M26 MASS shotgun Issued to members of 101st Airborne Infantry Division

The 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment (a.k.a. 2nd BCT/101st Airborne Infantry Division) is the first unit to field the M26 Modular Accessory Shotgun System. According to a story on ClarksvilleOnline.com, Strike Brigade’s engineers and military police with H&H were trained up over three days by members of Picatinny Arsenal’s PM Soldier Weapons after a ceremony held Feb. 7, 2012, at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky.

The MASS is designed to aid in faster transitions from the shotgun to the rifle during breaching operations, but has other applications including less-than-lethal rounds. It mounts beneath the barrel of an M4 and can be attached to a stock and used as a standalone shotgun. It is a 12-gauge system and has a five round magazine.

I can’t wait to hear how it’s received by Joe. Sure, it’s great to always have a shotgun at the ready. But, I wonder how long it will take for guys to start bitching about always lugging a shotgun on the front of their weapon. There’s a big difference between 4lbs on the front of an M4 vs. 7lbs of a Remington 870 on their back. Like the adoption of any new piece of gear, it’s going to be a training issue as much for leaders as grunts. Commanders are going to have to learn to deploy these weapons appropriately or risk guys “forgetting” them when they step. I suspect the compact M26 will see more duty as a standalone weapon than it will attached to carbines.

U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Joe Padula, 2nd BCT PAO, 101st Abn. Div.