They were issued almost entirely with paper cartridges. In the extremely wet conditions of the trenches, they would often soak up water, causing them to expand and being unable to cycle in the actions of shotguns. This meant that shotguns really could only work in single shot, so “slam-firing” was nigh impossible. Their reputation was made on the jungle islands in WW2, where they were issued with proper brass cartridges. via /r/HistoryMemes https://ift.tt/2u3ly4i
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