MASTER BLASTER: XM-26 LSS Ask the U.S. Army how to convert a good weapon into a great weapon, and they'll tell you all about the Masterkey system, whereby standard issue infantry rifles can quickly be converted into weapons of massive destruction.
Was this Ellen Ripley's weapon of choice? The XM-26 LSS.
When intruders enter your home, a good way to scare them off is to use a pump-action shotgun. You needn't fire the shotgun; you only need to pump the handle once -- just enough to let the interlopers know what's coming. Within moments, they'll be running out of your house, never to return again.
Now, imagine how your intruders would react if, say, your pump-action shotgun was part of a rifle/shotgun combination! The U.S. Army knows the answer to that scenario. Since the 1980s, the U.S. Army has been researching rifle/shotgun combinations (a.k.a. "Masterkey" systems). To the Army, a rifle/shotgun combo -- a lightweight shotgun accessory that can be mounted under a standard issue infantry rifle such as the M16A2 or M4A1 carbine -- is of high priority. The "auxiliary weapon" provides soldiers with door-breaching capabilities, increased short-range lethality, and a horde of less-lethal uses (i.e., the firing of tear gas shells or rubber slugs, etc.).
In development since the late 1990s, the XM-26 Lightweight Shotgun System (LSS) is the latest, more improved example of the Masterkey system. It's also the best thing to happen in the world of combinations since Pert Plus (or those TVs with built-in VCRs). Based on its forebear, the mounted Remington 860 shotgun, the XM-26 features a detachable magazine option and is bolt-operated, giving users improved handling. Additionally, it fields a stand-alone mode (for those oh-so special times when you get tired of your pesky rifle), whereby a detachable pistol grip and M4-style collapsible butt stock can be used. All in all, the XM-26 rifle/shotgun combo is something you'd either a) like to have with you out in the field; or b) try to avoid at all costs.
Manufactured by the C-More Systems Company, the XM-26 accessory is an awe-inspiring weapon to look at. When mounted on an M4A1 carbine, the XM-26 makes you wonder if C-More Systems Company's favorite movie happens to be Aliens. You may recall one of the final scenes in that movie where Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) goes in a last ditch effort to find Newt (Carrie Henn) - the little girl taken by the slimy suckers. To protect herself, Ripley takes a rifle/shotgun combo weapon with her, similar in design to the XM-26. Not only did Ripley end up finding Newt, she laid down the smack-down on those acid-spewing critters. Think she could have done that without the shotgun capability of her gun? We think not.
If it worked for Ripley, it can work for our military.
The idea behind the Masterkey system is to save soldiers from having to carry two separate weapons to perform two separate missions. With an auxiliary weapon such as the XM-26, soldiers can have both a rifle capability (for medium-range fire) and a shotgun capability (for short-range fire). The XM-26 specifically supports combat operations in urban areas. Additionally, the XM-26 is a light attachment. It is 1/3 the weight of a conventional shotgun. It weighs 1.02kg as an attachment and weighs 1.9kg as a stand-alone weapon.
One drawback to the Masterkey philosophy is that the mounted attachment has no sights. The shooter, instead, has to use the rifle sight to aim the attached shotgun, causing slight firing discrepancies. But, considering the weapon is intended for short range firing, the downside is fairly minor.
At present, small numbers of XM-26 shotguns have been issued to US troops in Afghanistan. According to sources, the weapons have been well received by those that use them. To make matters better for our Armed Forces, the XM-26 attachment is planned to be compatible with the next American assault rifle - Heckler and Koch's XM-8. Now that is a weapon Ripley would be proud of.
XM-26 LSS : The Skinny
Name:
XM-26 LSS
Type of Equipment:
Mounted shotgun
Killer Features:
Extremely light weight (1/3 the weight of conventional shotguns.)
Simple, reliable, rugged.
Saves soldier from having to carry two weapons.
Can be used as an auxiliary weapon or as a stand alone weapon.
