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Photo Of The Day and we have the M500 Shotgun on the flight deck of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60), during a visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) gun shoot. The Paul Hamilton is part of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, in the U.S. 7th Fleet conducting routine operations. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with Allies and partners. The ship is named after Paul Hamilton, who was the third Secretary of the Navy and served in that role from 1809 to 1813.
The M500 shotgun is a pump-action shotgun that was originally developed by the American firearms manufacturer Mossberg & Sons in the late 1960s. As you can see below, there were other firearms present as well.
USS Paul Hamilton is armed with a variety of weapons systems, including the Aegis combat system, which is a sophisticated command and control system that allows the ship to track and engage multiple targets simultaneously.
Below: U.S. Navy Retail Services Specialist 3rd Class Dylan Samuel, from Houston, fires an M9 pistol.
Reloading the M500.
U.S. Navy Lt. j.g. David Preuss, from South Bend, Ind., inspects an M4 carbine before the visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) gun shoot.
Images by Petty Officer 2nd Class Elliot Schaudt, USS Paul Hamilton.