Stevens Model 77
J. Stevens Arms Company (Savage Arms) · Shotgun · Discontinued · 1954
Also known as: Savage Model 77, Stevens Model 77E, Model 77E Riot
Overview
The Stevens Model 77 is an American pump-action shotgun first cataloged in 1954 by the J. Stevens Arms Company, a division of Savage Arms. A simple, affordable sporting and utility gun, it chambers 2.75-inch 12 gauge shells (also offered in 16, 20, 28 gauge and .410 bore) fed from a tubular magazine, with a hammer-fired bottom-ejection action. Its best-known derivative is the military Model 77E riot shotgun, fitted with a 20-inch cylinder-bore barrel and a shortened stock, which became one of the most widely used combat shotguns of the Vietnam War.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3100 g (109.3 oz) |
| Overall Length | 978 mm (38.50") |
| Barrel Length | 505 mm (19.88") |
| Action Type | Pump Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Tubular |
| Muzzle Velocity | 400 m/s (1312 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2560 J (1888 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 40 m (44 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Smoothbore |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 12 Gauge · primary — also known as 12GA, 12 Bore
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Tubular Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Cross Bolt Safety
- Features: Tubular Magazine, Smoothbore Barrel, Wood Stock, Bottom Ejection
Variants
- Stevens Model 77E - Military Riot
- Stevens Model 77H - Short Barrel Riot
Service history
Operators
- Army of the Republic of Vietnam · adopted 1962 · as Model 77E
- United States Army · adopted 1963 · as Shotgun, Riot Type, 12 Gauge, Model 77E
Conflicts
- Vietnam War (1955-1975)
Production
Estimated total produced: 69,097 · Production years: 1954-1971
Approximately 69,097 military Model 77E shotguns were produced under U.S. government contracts in 1962-1963, primarily for the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. Civilian sporting production ran from 1954 into the early 1970s.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Discontinued: 1971
Notes
Specifications listed reflect the military Model 77E configuration (20-inch barrel, five-round magazine). The civilian sporting Model 77 was typically supplied with a 26 to 30 inch barrel and choke.
Background
Equipped with a rubber recoil pad and a stock shortened roughly an inch for the smaller stature of South Vietnamese troops, the Model 77E was the first U.S. combat shotgun fitted with a recoil pad and became the most prolific shotgun of the Vietnam War.