I am sure many dead deer would argue that yes buckshot is lethal at 50 yards. If you need proof, Brass Fetcher tested buckshot against ballistic gelatin at 50 yards and then managed to chronograph it at 50 yards (no small feat).
Thanks to Jim for the link.
Surefire has updated their Dedicated Shotgun Forend (DSF) Weapon Light line of products. They attached to a range of pump-action shotguns replacing the factory handgrip/foreend and have a 600 lumen light and switches built in.
SureFire has completely re-invented its Dedicated Shotgun Forend WeaponLights from the top. The new DSF-Series Shotgun Forend models are the latest addition to SureFire’s class of integrated weapon-mounted lights. All DSF models feature an ultra-high-output of 600 lumens on its high setting and 200 lumens on its lower setting. Additional features include a precision reflector, ambidextrous switching, and sleek high-impact polymer that is textured for a secure grip in any tactical situation.
The new Dedicated Shotgun Forend models are designed to replace the factory forends on the Remington 870, Mossberg 500/590, Winchester Defender 1300, SPX and Fabrique Nationale d’Herstal (FNH) P-12, Benelli M1 Super 90 and M2 models. No permanent modification to host weapon is necessary for installation, and all models seamlessly integrate into place of the factory forend.
The DSF features large, tactile momentary and constant-on switches on both sides for precise control by left- and right-handed shooters. Selecting the LED’s output is achieved by activating the light in constant-on mode and then pressing the output-mode selector switch until the desired output level (600 or 200 lumens) is set. The selected output can then be left in constant-on mode or switched to momentary activation, and it stays at that output level until reset. Every DSF-Series WeaponLight also features an integrated system-disable switch to prevent accidental activation during transport, storage, or stealth operations.
All DSF models produce tactical-level light (over 50 lumens) for 3 hours on two 123A lithium batteries.
The DSF-870 MSRP is $375.00. The DSF-1300/F2 and DSF-M1/M2 MSRP for $395.00 and they are available for purchase through authorized SureFire dealer’s, calling SureFire at 800-828-8809, or going online at www.surefire.com
They look very sexy on a gun. I would love to be able to purchase one of these for a semi-auto.
Until the mid 20th century the method used to produce lead shot was to drop molten lead from a great height into water. The liquid lead’s surface tension would form it into almost perfect spheres and it would cool as it fell. The water would break the fall and the shot would be collected and graded. If you have ever used a soldering iron you have probably made shot this way without realizing it. Melted solder (a lead alloy) dripping off a soldering iron from the right height produces small shot.
The Natural Bridge, Virginia
During the Revolutionary War the Virginia Natural Bridge, then owned by Thomas Jefferson, was used to make shot for the American soldiers by dropping the molten lead 245 feet into the creek below. Specially build towers, called Shot Towers, were built around the world to produce shot using this method. You may have driven past shot towers without knowing what they were once used for. In fact you might have driven on top of a shot tower (Route 11 crosses the Natural Bridge).
Clifton Hill Shot Tower, Australia
From the late 19th century onwards techniques to decrease the height shot needed to be dropped down had been developed, lessening the need for tall towers, and by the 1960s lead only needed to be dropped 1″ to produce small diameter shot while large caliber shot was made by simply stamping lead wire into a ball. Many of the shot towers have been knocked down by many still exist. Wikipedia has a list of still-standing Shot Towers.
Phoenix Shot Tower, East Baltimore, Maryland
This old technique is still used in parts of the world to make DIY shotshells or for loading straight into DIY muskets.
Yesterday Steve wrote about the Shot Towers of the USA, Europe and Australia. Today I will tell you about how shotgun ammunition is made in African villages.
In most of Nigeria, we all come from one village or the other.. Of course, with schooling and work, we mostly live in the cities, BUT almost all have a village we belong to, and go visiting few times a year.
In my village, we have a lot of hunters, and what you could call “neighborhood watch guys, who protect the village from armed robbers, and occasional raids from OTHER villagers when there is inter-community strife (Which does happen at least once in 2 years in most cases.)
These hunters rely MOSTLY on locally fabricated guns, which they build out of plumbing pipes, doubled and “cured” in fire…(As barrels) and they carve out stocks from very strong, good wood we have here (Massonia wood, we call it.)
Massonia wood
The firing pin mechanism and trigger are usually very basic systems: something like a “falling block” kind of design, and springs from beds are best used to create the tension.
These are one-shot guns in most cases, though local ingenuity comes into play sometimes, and I have personally seen a double-barrel design (Over and under to boot.)
They work! The hunters almost always come back with game for the cooking pot, and a lot to sell to supplement whatever money made from selling crops and other menial work.
The shells – they are always happy to get empties fired and “thrown away” by city “wastrels” such as myself… I drive home in my 2010 4 x 4 truck, I come with 20 shotshells, set up a target and “waste money” (According to them. Several went and reported this to my dad, who lives in the town right beside the village…”Your son came an was showing off, wasting ammunition…”)
Once they have empties, they make their own gunpowder: sulfur, ash, other components I really do not know… Ground together and mixed thoroughly..
