I should have been born in the 1970s; that way, I could invest into a lot of companies, own a home for 17 bucks, and have a fleet of muscle cars. Oh and live in the glory days of the shotgun as a tactical weapon. In the 1980s, the shotgun still ruled the police long gun market, and companies like Wilson Arms Co. were producing some fairly radical shotguns like the WP870 and the Executive Protection shotgun.
The shotgun’s appeal remained strong with law enforcement. Even a radical-looking shotgun was likely an easier sell than a submachine gun or rifle at this time. Pump shotguns, in particular, could be cut and trimmed in almost all directions, and the gun still runs fine and can still be quite effective.
Wilson Arms Co. and The WP870
The story of Wilson Arms Co. and Jim Wilson comes out of Brunswick, Georgia, and was most famous for the Witness Protection 870, or WP870 series shotguns. It’s often touted that he produced these guns for the Marshal’s Service, which isn’t exactly true. Deputy Marshal Lin Jordahl came up with the concept of a super short shotgun for the Marshal’s Service. He brought that design to Armorer Gene Thompson in 1982.
Thompson developed the original super short shotgun, which became known as the Marshal Service Short Shotgun. It was a Remington 870 with a 14.5-inch barrel and a bird’ s-head-style pistol grip. Gene Thompson modified 870 Wingmasters with 20-inch barrels. The Marshal Service approved the design, and they were going to build 250 of them. Jim Wilson got the contract to convert Remington 870 stocks into the bird’s head pistol grip.
Sometime later, he produced the Witness Protection 870 as a commercial product. The WP870 guns were nearly identical to the Marshal Service Short Shotgun. They had short barrels, between 12.5 and 14.5 inches, and bird’s head style grips, and were either short barrel shotguns or AOWs. The difference came down to their production method and how Wilson Arms Co. filed the ATF forms.
This specific configuration became somewhat famous. It wasn’t wildly successful, but it became somewhat iconic. We see various WP-style shotguns in pop culture, like the film Book of Eli, and the movie Eraser. Another company, Scattergun Technology, also produced a Witness Protection 870, which I believe may have led to some legal action by Wilson Arms Co. over the name.
The Executive Protection Model
A less well-known shotgun from Wilson Arms Co. is the Executive Protection model. This gun was even smaller than the WP870. Over the years, the size has varied, but the original guns featured 7.9-inch barrels. To make these guns work, Wilson Arms Co. had to shorten the action bars and fabricate a folding vertical grip rather than a traditional pump.
A normal pump wouldn’t work. It’s too long and didn’t have enough room to travel rearward. The vertical grip offered plenty of room to cycle the action. The grip could fold to reduce the bulk of the gun and to increase concealment. The rear pistol grip is also vertical and gone is the bird’s head grip. The Executive Protection was produced from both Mossberg 500 and Remington 870 guns.
Guns this small would only hold two to three rounds in the tube. With one in the chamber, you have less than five on a good day. The Executive Protection model prized size and concealment more than anything else.
The gun found its way into the hands of Tubbs on Miami Vice. Tubbs always preferred a short shotgun, and in season 4, the Executive Protection became his flavor of the month. The Executive Protection created an entire genre of AOW-style shotguns. Wilson Arms Co. doesn’t get the credit it deserves.
A Lasting Legacy
The Marshal Service Short Shotgun deserves credit as the original super short shotgun. However, it was never a commercial gun. The WP870 and its commercial availability help propel this format to the next level. The grip in particular helped create the current crop of TAC 14s and Mossberg Shockwaves.
Companies like Safety Harbor Firearms and Serbu both produced crazy small AOWs in similar configurations. Mossberg even produced a series of AOWs in a very similar configuration. The Executive Protection model isn’t as well known as the WP870, but it made an impact.
Jim Wilson and Wilson Arms Co. aren’t talked about much these days, and it seems as if the company is no longer producing radical shotguns. As a shotgun nerd, it’s most certainly a company I’m aware of and appreciate.
