Soldiers with the 554th Military Police Company conduct range training and qualification on the M26 Modular Accessory Shotgun System at Panzer Range Complex in Böblingen. The M26 MASS, a 12-gauge manually operated shotgun, mounts directly under the M4 carbine or fires as a standalone weapon.

Weighing just three pounds in its underbarrel configuration, the system cycles through a straight-pull bolt that operates identically from either side, accommodating left- and right-handed shooters without modification.

Soldiers qualify across its full mission envelope: door-breaching slugs for forced entry, less-lethal rubber rounds and chemical-dispersing shells for crowd control, and conventional buckshot for close-quarters lethality.

The versatility resembles a tactical musician’s instrument more than a point-and-shoot tool, requiring the operator to understand load selection and read each engagement before firing.

Photo credit: U.S. Army photo by Lucien Phillips