They pour this (In most cases crude, instinctive measurement handed down from generation to generation.) into the shotshell.
Primers are (I was shocked to discover!) derived from refill caps from children’s cap guns. The pry out the used primers, and simply replace with caps.
Of course, when they fire, the caps are destroyed, but I hear they can get up to 5 firings from a shotshell before they become too unstable to use again. They simply pry off the fired cap, and insert a new one…
Crimping is usually a crude form of star-crimp, using a hot piece of metal.
Payload: they melt lead from discarded battery cells, and drip from trees into buckets of water to get spherical balls of lead…
Wads are made out of discarded flip-flops. Cut into ‘disks’ and rammed down the shotshell to compact the powder down to get good burn and compression.
I hear that the kick, and impact of these shotshells can be double of factory shells.
You know the old saying: where there is a need, there must be a way…
The Winchester SXP Waterfowl Hunter is now available in the new Mossy Oak® Shadow Grass Blades camo pattern. I really like this pattern. The The MSRP is $459.99 for the 3″ version and $499.99 3.5″ magnum version.
From the press release …
Super X Pump shotguns boast four massive Rotary Bolt Lugs that provide support, strength and solid lock-up to the barrel. A hard chrome chamber and bore make surfaces highly resistant to wear and corrosion. An Inflex recoil pad reduces felt recoil. The proven Invector-Plus Choke Tube System and .742 Back-Bored barrel technology are also featured and provide consistent shot patterns in the constriction hunters demand.
Stag Arms has partnered with TFB to give you the opportunity to win a Model 1 rifle! Enter here.
Shockwave Technologies makes a birdshead-type grip for the Remington 870 shotgun called the Raptor Grip. The grip is polymer and replaces a standard 870 stock in just a few minutes. If you’ve never swapped the stock on an 870, don’t worry – it is dead simple to do.
According to Shockwave Technologies, the 870 grip will fit:
The site shows the grip is currently selling for $26.99 plus $4 shipping.
Stag Arms has partnered with TFB to give you the opportunity to win a Model 1 rifle! Enter here.
The Ruger Red Label shotgun was discontinued in 2011 due to poor sales. It seems that since then the Ruger engineers have been busy improving the design. The new Red Label has the same handsome silver/black/walnut look but with improved internals, improved barrels, improved center of gravity and better recoil reduction.
The new Red Label is only available in 12 gauge, although I expect a 20 gauge will be offered in the near future. Three different models with different length barrels (26″, 28″, 30″) will be offered.
From the press release …
Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. (NYSE: RGR) announces the launch of the newly redesigned Red Label over-and-under shotgun. Known for years as a top choice of American hunters and clay shooters for its world-renowned rugged construction and handsome American styling – the Red Label returns. The shotgun now features refined inner workings, a new center of gravity and reduced recoil. These new improvements deliver improved comfort and an enhanced shooting performance.
Shooters that have frequented the woods, fields and clay courses know the Ruger® Red Label shotgun has been a reliable performer that swings easily. The new 12 gauge Red Label has a redistributed center of gravity for even greater instinctual swing and pointing. Two-inch extended forcing cones, maximum back-bored barrels and a soft Pachmayr® buttpad enhance the shooting experience with reduced recoil. The Red Label’s familiar, low profile receiver reduces muzzle climb because the centerline of the bore is closer to the gun’s center mass. The new Red Label makes for an extremely comfortable shooting shotgun in the field or on the range.
“After 32 years of production, we put the Red Label on hiatus in 2011,” commented Ruger President and CEO, Mike Fifer. “We knew we could employ newer technology, improve the design and deliver a better performing Red Label. We have done that and restored the Red Label as the best American-made, over-and-under shotgun on the market.”
The Red Label features an American Walnut stock with a 1.5” drop at comb and a 2.5” drop at heel. Red Label shotguns are available with 26”, 28”or 30” barrels and each model features a 14.5” length of pull. The new models retain the Red Label’s classic lines and good looks, which are further enhanced by the new stainless steel top lever. The suggested retail price for all three models is $1,399.
Each shotgun includes a custom molded, semi-soft case, five Briley® chokes (two skeet chokes and one full, one modified and one improved cylinder choke), a premium-quality Briley® choke tube wrench and a safety lock.
The only question now is when the rumored Ruger auto shotgun will be introduced.
Stag Arms has partnered with TFB to give you the opportunity to win a Model 1 rifle! Enter here.
Gallery of Guns captured on video two Mossberg shotguns with Kryptek brand camo patterns. One is a 930 shotgun designed for goose hunting that has an extended 12 round magazine and the Kryptek Yeti pattern. The gun can also be had in plain black.
