SRM Arms 16 Round Semi-Automatic Shotgun
After I first wrote about the SRM Arms 1216 Shotgun over three years ago, it dropped off my radar. It has taken a while but the good news is that the gun is finally in production and on sale to the public.
The magazine is really four magazines in one. Each compartment holds up to 4 rounds, giving it a total capacity of 16 rounds. Once a magazine is empty, the operator must manually rotate it. I believe the bolt locks back when the magazine compartment is empty and automatically feeds a round when the magazine is rotated. The magazine is removable and cannot be reloaded after it has been inserted into the gun, like regular shotgun tube magazines. This video shows it in action ...
The gun is available in a three sizes with varying magazine capacity, but only the 16 round model is consumer-legal without NFA paperwork.
The biggest downside of this gun is the price. It is selling on gun broker for $2,800.
[ Many thanks to Cymond for emailing me the link. ]
Adding an x-rail to an existing shotgun is a superior answer because it auto-indexes. You don’t have to manually rotate the tube every 4 rounds. The next step will be for SRM to auto rotate as each tube empties. Then they can offer longer shotguns because there is always a demand for more capacity.
Looks very functional. However, I would like to see some comparison with the in-production (or perhaps at development stage?) of Kel Tec Shotgun, the KSG (or KSC I’m not sure). I haven’t heard about that shotgun in a while.
A single tube magazine with a switch to disconnect/charge from the magazine would be far simpler, cheaper, easier to use and almost as fast. Not to mention you wouldn’t risk serious burns rotating the mag by that exposed barrel section.
I met the inventor of this (the same guy that invented the Calico Weapons Systems, by the way) at the SHOT show three (or four?) years ago. He couldn’t have been nicer, and he answered all of my questions aptly (and I ask some tough questions, mind you) and to my satisfaction. Must have chatted with him for more than 20 minutes, and I was supposed to be running an errand! He said the reason they didn’t have the tubes cycle automatically when the last round in the tube fired was because it wouldn’t rotate fast enough for the action to keep from jamming, since there’s alot of mass there. For the same reason, you can’t have it automatically turn the tubes after each shot ala revolvers, since the mass would rob the cycling action of energy, and the energy necessary to turn it when fully loaded would be dramatically less than when it only had one round left, which would beat up the gun and the shooter.
Also, there’s distinct advantages to manually turning the tubes, such as you can load up four different types of ammo, color code each tube with tape, and then immediately change to a new type of ammo with one 90 degree twist. You can go from breeching to flashbang to slugs to buckshot with a flick of the wrist, and maybe a pull on the charging handle (which is still faster than loading an individual round. As I recall, he was using an 11-87 style gas system, but my memory might be failing me on that point.
I wonder how this four tubular mags slapped together compare to the 20 rounds drum available for the Saiga 12.
You cannot leave plastic shotshells in a saiga magazine for a long period of time, eventually the shells will deform and cause feeding problems.
You shouldn’t leave any sort of ammunition inside any sort of magazine for a long period of time. Springs lose tension if you do that. And while I can understand plastic shells deforming if subjet to side pressure when empty or full with birdshot, quite frankly a load of buckshot or slug should give the plastic shell enough rigidity to avoid deformation. But of course, my first words still apply: Do Not Leave Any Kind Of Magazine Full Durint A Long Period Of Time.
correct me if im wrong, but don’t springs loose tension from use/movement? ive got a lee enfield .303 mag thats been loaded for 2 decades, and it seems just as strong as the day i loaded it.
@Tinkerer: Not to troll, but if the magazines are designed properly the springs will not wear out because you leave them filled with ammunition. The only thing that will wear out a magazine is the constant use over time (loading and unloading) or putting undue stress on the spring such as stretching it or over filling the magazine. A quality magazine should be designed so the the spring will not deform when loaded to the proper round count. My engineering and metallurgy is a tad rusty, but it has to do with the yield point in the metal of the spring (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yield_(engineering).
Now if you buy crummy magazines where the spring hasn’t been designed to deform when you put 30 rounds in a 30 round mag then you might run into problems.
im glad to see something original and not a copy or tweak of other systems. i do have to ask, how do you avoid over turning the magazine assembly? is it similar to how revolvers work in a way?
The MSRP on the gun is $2,399.00…http://initialpointarms.com/
Price is going to have to come down to compete with the KSG but I love seeing the new shotgun designs coming out. Keep it up!
Looks like it will be all around faster than the KSG. I was interested right up until I saw the price, if they can get it to around $800 msrp, I might be a buyer.
