The Silver Eagle RZ17 Tactical is as exotic looking as its name. With a raised carry handle, full-length barrel shroud and five-position collapsible stock with adjustable cheek rest, it definitely catches your eye. A screw-on barrel extension makes the whole package look more like an M16 rifle than a shotgun. A 6.5-inch Picatinny rail is molded into the bottom of the forearm to mount a light or laser.
As unusual as this shotgun looks, it brings a few nice features to the table. The fiber-optic front sight and adjustable rear sight proved excellent. It shot good groups and had a good trigger, and the price point is excellent. Our main dislike was the forward-assist spring on the forearm: You simply let go and it springs forward. We all train to load a shell through the ejection port when a shotgun goes dry, and this design closes the bolt for you so you don’t have this option. We didn’t try it, but I was told there is a very simple solution to this problem: When you disassemble the shotgun to clean it, you can remove the forward-assist spring so that it will operate like any other 12-gauge pump. On the other hand, if you don’t train to load through the ejection port, the forward assist helps put the shotgun back into battery. This can be important for shooters who are older or have less upper-body strength.
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