The second shotgun shown was the 930SPX finished in Kryptek Typhon. The Typhon pattern will also be available on the 590A1 and JM Pro Series shotguns. All of the guns will be available in 2014.
Stag Arms has partnered with TFB to give you the opportunity to win a Model 1 rifle! Enter here.
ATI are now importing two new tactical-style 12 gauge shotguns. The TAC-PX2 (pictured above) is a pump action (pictured above) and the TAC-SX2 (pictured below) is a semi-automatic.
From the press release …
American Tactical Imports is proud to introduce the TAC-SX2 and the TAC-PX2 tactical 12-gauge shotguns.
ATI is now offering both models in 12-gauge only. Both the TAC-SX2 and the TAC-PX2 models have 4140 chrome moly steel 18.5” barrels that are chrome lined on the inside. Both models come blued, as standard in tactical shotguns. The TAC-SX2 is a semi-automatic 12-gauge and carries an MSRP of $379.95, while the TAC-PX2 is a pump-action 12-gauge and has an MSRP of $299.95.
“We are very proud to offer such high-quality tactical shotguns at such an affordable price,” says Joe Calabro, Director of Marketing at American Tactical. “The quality and price-point surpasses any other tactical shotgun lines on the market today, making this the perfect product for budget conscious LE departments as well as a great choice for home defense.”
Stag Arms has partnered with TFB to give you the opportunity to win a Model 1 rifle! Enter here.
Hi-Viz Shooting Systems announced a new line of camo patterned shotgun sights will be sold in 2014. The camo sights will use fiber optic rods like the standard sights the company sells.
Three models will initially be available: TriViz, BirdBuster and Remington ETA. The TriViz uses a front and rear sight assembly and is windage adjustable. The BirdBuster is a front sight with a magnetic base to allow for the quick installation on a venter rib, and even movement of the sight from one gun to another. The Remington ETA is similar to the BirdBuster, but build specifically for the Remington ribs.
After a super busy year and a broken finger during a 3-gun match, I’ve finally gotten around to finalizing my “Ultimate” Survival Shotgun from the initial post earlier this year. I received a lot of interesting suggestions in the comments from that post, and I consulted with a survival friend of mine. His main advice was to not overload the shotgun with things not directly related to the shotgun. I had been considering installing things like a firestarter kit, compass, and multi-tool, but opted against it.
So looking back on the initial post, I mentioned how this shotgun would be for Northern California where we have a fair amount of pine trees. I had my friend Jordan from Schreyer Weapon Systems in Minnesota do the cerakote, and he did a brown paint job for the barrel. I chose brown since it would blend in well with pine trees. The other consideration was pine green. Go figure.
The Stoeger Double Defense shotgun has a picatinny rail, and so I naturally something had to be mounted to it. I decided on a Crimson Trace MVF-515 which has both a red laser and a 200 lumen light. Having a flashlight to see what I’m shooting at in the dark would be helpful, and a red laser would be useful for the dark, and for farther distances. I had thought about just putting on a red dot sight like a Leupold DeltaPoint reflex, but having a light and laser combo powered by one battery is better than having separate sight and flashlight requiring two batteries.
I also decided that Short Lane‘s shotgun inserts were a must. They have multiple inserts, and I chose the popular .22LR, 9mm, and .45ACP inserts since that would give me maximum flexibility as those are very popular handgun rounds. They are very accurate, as you can see in this video:
I then opted to hollow out the stock so I could store a few items. Yes, I know there are better tools than a drill for this job, but it’s all I had and I wanted to be scrappy. I had to be careful not to drill too close to the edge since I don’t want the stock to break when I shoot it, so I took my best guess and left a fair amount of material. Pictured here are batteries and condoms.
I received the condom suggestion from my survival friend, and also from this blog which mentions how you can put a condom over your muzzle to keep dirt/mud/sand out when not in use since you may be out in the elements for a long time in a survival situation. The condoms can also be used to store water and start a fire. I also have a small Otis cleaning kit in the buttstock (not pictured).
Finally, I really wanted to have a bayonet-style set-up in the event I needed to get up close and personal with an angry hog. In a pinch, I could also use the whole shotgun like a spear. Not that I would want to throw my shotgun, but just saying that it would be an option. I was looking at some pre-fab knife+mount options online, but I wanted to be hacky and do something more by hand instead of just throwing on a mounted accessory. So I took my Gerber LMF II Infantry 10″ knife, got some 550 paracord, and tied the knife to the underside of the barrel. I chose paracord since it’s universally useful gear to have, and the knife will be fine underneath the barrel when shooting.
So there’s my “Ultimate” survival shotgun. I’ll now reveal the fact that I sort of dislike articles that proclaim that this is the best or “ultimate” anything, but I wanted to play along and have some fun with it anyway. The main point is that you probably have some excellent ideas that suit your needs, wants, and desires with regards to a survival weapon. With the holidays in full swing, perhaps you can chat with your family and friends to see what you would do for your own survival shotgun. Have fun!
