Tristar Compact Tactical

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 despite being primarily made of polymer. It has peep sights on the carry handle, but that can be removed, and Magpul-style flip-up sights are also included. The trigger leaves a lot to be desired, but this is a combat weapon, not a sniper rifle. It also comes with a forward vertical grip, but we didn’t put it on during testing; it handled great without it. It can load from a closed bolt, but it is difficult. A small button under the safety locks the bolt to the rear and makes it much easier to load. The biggest complaint was the rearward location of the safety. But the coolness factor had everyone saying, “Yes sir, I need a weapon.”