If you’re like me, you probably read everything you could about Viet Nam while growing up and remember hearing about the ‘duck bill’ attachment for the muzzle of the Mossberg designed to spread the shot in a wide horizontal pattern. USN SEAL Chief James “Patches” Watson talked about using the ‘duck bill’ in his book Point Man.
Paradigm SRP, designers of the innovative TALON gyro stabilized gun platform featured here on SSD last year, have worked to develop a modern version of that shot spreading concept fr the combat shotgun. Their creation is the Gator. It is designed to shoot #4 shot like the original as well as 00 buckshot and offers a 6 foot horizontal spread at 12 yards.
Their biggest challenge in modernizing the concept was to correct the breakage issues seen with the original model developed over 40 years ago. Additionally, they’ve improved the mounting. Unlike the duck bill which was welded on the end of the shotgun, the Paradigm Gator uses either a Saiga shotgun adapter, or an internal choke system for numerous other brands of shotguns.
One of the coolest things about the Gator is that they are giving back to the community that originally used the duck bill. A portion of proceeds will go to support the SEAL museum. Feel free to learn more at www.paradigmsrp.com/our-products/gator-shotgun-spreader.
If you’d like an opportunity to win a free Gator, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pages/Paradigm-SRP and “like” Paradigm SRP. They will announce the winner on November 17th.
This is exactly what is needed for search warrants and manhunts in heavily wooded/brushy terrain, not to mention home defense.
Spread is a desirable effect most of the time, contrary to the popular trend to cry for fist-sized patterns @ 25 yards. That is the province of slugs.
Patches is the HEAT! signed my booked this weekend, Awesome LEGENDARY Team Guy…
We have done some work with the A&W diverters in the past. While cool in some respects, the time for this is past. The have some interesting features, but with the use of modern rounds like the “Flight Control” wad you cab get alot longer effective ranges out of shotguns now. For LE use a diverter would be a liablity most of the time, if not always.
A&W at 15 yards with #4 shot.
http://pro-patria.us/Shotgun/AW15yrds.gif
A&W at 7 Yards with #4 shot
http://pro-patria.us/Shotgun/aw7yrds.gif
A&W on the muzzle of a custom Mossberg barrel.
http://pro-patria.us/AWDiverter.gif
One of the good features of the discontinued A&W is that you could still shoot slugs through it.
Hi PP,
On a basic level, the GATOR was designed for similar situations that the duckbill originally was- close range, possibly low light, against moving or multiple targets. Times change, but we don’t feel this concept has passed. For instance, it is finding new uses in terms of breaching, and for engaging vehicles. A side shot to a vehicle through the glass is able to “service” the driver and the passengers quickly. I wish I had something like this overseas for certain situations.
During our discussions with Chief Watson, it became clear to us that the GATOR is relevant for today, and his enthusiasm for the project was contagious. He often talked about the “sawing” action of the #4 shot at close range through the duckbill.
In the above photo, Chief is holding in his right hand the same shotgun he carried in Vietnam, named “sweetheart.” If you visit the SEAL museum, you will not only see her, but an AK that still bears the marks of his #4 buck. It is the same AK as mentioned in his book in regards to him taking out a certain high value target…
We understand that this is a niche product for close range work, but feel it is still valid based on our experiences.
Awesome, always wanted a duckbill since I first red about them in “Men with Green Faces”