The folks at AVA Tactical have developed a slick looking light and accessory mount for the Benelli M4 Shotgun. The ultra low profile mount is suitable for flashlights sized from 0.8″ to 1.035″ and does not need to be removed for field stripping. It weights 2 oz. and is manufactured from Anodized 7075-T6 Aluminium. Its only downside is the price, at $179.99 it is not cheap.
A new line of recoil-operated shotguns will be introduced by Benelli in 2014. The new line, called Ethos, uses the company’s Inertia Driven System and should be compatible with a wide variety of 12 gauge loads: from light 7/8 oz to heavy 3″ magnums.
Among the features of the Ethos:
MSRP will run from $1,999 to $2,199. We will try to get more information and photos of these new shotguns at the 2014 SHOT Show.
Browning extends the High Grade Program for a second year with the introduction of two new Citori 12 gauge over and under shotguns.
The Grade III Citori has a colored case hardened finish on the receiver with high-relief scrollwork. The stock and forearm are made of walnut and the 28″ barrel has a ventilated top rib. MSRP is $4,669.99.
The new Grade IV Citori also has a color case hardened finish but has high relief engraving that features mallards and pheasants. The engraving has gold enhancements. The gun will come with a canvas and leather fitted gun case. MSRP is $7,339.99.
Between the two shotguns, only 500 total will be made.
Winchester Repeating Arms is introducing two new shotgun variants at the SHOT Show. The first is a Super X3 variant and the second is a Super X Pump model.
The new Super X3 is called the Long Beard. It is designed for turkey hunting and takes 3 1/2″, 12 gauge shells. The gun has a 24″ barrel and ships with a Briley X-Full Long Beard Invector-Plus extended choke tube.
The Long Beard has a pistol grip and comes finished in Realtree Xtra green camo. MSRP is $1,269.99.
The new Super X Pump is the Field Compact model. The stock has a 13″ length of pull, making it better suited for smaller and youth shooters. The 12-gauge shotgun has a traditional look and will be available with 24″, 26″ and 28″ barrel lengths. MSRP is $399.99.
TriStar Arms introduced a new tactical shotgun at the SHOT Show called the Cobra Marine. The shotgun has an 18.5″ barrel and is finished in brushed nickel. It has a synthetic stock. The forearm has a Picatinny rail allowing for the addition of a white light or other accessory.
The Cobra Marine is a pump gun with a return spring. After being pulled to the rear, the shooter can let go of the forearm and it will slide forward and chamber a shell. The gun has a 3″ chamber. MSRP is $369.
Cobra Marine Tactical Pump Features:
Safety Harbor Firearms manufacture the Kompact Entry Gun (KEG) short barrel pistol-gripped shotguns build upon Mossberg 500 and Remington 870 receivers. Their guns are classed as AOW (All Other Weapons) and so do not carry the hefty $200 stamp required to purchase Short Barreled Shotguns in the USA. An AOW stamp is $5.
KEG12 built on Remington 870
Because they are classified as AOW, they can only be built using shotguns that originally had pistol grips. Remington only make 12 gauge shotguns with pistol grips, so if you want a Kompact Entry Gun built on a Remington 870 receiver you can only have it in 12 gauge. Mossberg manufactures .410, 20 and 12 gauge shotguns with pistol grips and so all calibers are available on Mossy receivers.
I asked the company who their primary market is, expecting them to say law enforcement, for breaching purposes, but was told that their biggest market was enthusiastic shooters who want something a little different. The shotgun pictured at the top of this post is a .410 chambered KEG with a 2+1 capacity, which must be a really fun plinker.
Tactical gear manufacturer Crye Precision debuted their first firearm at SHOT Show. Instead of entering the firearm industry the easy way with a branded AR-15 they enlisted the skilled gun designer Eric Burt, who has previously worked on the AAC Honey Badger and Magpul Masada, to develop the Crye Precision Six12 Shotgun.
Eric Burt with the Crye Precision Six12
This bullpup shotgun can be used in either standalone or as an underbarrel rifle accessory. The shotgun has a revolving cylinder that is rotated by the double action trigger (it does not have a pre-wound spring like the Milkor MGL). A unique feature of this gun compared with other revolver shotguns is that the cylinder completely detaches from the gun to allow quick reloading with a pre-loaded replacement cylinder.
The shotgun will be available in a number of consumer and law enforcement barrel lengths. The gun is planned to go on sale for law enforcement at the end of 2014 and go on sale to consumers sometime in 2015.
