POTD: This Was Acceptable for Civilian Use? – The Richardson R5
Sam.S 03.25.24
Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! The Model 5 was a bare-bones, single-shot 12 gauge shotgun designed in 1946 by Iliff Richardson, who had used improvised slamfire shotguns while fighting as a guerrilla against Japanese occupation in WWII. Marketed as an affordable $7 “guerilla gun”, it lacked a trigger, sights, extractor, or other typical shotgun features. The basic 5-part model had no handguard, using only a wingnut for a safety. A 17-part “deluxe” version added a foregrip and trigger-like lever that unlocked the barrel for firing.
To operate, the smoothbore barrel was removed, loaded with a shell, and firmly shoved back, allowing the fixed firing pin to discharge the shotgun. Despite the R5’s wartime fame, the ultra-utilitarian Model 5 sold poorly against available military surplus shotguns. Production ceased in 1947 after around a year, leaving the Model 5 a brief, no-frills footnote in civilian shotgun designs.
“Model: SlamfireType: ShotgunGauge: 12Barrel: 24 inch roundFinish: blueStock: walnut”
Lot 4841: Richardson Slamfire Shotgun 12 – One Richardson Industries R-5 Slam Fire Shotgun and Assorted U.S. Military Uniform Items. (n.d.-j). Rock Island Auction Company. photograph. Retrieved March 24, 2024, from https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/1026/4841/richardson-slamfire-shotgun-12.
