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The M26-MASS (Modular Accessory Shotgun System) is a
The M26-MASS is a lightweight underbarrel shotgun configured to be secured to a main rifle, developed by C-More Systems and manufactured by Vertu Corporation and originally marketed toward special operations forces. It attracted the interest of soldiers being deployed to Afghanistan who wanted a lightweight system that could eliminate the need to carry additional weapons.
The M26-MASS had been in development at the
*Caliber: 12 gauge
*Operation: Manual Straight pull
C-More Competition websiteM26-MASS 12 Gauge Modular Accessory Shotgun System (MASS)
Fact sheet
patent
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Bolt-action shotguns Shotguns of the United States
shotgun
A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small pellet-like spherical sub- pr ...
configured as an underbarrel ancillary weapon
An ancillary weapon is a weapon used for secondary or auxiliary purpose, such as a sidearm. Until the early 20th century, an officer's side arm was typically a sword, with the inclusion of a revolver or pistol between the mid-19th century to Wor ...
attachment mounted onto the handguard
A barrel shroud is an external covering that envelops (either partially or full-length) the barrel of a firearm, to prevent unwanted direct contact with the barrel (e.g. accidental collision with surrounding objects, or the user accidentally tou ...
of a service rifle
A service rifle (or standard-issue rifle) is a rifle a military issues to regular infantry. In modern militaries, this is typically a versatile and rugged battle rifle, assault rifle, or carbine suitable for use in nearly all environments. M ...
, usually the M16
The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-roun ...
/ M4 family of United States military
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...
, essentially making the host weapon a combination gun
A combination gun is a firearm that usually comprises at least one rifled barrel and one smoothbore barrel, that is typically used with shot or some types of shotgun slug. Most have been break-action guns, although there have been other desi ...
. It can also be operated as a stand-alone shotgun by attachment to a pistol grip
On a firearm or other tools, a pistol grip is a distinctly protruded handle underneath the main mechanism, to be held by the user's hand at a more vertical (and thus more ergonomic) angle, similar to the how one would hold a conventional pis ...
/collapsible buttstock
A gunstock or often simply stock, the back portion of which is also known as a shoulder stock, a buttstock or simply a butt, is a part of a long gun that provides structural support, to which the barrel, action, and firing mechanism are attache ...
module. Rollout commenced in 2013, replacing the M500 shotguns in service.
Development
The M26-MASS is a lightweight underbarrel shotgun configured to be secured to a main rifle, developed by C-More Systems and manufactured by Vertu Corporation and originally marketed toward special operations forces. It attracted the interest of soldiers being deployed to Afghanistan who wanted a lightweight system that could eliminate the need to carry additional weapons.
The M26-MASS had been in development at the U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cl ...
's Soldier Battle Lab since the late 1990s. The idea was to provide soldiers with lightweight accessory weapons which could be mounted underbarrel of the standard issue M16 rifle
The M16 rifle (officially designated Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of military rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 rifle was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-r ...
or M4 carbine
The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO, gas-operated, magazine-fed carbine developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle.
The M4 is extensive ...
. These would provide soldiers with additional capabilities, such as: door breaching using special slug
Slug, or land slug, is a common name for any apparently shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusc. The word ''slug'' is also often used as part of the common name of any gastropod mollusc that has no shell, a very reduced shell, or only a ...
s, very short-range increased lethality
Lethality (also called deadliness or perniciousness) is how capable something is of causing death. Most often it is used when referring to diseases, chemical weapons, biological weapons, or their toxic chemical components. The use of this ter ...
using 00 buckshot
A shotgun shell, shotshell or simply shell is a type of rimmed, cylindrical (straight-walled) cartridges used specifically in shotguns, and is typically loaded with numerous small, pellet-like spherical sub-projectiles called shot, fired thro ...
, and less-lethal capabilities using teargas
Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ad ...
shells, rubber slugs, rubber pellets, or other non-lethal rounds.
The original idea was based on the Knight's Armament Company Masterkey system, which dates back to the 1980s and originally comprised a shortened, tube-fed Remington 870
The Remington Model 870 is a pump-action shotgun manufactured by Remington Arms Company, LLC. It is widely used by the public for shooting sports, hunting and self-defense, as well as by law enforcement and military organizations worldwide.
...
shotgun mounted under an M16 rifle or M4 carbine. The M26-MASS improved upon the original Masterkey concept with a detachable magazine option and more comfortable handling, thanks to a bolt-operated system which is manually cycled for reloading and is characterized by a bolt which must be moved backward to remove a spent case and forward to chamber a new cartridge. The relatively large bolt handle is located closer to the rear rather than the slide on the Masterkey pump shotgun, and thus is easier to cycle in combat. The handle can be easily attached on either side of the bolt. The detachable magazine offers quicker reloading and change of ammunition types.
The M26-MASS was chosen by the U.S. Military over the Masterkey as a breaching tool. Small numbers of M26-MASS shotguns were issued to U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The current contract calls for the delivery of 9,000 shotguns. In February 2012, the first unit was fully equipped with M26-MASS. At the same time the U.S. Army is in the process of replacing the M500s with the M26s.
War in Afghanistan
In May 2008, the Army announced it would procure 35,000 units. The first M26-MASS shotguns were procured and fielded to military police and engineer units in 2010. However, some units in both Iraq and Afghanistan were issued the M26-MASS in small quantities as early as 2003. Full initial fielding began in 2011.Specifications
*Caliber: 12 gauge
*Operation: Manual Straight pull bolt-action
Bolt-action is a type of manual firearm action that is operated by ''directly'' manipulating the bolt via a bolt handle, which is most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the weapon (as most users are right-handed).
Most bolt-actio ...
.
*Capacity: 3 or 5 round detachable magazine
A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...
.
*Ammunition: 2.75 (70mm) and 3 in (76mm) lethal, non-lethal and breaching rounds.
*Barrel length: 7.75 in (197 mm) with integral breaching stand-off adapter.
*Under-barrel configuration:
**Overall length: 16.5 in (419 mm)
**Weight: 2 lb 11 oz (1.22 kg)
*Stand-alone configuration:
**Overall length: 24 in (610 mm) (stock collapsed)
**Weight: 4 lb 3 oz (1.90 kg)
See also
*Combat shotgun
A combat shotgun is a shotgun issued by militaries for warfare. The earliest shotguns specifically designed for combat were the trench guns or trench shotguns issued in World War I. While limited in range, the multiple projectiles typically ...
* KAC Masterkey
*List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces
This is a list of weapons served individually by the United States armed forces. While the general understanding is that crew-served weapons require more than one person to operate them, there are important exceptions in the case of both squad a ...
(Shotguns
A shotgun (also known as a scattergun, or historically as a fowling piece) is a long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge known as a shotshell, which usually discharges numerous small pellet-like spherical sub-proj ...
)
*M203 grenade launcher
The M203 is a single-shot 40 mm under-barrel grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older stand-alone M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilizes the high-low propulsion system to keep recoil forces ...
* M320 Grenade Launcher Module
* MAUL (shotgun)
* Saiga-12
References
External links
C-More Competition website
Fact sheet
{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Bolt-action shotguns Shotguns of the United States