KelTec KS7

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 too short. It is a pump-action bullpup that loads and ejects out of the bottom of the gun, which is a great ambidextrous feature. The safety is a cross bolt, but two of us felt it should be reversed. Like all the guns tested, this is simply a training issue because we found it very easy to manipulate. I noted that it loaded much more smoothly than the KS7 did last year but I don’t know why. The fiber-optic sight also seemed better than I remembered, but it still wasn’t my favorite. Most of the evaluators noted the recoil is sharp to say the least. Lighter guns usually kick more, and this is no exception. However, this isn’t the gun to shoot eight boxes of shells one afternoon. This is the gun you keep behind the seat of your truck or sitting next to the bed for things that go bump in the night. Then you won’t notice that recoil.