
Stevens 77a in Vietnam
#1
Posted 12 October 2008 - 02:23 PM
thanks
JD
#2
Posted 12 October 2008 - 04:07 PM
Thomas Swearingen in THE WORLD'S FIGHTING SHOTGUNS says contract specs for these weapons included a relatively short butt for use by Asiatics. (page 284)
This next is from memory, and subject to correction, but I recall reading an eyewitness report of someone seeing a heap of these shotguns rusting away in a warehouse, allegedly because the RVN government was more afraid of arming their citizenry than they were of the enemy. If true, this might explain why so few came back to the US. Again, that's unverified.
#3
Posted 14 October 2008 - 02:57 AM
I had a conversation with a civilian member to the Army Material Command concerning maintenance of US military shotguns; part of this covered the 77E. They were very unhappy that the Stevens 77E was being issued to US troops. It was felt that this shotgun was just not robust enough for combat use.
If I remember correctly, I read on another forum (one of the Enfield forums) that some NVA captured US Military Stevens Model 77Es were imported into Australia and Canada. The comment was also made of what poor condition they were in.
45B20
#4
Posted 22 October 2008 - 08:07 AM
During 1967 & 68 I was a Small Arms Repairman in Viet Nam, and the military Stevens Model 77E was the most common shotgun we worked on. Its’ great failing was the attachment of the Stock to the Trigger Guard, which was made of a non-steel alloy (aluminum I suppose) was easily broken, and this Trigger Guard was not available as a repair part (at that time). Interestingly the military 77E had more parts in common with the Savage Model 30 than it did with the civilian version of the Stevens 77E.
I had a conversation with a civilian member to the Army Material Command concerning maintenance of US military shotguns; part of this covered the 77E. They were very unhappy that the Stevens 77E was being issued to US troops. It was felt that this shotgun was just not robust enough for combat use.
If I remember correctly, I read on another forum (one of the Enfield forums) that some NVA captured US Military Stevens Model 77Es were imported into Australia and Canada. The comment was also made of what poor condition they were in.
45B20
45B20 -
I was curious if you ever encountered any Stevens 520 or 620 shotguns during the Vietnam war?
#5
Posted 22 October 2008 - 11:59 AM
Yes, at one time or another, I inspected almost all the US Military shotguns in use at the time, including the Win 97. The exceptions would be the Win 1200 and the Rem 11/ Savage 720, there is nothing in my log book nor do I remember even seeing any. My log book indicates I worked on a few 520s, but again the 77E made up the vast majority of our shotgun works. The ‘road’ MPs appeared to have most of the 520s and 620s. From my notes it appears that I thought the 520 was the better of the two. The Ithaca 37 was the best shotgun of that time.
The one “manual” we had for the 77E limited the number of parts that could be ordered and even then, they were slow in coming. A few parts (mostly magazine) from the 520 would work on the 77E.
45B20
#6
Posted 22 October 2008 - 12:22 PM
So, I appreciate hearing that a WWII era shotgun was used in that war. Thank you again. http://www.usmilitar...tyle_emoticons/default/thumbsup.gif
#7
Posted 22 October 2008 - 05:34 PM
45B20
#8
Posted 22 October 2008 - 08:29 PM
It mentions that while many surplus military shotguns were sold on the civilian market after WWII, the Winchester Model 12 and Stevens M520-30 and M620A trench guns were the only combat shotguns that remained classified as "Standard".
As US involvement in Vietnam grew, many of these shotguns were refurbished "as necessary" and used for Vietnam service. Later Canfield notes that the most common of these refurbished WWII guns were the Model 12 and M520-30 trench guns. (The most common combat shotgun used in Vietnam was the Stevens M77E followed by the Ithaca model 37 riot).
Photo is from the American Rifleman article. Shows a trooper of the 173rd Airborne Bd holding a Stevens Model 520-30 trench gun.
~Jeff
#9
Posted 23 October 2008 - 03:48 AM
#10
Posted 29 October 2008 - 07:30 AM
Apparently a number of Stevens 520 riot guns were surplussed off; I recall seeing repeated ads for them in the early '60s, during the mail order gun sales era. In the early '80s, for a time the Stevens 620 riot gun could be found at gunshows. I've no idea where these came from.
#11
Posted 30 October 2008 - 03:43 AM
John
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