Our last shotgun was the HALO Battle Rifle—I mean the Compact Tactical, but it looks just like the HALO BR. It is a semi-automatic, gas-operated, magazine-fed bullpup with an AK-style safety. Basically, it is a clone of a Saiga 12 gauge dropped into a bullpup chassis. It feels solid...
The M&P12 is another gun that I have tested recently so it again had a small advantage. This dual-magazine pump bullpup is built like a little tank. It has an ambidextrous safety, an ambidextrous pump release, ejects out of the bottom, has a full-length Picatinny rail for sights, push-button...
This was the second time the KelTec KS7 has made it to Best of the Best’s Tactical Shotguns. To me, this was the perfect backpacker shotgun. I believe it was the smallest, lightest shotgun of the day, but it still holds 7+1 shells. Our tallest shooter felt it was...
The DP-12 was also a former contender on Best of the Best. It is a bullpup, pump action with dual magazine tubes and…wait for it…two barrels. You work the action once, then pull the trigger twice, then work the action again. It holds 14+2, has a full-length Picatinny for...
While three of us were scratching our heads over this peculiar shotgun, a fourth was giddy as a schoolgirl in anticipation. Why three barrels? Is this really viable as a tactical shotgun? The funny part was how quickly it won us over. One great thing about break-open shotguns is...
Our second bullpup of the day had a carry handle reminiscent of the HK G36. But it is removable and it comes with Magpul-style flip-up front and rear sights if you want a more compact look. Besides looking very sharp, it handled really well. “This gun was a joy...
The FD12 Bullpup was our first bullpup of the day and another very sharp-looking shotgun, especially in FDE. Most of us were not overly experienced bullpup shooters so the bolt catch and magazine release seemed awkward. The gun is advertised as weighing 7.4 pounds, but it felt even lighter....
The gun closest to “conventional” was the 590M. At first, it looks like a regular Mossberg pump shotgun until you realize it is magazine fed. The magazines are enormous polymer constructions that hold anywhere from five to a mind-blowing 20 shells, and they all worked great. However, I will...
The VR82 is the 20-gauge version of the VR80. It was the only 20-gauge we tested this year and that definitely gave it an advantage in recoil reduction. The evaluators all liked the AR-15-style controls, but the small safety lever was difficult to put back onto safe without repositioning...
I’m not an AK guy so when I saw the Lynx 12 my expectations were low. It looked fairly low-frills compared to many of the stylish guns we were shooting. But what it lacked in flair, it made up for in performance. The sights are small, but it literally...
