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Super Shotguns in Iraq
May 13, 2005: The U.S. military is testing a 12 gauge automatic shotgun in Iraq. The Auto Assault 12 (AA12) has a rate of fire of 300 rounds per minute and uses either an 8-round box magazine or a 20 round drum magazine. Recoil on the system has been reduced to that of a light rifle, due to a sophisticated recoil system. The low rate of fire makes it possible to easily fire bursts of one, two, or three shots and is capable of using and mixing all types of 12 gauge ammunition, from shot to solid slugs, as well as non-lethal rounds. Allegedly, Iraqi insurgents have little respect for the M4 rifle and the 5.56mm round, but they fear shotguns.
Being turned into a colander does that to people
If that's not enough of a firepower increase at the squad level, the Marine Corps is testing a family of 12 gauge shells designed to deliver blast, fragmentation, and high-explosive armored piercing projectiles out to 200 meters. The high-explosive armor piercing projectile uses a shaped charge that has been demonstrated to put a 1 inch hole in quarter-inch steel plate. A total of 100 projectiles have been bought for testing as well as some quantity for "experimental use" in Iraq.

At first glance, packing an armor-piercing charge into a 12 gauge round sounds like overkill, but Iraqi terrorists are becoming increasingly sophisticated in fortifying themselves, vehicles, and fixed positions. Foreign fighters are using Russian-style body armor in their raids. Suicide bombers driving vehicles often wear body armor for protection until they get "on target" and some vehicles have been reportedly hardened with bullet-resistant glass and armor plate. In one incident, terrorists in a basement/crawlspace used a Russian machine gun equipped with armor-piercing rounds to shoot through a concrete floor to attack Marines. The American troops had no effective way of firing back and ultimately had to call for an air strike with a 500 pound smart bomb to eliminate the resistance. A combination of 12 gauge armor-piercing rounds with a shotgun would provide a weapon capable of effectively stopping an up-armored vehicle or larger truck without the extra weight and expense of a dedicated anti-tank weapon. It would also provide an enhanced capability in urban warfare with a convenient and familiar method of employment.

More info: Military Police System, out of Piney Flats, Tennessee, has come out with a unique select-fire 12-gauge combat/tactical shotgun called the "Auto Assault 12 Automatic Shotgun", or "AA12 Automatic Shotgun". When fired on full-auto, the Auto Assault 12 Automatic Shotgun employs the "Constant-Recoil" principle, which is a recoil attenuation/mitigation system that was first invented by legendary small arms designer/developer L. James Sullivan for the Ultimax 100 LMG (Light Machine Gun), back in the late 1970's. Constant-Recoil allows a lightweight gun to outhit a heavier gun on full-auto. Since it utilizes "Constant-Recoil", the bolt group of the AA12 Automatic Shotgun never impacts the rear of the receiver, but rather runs out on the long 2-stage recoil/operating spring. This action eliminates the majority of felt-recoil, and thus greatly enhances controllability on full-auto. The result is more hits on target.
The Auto Assault 12 (AA-12) Automatic Shotgun is manufactured from "corrosion resistant, high impact, heat-treated stainless steels and high-impact plastics". Supposedly, the Auto Assault 12 shotgun requires no lubrication (unconfirmed/unverified). Rounds are fed from an 8-round box magazine, 20-round drum mag, or 32-round drum mag. That's a lot of 12-gauge firepower in a select-fire, fully controllable package. The Auto Assault 12 (AA12) Automatic Shotgun also features a quick-change barrel system. Barrel lengths are from 13" to 18".
Posted by: Steve 2005-05-13
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=119073