Well, if the KSG is readily stocked or only has a 1 month wait, it probably won’t be able to compete at that price. But, if people are having to wait for months upon months because the pricepoint for the KSG is too attractive for a really neat gun that plenty of people want, this gun might have a chance. But, SRM would probably have a better chance if they put models out ahead of the KSG and its likely first-run shortages. And then only at something like 1000-1400 dollars I’m thinking.
Eh, this is never going to replace my pump action: been the same, reliable technology for 100s of years
Why do all gun people with video cameras insist on making back-lit shitty videos?
Would it hurt to expose for the guy with the gun, rather than the super interesting field grass and fence behind him?
I would assume that they went into a field to film the shooting of an awesome weapon and didn’t think to themselves, “What if we make a video of the firing of a sick gun and someone wines about the back lighting?”… they probably assumed most men/women watching the video would be more interested in the gun rather than the back lighting…should he have powered his nose too?
No. If they want me to buy there gun, then they should put together a decent video (especially with such a high MSRP) that doesn’t have such horrible backlite that I can’t see the way the gun is operated or even the gun itself.
Then perhaps you should watch more than one video…there are plenty posted on youtube… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bznBJbuass&feature=related
Its great If You want to blast away 16 rds.
But no reloading while engaged, have to remember your shot count per turn, per mag… It’s not a bullpup just an unconventional semi auto
Yes Lance and then the Cthons will come for us all.
Clever idea; seems like the CAWS program was just ahead of its time.
Whilst I applaud it’s innovative design, I have some serious issues with using the magazine as a forearm.
Aside from not being able to use a VFG, the chances of knocking the tubes out alignment, damaging the magazine through hard use or accidentally pulling the magazine off the shotgun in high stress situations could be major issues.
However, this is all speculation on my part and the SRM shotgun might have the hardiest magazine tubes on the market. But I’ve had problems with conventional mag tubes in the past – albeit a rare occurence – and this set up seems to exacerbate the likelihood of a failure.
Also, how exactly are you supposed to carry the magazines around with you? I think you’d need some pretty big mag pounches.
Agreed again, all points. SG, you’ve saved me typing more than once!
Agree completely. The magazine even makes it difficult/impossible to mount a tape switch for a tac light in a location where it can be easily reached.
And the idea of mixing bean bags or other specialty rounds in the same magazine (different tube) as buckshot/slugs is just inviting disaster.
hmm. it has a slight edge in ammo capacity and a much faster reload over the two tube, 14 shell Kel-Tec KSG.
http://www.keltecweapons.com/news/preview-kel-tec-shotgun-ksg/
I wonder which is faster – spinning the mag every four shots on semi auto, or flipping a switch after seven shots on pump?
Also would the kel-tec’s bullpupped barrel be of any advantage patterning or with slugs?
How does the gas system of the SRM operate?
Could they bullpup the SRM by mounting the magazine tubes on the top, rather than the bottom, for extra magazine capacity?
Oh, and as a bit of trivia, the SRM appears in the new game Deus Ex: Human Revolution as the “Widowmaker TX” with a 3 shell burst option.
http://au.ign.com/wikis/deus-ex-human-revolution/Widowmaker_TX_Shotgun
Oh! I knew I had seen it somewhere else…
Buy them before Obama’s ATF will classify them and Seiga shotguns as destructive devices.
@Lance
Really? Jumpin’ Jesus on a pogo stick.
It’s not Obama’s ATF, hell, it wasn’t even George’s ATF: The ATF does things for their own reasons and desires. There is no rhyme or reason to their actions.
Yeah, I still remember the sweeping gun bans of ’08, never forget…
You mean sweeping gun buys?
Except that there is nearly a century of precedent against ruling shotguns as destructive devices and smooth-bore firearms over 18″ bbl and 26″ overall cannot be considered destructive devices, any other weapons, or short barreled shotguns.
But watch out! The black helicopters are coming.
Well, except for the Street Sweeper and the USAS-12. They’re both Destructive Devices. Apparently, some Street Sweepers were built and registered as Short-Barrel-Shotguns before they were ruled as DDs, and these SBS Street Sweepers escaped DD classification. Also, the Street Sweeper was available in a rare form called something like the ‘Ladies Home Companion’. They came without a stock and were chambered in .45-70/410 shot. They are still classified as ordinary handguns, not SBS or DD.
However, Lance may be thinking of the BATFE’s recent “Study on the Importability of Certain Shotguns”, which may result in various imported shotguns being considered ‘non-sporting’ and excluded from import under the GCA ’68. http://www.atf.gov/publications/firearms/012611-study-on-importality-of-certain-shotguns.pdf However, I believe the SRM is US made and therefore exempt from any future importation restrictions.