Strangely enough, the state of Nebraska has a surprisingly in-depth and comprehensive history of the shotshell hosted on its Game & Parks Commission website. According to this amusingly well-researched compendium, the inventor of the first shotshell is unknown, but we do know that the C.D. Leet Company of Springfield, Massachusetts, is thought to have made the first paper-hull shotshells in at least 1869. By the 1880s, shotshells were being machine-loaded, and between 1887 and 1901, shotshell sales increased seven-fold. Over the years, shotshell technology advanced with the addition of centerfire primers, better powders, and hull materials. And though the “modern” shotshell itself is a half-century old (the first plastic hulls were made in the 1960s), at its core, the shotshell as we know it has stayed relatively the same for well over a century – a rimmed cartridge geared towards breech-loading, with a flat-top hull. Modern pump and semi-auto shotguns have been built around the cartridge, being fed via a tube running under the receiver, diverging from the removable box magazine-fed path taken by the rifle.
While I can only speculate as to why the shotgun became and stayed an almost-exclusively tube-fed weapon, it was certainly a combination of factors, not the least of which is related to the unsuitability of the flat-fronted and rimmed shotshell for box magazine cycling.
We have seen a surge in box mag semi-auto shotguns in recent history, the most notable of which is the Saiga-12 shotgun based loosely upon the Kalashnikov operating system. And though the Saiga enjoys one of the most zealous fan bases and may be one of the most heavily modifiable and popular semi-auto shotguns, I reluctantly opine that, if anything, the Saiga demonstrates well the shortcomings of the 100-plus year old shotshell design in the box mag semi-auto platform.
I owned this Henderson Defense converted Saiga 12 for a few years. Both before and after the conversion, the Saiga was not what I would call a reliable weapon system. Across a range of manufacturers and shotshell sizes, the Saiga was varying degrees of unreliable. Apparently, my experience is not unique: Other authors and reviewers with similar or greater experience have similarly observed the same issues.
Without wading any further into the Saiga debate, either way, it is accepted that rimmed cartridges are not optimal for box magazine feeding. Accordingly, if you want to maximize reliability in a box fed semi-auto shotgun, it stands to reason that introducing a rimless cartridge is your first step. Second, a ball tip case would increase feed reliability up the ramp and into the chamber. The classic, standard shotgun shell has neither.
Intrepid Tactical Solutions has tackled this issue, creating a revolutionary new rimless, ball-tipped 12 gauge shotshell and manufacturing a platform for it, both the shotshell and the shotgun dubbed the “RAS-12″. ITS contacted me about reviewing the RAS-12 shotgun and ammunition, and I enthusiastically accepted the invitation. In my opinion, a shotshell optimized for mag-fed semi-auto operation is a welcome advance. It’s been over a hundred years of the same shotshell, and instead of building the shotgun around the shotshell, it’s well time to capitalize on advances in firearm technology – the hardware itself – and redesign the shotshell for use in advanced semi-auto shotguns.
With that in mind, I received the RAS-12 for review and ran 100 rounds through it, while the RAS-12 is an innovative platform and a relative engineering success, the overarching question is “will it succeed in the marketplace?”
Specifications:
The RAS-12 is an 18″ 12 gauge shotgun upper that fits on a standard AR-10 lower and uses Magpul PMag AR-10 magazines (more on this below). At present, the only ammunition available for it is ITS’s own RAS-12 12 gauge ammunition, which is a rimless, polymer shotgun shell with a cone or ball tip for enhanced loading and feeding. The ITS Buckshot delivers a 9-pellet, 1.1oz payload at 1200fps. More ammunition types are under development.
The RAS-12 comes with a railed handguard, “Scorpion” breaching muzzle device, and one five round Magpul PMag (actually a converted 20rd. Magpul .308 PMag). The RAS-12 uses a piston operating system, and features a “monolithic” 12 gauge bolt carrier. As will be discussed in depth below, the manual of arms is nearly identical to the AR platform, including field-stripping. Unlike other box magazine-fed 12GA semi-auto shotguns, the RAS 12 features an auto bolt hold open, straight insert magazines, and is easy to load and charge on a closed bolt.
The massive “monolithic” bolt carrier, bolt inserted.
Bolt face, with a quarter for scale.
The prodigious gas block on the fore end of the RAS-12.
ITS suggests field-stripping and cleaning the RAS-12 every 100 rounds. The RAS-12 comes with a 1 year warranty. See http://intrepidts.com/index.html for more information.
Also note that the RAS-12 is American-made.
General Observations:
The unquestionable core of the RAS-12 shotgun is the polymer-jacketed ITS RAS-12 shotshell. As you can see from the pictures and the cut-away below, this is a rimless case round with a ball tip.
From L-R: a 2 3/4″ 12GA shotshell; a 3″ 12GA shotshell; an RAS-12 00 Buck shotshell, and; a 10GA shotshell.
A cut-away of the RAS-12 00 Buck round.
ITS claims that the RAS-12 round is the first polymer shotshell designed to “stack vertically and work flawlessly.” And stack vertically it does. The rimless cartridge allows the RAS-12 shotshell to stack five deep into a Magpul .308 PMag. You read that correctly – as seen from the photos, the RAS-12 shotgun comes with an inexpensive and durable modified Magpul PMag that accommodates five RAS-12 rounds with room to spare after installing a new follower (although I am curious if this would work with a standard follower as well). Also, you can almost jam a sixth round in there, which inclines me to believe that a slightly larger .308 magazine like the 25rd. 7.62×51 Magpul PMag might even accommodate seven rounds.
