November 4, 2007:
After several years of research and field testing, the U.S. Army is
buying 38,000 M26 12 Gauge Modular Accessory Shotgun Systems (MASS). The M26
weighs less than three pounds (2 pounds, 11 ounces) and has a five round
magazine. The M26 is a 16.5 inch long, 12 gauge shotgun and can be operated
right or left handed. It fires solid shot for blasting open closed doors, or
lower velocity, non-lethal (most of the time) rubber slugs for dealing with
hostile crowds without killing people. A stand-alone version weighs 4 pounds, 3
ounces, and is 24 inches long (with the
attached stock collapsed).
The first versions of this weapon weighed nine
pounds and carried only three rounds. The design rapidly evolved into the
current M26. Troops have been testing it in combat for about a year. There were
complaints about the cocking mechanism, which uses a bolt instead of a pump
action (which many troops expressed a preference for.) The final design will
improve the cocking mechanism, and improve the reliability of the magazines.
Currently, troops use a conventional (Mossberg) 12 gauge shotgun for getting
locked doors open in a hurry. The M26 proved very reliable during testing, with
over 15,000 rounds being fired. Large quantities of the M26 will be reaching
the troops next year.
