with the ejection port for the rifle? Not being as experienced as some of the posters here I may be completely off base.
It does look like the extra mag night cause ejection-related malfunctions. I'm almost positive that, if the ejection port cover was closed when the mags were inserted like that, it won't be able to fully open.
If the SCOTUS were to be of like mind with me (and a lot of other gun enthusiast and bloggers), the M26 should be the final nail in the coffin of the NFA. The US military now fields, or is soon to field in the case of the M26, as infantry equipment, a short barrelled rifle (M4-14.5"), multiple full-auto weapons, and now a short barrelled shotgun.
That won't matter fighting up 5th Avenue, but when you get to Central Park...
Wikipedia has a high res image of the mounting system.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:XM26_2_highRes.jpg
For what it's worth, YES, you'll get somebody's attention. But for them, not fast enough.
Grumpy
;^ )
I ask, what can you do with an automatic rifle/40mm combo that you can't do with an automatic rifle?
To answer your question, it's called versatility.
1. Fin stabilized OC tear gas projectile
2. Bean bags and/or marking dye bean bags
3. Fin stabilized Rubber rocket
4. Rubber buckshot (aka stingers)
5. Flash Bang ammo
6. Pepper Spray ammo
7. Flechette rounds
8. Door breaching round
9. Dual load, slug and buck shot
10. Dual slug round
11. Armor piercing sabot
12. Good old fashioned 00 Buck or Deer Slug/Sabot
Just to name a few.
Oh, yeah. The movie "Predator" starring Arnold Schwarzennegger. One of the characters had a shotgun mounted under the barrel of his M-16.
I'm not sure how practical this rig is, honestly. To use the shotgun parts, you've got a "Reach around" problem that (censored) with the ergonomics something fierce, plus the huge weed-and-seed-catcher hanging off the forearm-which forearm is interacting with the barrel since that's how AR-15 style rifles that DON'T have the aftermarket grips are set up, plus the whole assembly looks like a real kidney-killer when you're not carrying it on an "around the front" sling. Over all, it looks to me like a real pain in the ass to actually USE.
Intimidating looking as hell, though, and a few photos of guys carrying these things should be good for recruiting posters and movie makers.
Get featured here.
Unless you're a LEO who sticks said auto rifle's mag in backwards...
As for why do we find ourselves with this thing?
The troops asked for a door-breaker.
Someone decided that giving up a rifle and inserting a shotgun, or, alternatively, just *adding* a shotgun to the squad wasn't the way we wanted to go.
Then, of course, we had to let the Good Idea Fairy take a shot at it, too - but we did at least keep it a common caliber.
But I'd have to go rummage through stuff to find that out. I think I'll just ask PM Soldier Weapon what the Official Story is, and see what pops up.
I have always had the assumption that a military assault rifle is primarily designed for infantry to use as a war fighting tool.
The buckshot wont kill anyone any deader than the rifle rounds will. Rifle rounds also have the added usability of being viable for all ranges from point blank to near the limit of unaided vision.
The grenade launcher attachment is good in that it gives indirect and hard target engagement utility at the rifle squad level. There's nothing a shotgun attachment can do for an infantryman at war that a grenade launcher cant do, and do better.
The rest of the things you mention are more aligned to LEO type utility. Designing a weapon attachment for LEO use has points of merit, but I fail to understand how it can add any value to an already over encumbered infantryman.
For counter insurgency, it may have some usefulness. But, even though counter insurgency is all the rage in the popular discussion these days, it is not the end all, be all of our current war fighting needs. And even in counter insurgency operations, infantrymen have to be able to operate in the same ol' hard fight mode in both urban and rural settings as in all wars of the past.
In my opinion, a shotgun attachment is far outmatched by the utility of the grenade launcher attachment that already exists and is well tested, at least as applies to use by infantry.