The RAS-12 shotgun uses a 20rd. .308 Magpul PMag.
This offers an edge over the Saiga in several ways. First, the Saiga is known for expensive and cheaply-made third-party magazines (although the Saiga factory five round magazine is very durable and well-made). Without offering any names, I used to sell a very popular brand of Saiga magazine by the case at a distributor and a dealer level. Almost regularly, magazines bulk-packed in a box would be reported as broken by dealers and customers. The RAS-12 gets around that easily – no flimsy, third-party, proprietary magazines needed, only the renowned and durable PMag that can be purchased for under $20. Second, these mags are straight-insert, which are much easier to manipulate than the rock-and-lock AK style Saiga mags. Third, a PMag full of five RAS-12 rounds has a little play in it. This allows it to be straight-inserted on a closed bolt easily. The first generation magazine I received had a smooth follower and full-length feed lips, and, when fully loaded, the mag would give minor resistance during loading into the mag well. However, before I made it to the range for a second trip, ITS sent the second generation magazine (see pictures below), which appeared to have trimmed feed lips and a modified AR-10 follower, and it loaded smoothly. Compare this to the Saiga, which can be very difficult to load on a closed bolt, and the Saiga further compounds this problem with the lack of a factory bolt hold open. The RAS-12 upper holds the bolt open automatically after the last round is fired, dramatically increasing loading speed.
The first generation magazine/follower is on the left, the modified new design is on the right. While the newer design worked perfectly, I imagine it will look cleaner when it goes into production.
The ball tip of the casing splits open when fired, violently delivering its payload to great effect. This is what a pile of expended RAS-12 shells looks like:
There are a couple of drawbacks, however. First, the RAS-12 ammo is relatively expensive at $3 a round, although not inordinate. ITS claims that price will go down on ammo as they have received commitments from large manufacturers, including Remington, to make the RAS-12 shell. I suggested that ITS consider allowing the royalty-free manufacture of the round (if you recall, this certainly helped the .300BLK round gain serious traction, while the nearly-identical .300 Whisper remained a wildcat for years before), however, ITS did not seem like they planned to follow my suggestion. I think this may be an error, as the RAS-12 platform is not going to survive if the ammunition is difficult to obtain, however, I am not an economist. Second, one of the ball tips split when the RAS-12 bolt attempted to slam the shell into battery – right into the base of the previously-fired round that failed to eject. And though the cracked round still fed and fired perfectly, it bears mentioning that the ball tips are not very thick.
All said, the RAS-12 shotshell seems a worthy semi-auto counterpart to the revered 12 gauge round, and will not doubt improve rapidly in subsequent iterations. ITS claims that the RAS-12 round can be reloaded like any other 12GA round as well. Performance is good, with the buckshot delivering 9 Buck pellets at 1200fps – more or less the same as 00 Buck from your 18″ Remington 870.
But the effectiveness of the projectile is just as well determined by the effectiveness of the platform firing it. In this case, the RAS-12 shotgun:
As I said in the introduction, it is difficult to think of any way that the RAS-12 shotgun could be better-designed or manufactured. As to the manufacture quality, everything fits tightly, lines are clean and sharp, there is almost no evidence of machining, and it just feels like a sturdy and robust platform. Obviously, no expense was spared in the composition and assembly of this weapon.
Further still, the design is ingenious. I’ve already told you that it takes PMags, so, of course, the RAS-12 shotgun uses your standard AR-10 lower. This is brilliant, as it basically makes the RAS-12 a quick swap, and better still, it can be bought without going to your FFL so long as you own an AR-10. This RAS-12 came with a DPMS lower.
The upper and lower fit tightly, but it is still a very easy two-pin swap. The buffer also needs to be changed out when swapping into the RAS-12 upper, but that only takes seconds. In all, this shotgun will have great appeal to AR-10 owners.
The RAS-12 comes equipped with a beefy but sleek railed forearm, as well as a breacher-style “Scorpion” muzzle device.
As you would expect, then, the RAS-12 has a near-identical manual of arms as the AR platform, from the charging handle down to the ping-pong paddle bolt release. The trigger is the same as the AR-10 you swap this RAS-10 on to, likely a standard AR GI single-stage trigger. Obviously, then, the lower can accept new stocks and all accessories available for AR-10 lowers (except buffers, as mentioned), and the RAS-12 upper can accommodate all pic rail accessories.
Another view of the rail system.
