We just got a couple of these shotguns in at Sparks Firearms and they are awesome to look at. So I took my camera, got some pictures and played with one for a little while. Here’s what I found.
First, looking at the gun, it looks incredibly futuristic, something out of the Alien Movies. But it has some innovative design features that go beyond just the magazine. The gun is lighter than I thought it would be. At 7.25 lbs it feels about the same weight as a modern AR. It is a little light in the front end giving it almost a bullpup feel. It kind of looks like a bullpup with the giant square stock.
What I didn’t notice until I held it up to other shotguns in the shop was how short it is. It still has an 18” barrel to make it legal, but the action makes it shorter. Most shotguns have the pistol grip and then the chamber and ejection port.
From the picture, you can see that the ejection port is over the pistol grip, making the action shorter, or actually looks like some of the action is tucked into the butt stock. The charging handle is on the left side right above the pistol grip and works really well. The other controls are bit more new age. When the gun is set up for a right-handed shooter (everything is reversible), the bolt release is operated by your trigger finger. Just move the finger up and push in. It’s a rocker style catch that you push in the front to release the bolt. Even people with shorter fingers won’t have any problems pushing the release. But according to the company, you will only need it for administrative operations. When the bolt is locked to the rear and you insert a loaded magazine, the bolt automatically goes forward and picks up a shell for you.
The safety is located just above the trigger and looks like an AR safety that is put in backwards. And it operates backwards. I played with it for a quite a while, but can’t for the life of me understand what they were thinking when they designed it that way. It’s the only thing on the gun that I’m not sure about. I like to carry long guns with safeties on until I’m ready to shoot. This one would take a lot of training to get used to.
Most of the models don’t come with sights, just a large rail on the back and a small rail on the front that looks kind of like an AR and fits AR sights. The model I was playing with in the shop is a “TacPack” with a Trijicon RMR sight. The sight is pretty cool but seemed a little small when I looked through it. When I put some LMT AR sights on it, the gun felt very failure. Because of the straight stock and AR sights, it felt much like an odd weighted AR when I shouldered it.
The gun also has rails down the side to mount lights and anything else you want to play with. Slings can be mounted on either side and two points where provided. One sling point in the back of the stock, like a traditional tactical shotgun and one on the front of the rear-rail. The TacPacks come with a Troy Battle sling that looks like something I would have used to carry a machine gun with back in the Marine Corps.
The most innovative part is the magazine. It is four tubes welded together at 90 degrees angles. Each tube holds 4 rounds and looks and works like a traditional shotgun tube magazine. To use it, fill the magazine and then insert the back of the magazine in first and then the front. Some of the videos show the magazine going in very easily, but I had to use my hand as a clamp by holding the magazine and barrel and then squeezing them together to get the front of the magazine to seat.
Really easy, except I’m thinking the barrel will be hot after running through 16 rounds quickly. You may want to wear gloves when shooting this gun. The magazine is a little big and getting extras may be a problem. One of the warnings on the company’s web site says don’t have a “death grip” on the magazine when shooting because you might “impede the movement” of the shells inside the magazine. I’m not sure how I feel about that. I’ve never been able to cause a malfunction on another shotgun by crushing the tube. I won’t know if that will be a problem until I get one to the range to shoot.
Overall, the gun looks really cool. Everyone that handles one in the shop wants one, including me. The only problem, the asking price. They are running $2200 for the bottom line ones, and $3200 for the Trijicon TacPack models. I may not be able to shoot one for a while. The TacPacks come with a Troy Sling, Trijicon RMR, and an extra magazine.
I can’t wait to see how well these will hold up to real use and get my hands on one to shoot. If you want to see one and live in the San Antonio area, Sparks Firearms stocks them. Come by and check one out.
Stay Safe,
Ben
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