Firing the RAS-12 is an absolute blast to shoot – I can’t place why it is simply more “fun” than a Remington 11-87 for example. Recoil impulse may have been about the same as my 11-87 Police. However, the standard, plastic M4 stock on my demo gun is not as comfortable compared to the hefty rubberized Speedfeed found on the common 11-87 Police, but a simple AR-stock swap would likely remedy this. A Magpul stock with a thicker recoil pad comes to mind as an excellent substitute. I allowed four other experienced shooters to fire a magazine each, and each of them was absolutely thrilled. Also, this gun barks sound and flame, which certainly adds to the experience.
Other than that, the shooting experience was exactly like shooting a 12 gauge shotgun from an AR-10 lower: The ergonomics of the AR-10, but with that 12 gauge boom. Brilliant, ingenious, and effective.
Negative Observations:
As a prefatory note, the model I received for evaluation was a prototype, and not a production model. The first gun I received experienced three failures in 50 rounds, however, ITS updated the chamber specs based upon their research, and both myself and our T&E Coordinator, Phil White, fired 50 rounds each through two prototypes with the updated chamber specs, and these guns worked flawlessly. Additionally, ITS has said that this shotgun needs a few range sessions to break in, and I did not have enough ammo to break in either of the guns I received (100 total rounds). Further still, as I do with all test guns unless instructed otherwise, I did not clean or lubricate either the first or second guns before firing them. So, for the sake of full disclosure, I’ll skim over the issues I had with the first iteration, but I re-emphasize that ITS has since changed the chamber specs and seems to have these running flawlessly now, so do not lend too much weight to the following failures:
The RAS-12 I had with the initial, smaller chamber spec experienced three failures in the fifty rounds I fired through it. The first malfunction was a bolt-over-base when the first round from the magazine was loaded via the bolt release/ ping-pong paddle. This can happen occasionally with an AR-style bolt release if the bolt did not fully retract, while still allowing the top round into the action, and this malfunction is typically avoided by charging the gun with the charging handle instead of using the bolt release. Accordingly, I overlooked this malfunction at that moment. That is, until it happened again, but this time in the middle of a magazine. The gun failed to fire in the middle of a firing sequence due to the below-pictured bolt-over-base malfunction:
One of two bolt-over-base malfunctions experienced in the 50 round session.
I can only surmise that the malfunction was caused by the bolt carrier’s failure to fully retreat.
Finally, the third malfunction came as a double-feed caused by a failure to extract, as pictured below. The RAS-12 failed to extract a spent casing, but cycled and attempted to feed another round into the occupied chamber:
Doublefeed caused by failure to extract.
Strangely enough, after clearing the weapon, the spent casing easily extracted by cycling the charging handle after allowing the bolt to fully close. No defects were noted in the problem casing.
That said, however, two of the most recent, updated versions of the RAS-12 we received cycled 50 rounds each without an issue. One of them was cleaned and lubed before firing, one was not, but both performed well, so it seems that these reliability issues with the initial prototype have been adequately addressed.
Because the recent iteration of this gun seems to be reliable, I don’t place much significance on the issues with the first version of the gun I received. However, there are a couple of observations I have about the system generally:
First, this is not a cheap system. In addition to the $3 rounds, the RAS-12 upper MSRP (including complete upper, one magazine, and buffer/spring) is $1,950. We will see what the actual street price is when production is in full swing. I will say that this is a similar price point for a piston AR upper of comparable quality such as the LMT MRP Piston or the H&K MR556. So while it is pricey, it also seems to be a good value, nonetheless.
Second, this is a pretty heavy system, almost certainly due to the hefty .308 lower and the piston system added to the upper, however, a piston-based 12 gauge is going to have to be robust, so this is expected.
Third, while the manual has cleaning instructions, I did not see nor could I figure out how to remove the piston for cleaning. While I am sure the piston won’t have to be cleaned every range session, someone will have to scrape it eventually, and I would want that someone to be me, not a gunsmith or the factory.
Finally, the RAS-12 rounds could be more robust. While I did not have issues with them generally, the cone of the round that was double-fed into the back of the chambered round did slightly split, although it fed and fired all the same. That said, it’s still a minor point of concern if one were to drop a full magazine on a hard surface.
Conclusion:
As said earlier in this review, it appears that this innovative and creative platform is an engineering success, and production models will presumably be even more improved than the current version of the pre-production prototypes. The RAS-12 feels solid, drips quality, performs well, and is just amazing to shoot. And even though this is a fun range gun, the tactical applications are apparent as well – this is a powerful magazine-fed semi-auto shotgun with the same manual of arms as the venerable and prolific AR-15, and the ability to put this upper on an AR-10 lower and use AR-10 straight-insert magazines (and, therefore, AR-10 mag pouches and gear) will obviously make this upper very easy to transition into any program.
But will it succeed in the market? Many will balk at the proprietary ammo, although ITS would likely argue that this ammo is a necessary advancement in the semi-auto magazine-fed platform. And while that may be the case (and I agree that it is), even a revolutionary round may have a hard time catching on at three dollars a pull. The aforementioned partial mutuality with the AR-10 will certainly make the RAS-12 much more appealing to the gun-buying public, will that be enough? And though we have tested two RAS-12s that performed without issue (at least after the modifications to the earlier prototype), our experience was limited to 150 total rounds, which, though a positive start, hardly cements reliability. Time will tell on this front. All things being equal, I certainly believe that that the present version of the RAS-12 solidly outperforms the Saiga 12, however, the cost of admission to the RAS-12 club will also get you two converted SGL-12s, and moreover, you can feed both of those Saigas for the same price as the ammunition for only one RAS-12.
In closing, the RAS-12 is an excellent performer. Any complaints I have about this gun are very minor. This is a top-end machine, and fit and finish are as good on the RAS-12 as they are on any premium AR manufacturer’s products. Moreover, I believe that, while it won’t replace the 870 anytime soon, the RAS-12 is an advance in technology that should be welcomed and adopted by the shooting public, if anything, to advance the round so that the RAS-12 shells might find their way onto other platforms. The RAS-12 round is truly the next evolution in shotgun ordnance, and I think that the more prolific it becomes, the better for the shooting industry and market as a whole. That said, Intrepid Tactical Solutions has an uphill battle in front of it – to get this RAS-12 in our safes, next to our Mossbergs, Remingtons, and Winchesters. A tough battle indeed, but the RAS-12 likely represents the best shot to meet this lofty goal.
Having shot the TrAAcker wad for 12 guage that Winchester came out with just over a month ago at SHOT, I can say that them offering it in 20 gauge will be nice for sportsman looking to maximize their hits with their shotgun. Not being a huge wing or clay shooter myself I was amazed at how quickly I was able to correct my shooting to make hits on targets every time. The weighted tracking wad flew straight, and stayed with the shot.
This is the second major release for Winchester Ammunition in the past two weeks for the 20 gauge platform. With the 20 gauge becoming more popular, it is nice to see an ammunition company following suit with popular demand.
The new TrAAcker wad is available in black for clear days against a blue sky and orange for dark background or overcast days.
EAST ALTON, Ill. (Feb. 18, 2014) — In 2014, Winchester® Ammunition will extend its AA® TrAAcker shotshell line into the popular sporting clays offerings of 12 and 20 gauge. This provides more options to consumers to assist shooters in identifying where and why they’re missing their targets. During this process, shooters and instructors are able to visibly see where they are missing with the AA TrAAcker technology, and can easily make adjustments to correct it.Legendary innovation at Winchester Ammunition continues with the award winning AA® TrAAcker™, the first game and target load to feature a weighted wad that actually tracks with the shot string. This allows the shooter or an instructor to quickly determine where the shooter is missing – making it easy to adjust and hit flying targets shot after shot.“A new shooter now can learn how to lead a clay target or game bird almost immediately – that’s the results you get with AA TrAAcker,” said Brett Flaugher, Winchester Ammunition vice president of marketing, sales and strategy. “Now we’ve made it more versatile by offering the AA TrAAcker in 20 gauge, not just 12 gauge. It continues to be a great training tool for shooters, hunters, and shooting instructors, especially when youth or beginning shooters are learning every aspect of the sport.”
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The secret of AA TrAAcker is in the revolutionary wad. Loaded with 1 1/8 oz. of shot for 12 gauge and 7/8 oz. of shot for 20 gauge like a standard AA shotshell, the innovative wad design includes longer, notched petals, and captures a portion of shot, which stabilizes wad spin and ensures that the wad remains in the center of the shot cloud for optimum tracking. The AA TrAAcker load is available in two highly visible colors: orange, for overcast conditions or dark backdrop; and black for clear skies or light backdrops.AA® TrAAcker™ specifications:
Symbol Condition Gauge Shell Legnth Shot Weight Shot Size Velocity AASC127TO Overcast/Dark Backdrop 12 2¾” 1 1/8 oz. 7½ 1300 AASC127TB Clear Sky 12 2¾” 1 1/8 oz. 7½ 1300 AASC207TO Overcast/Dark Backdrop 20 2¾” 7/8 oz. 7½ 1300 AASC207TB Clear Sky 20 2 ¾ 7/8 oz. 7 ½ 1300 Since 1965, Winchester AA target loads have set the industry standard for performance on the range and in the field. Known for the legendary High Strength Hull, Winchester AA ammunition is a favorite of reloaders everywhere.
With a company heritage dating back to 1866, Winchester Ammunition was there for the taming of the American West, the Allied Forces’ victory in World War II and through the years, millions of fond memories made in the great outdoors and at the range.
Known as The American Legend™, Winchester is a global leader in sporting, law enforcement, military and personal defense ammunition production. Winchester continues to raise the bar with innovative products like Long Beard™ XR™ turkey and Defender® personal defense ammunition.
For more information about Winchester Ammunition, visit www.winchester.com, or connect with The American Legend on Facebook at Facebook.com/WinchesterOfficial.
