The Firearm Blog

Also coming from Weatherby in 2010 is the new PA-459 pump-action shotgun.

The first thing that struck me when I saw the above photo was how "Benelli" it looked. It looks like a Benelli Nova with a Benelli M4 style fixed stock. I really like the Benelli-style and hope we will not be seeing another lawsuit in the near future.

Style aside, functionally it is much the same as the Mossburg 500 SPX that was launched at the beginning of the year at a similar price-point. Weatherby will be marketing it as a self-defense shotgun, although it would make a decent slug hunting gun with the ghost sight removed and a red-dot or low-powered scope added.

I think this is a very nice looking gun that I am willing to bet will be a very good seller.

[ I am pleased to present this guest post written by Bill Rushmore. Bill blogs over at The Quarterdeck Log]

When you think of a single shot inexpensive shotgun geared towards the beginner chances are that Beretta is not a manufacture that comes to mind. But at one time that was indeed the case when Beretta made such a gun. I like to brag that when I was a teenager in the late 80's I bought a Beretta Shotgun with money I made during a summer job. But the truth is that my Dad sold me his first shotgun he bought as a teenager during the early 60's. My Dad sold it to me for the token price of $35 US which is the price he paid for it.

This nifty little single shot from Beretta has been called the Model FS-1, Model 412, Companion, and in Italian it is known as “Monocanna Ripieghevole” or “single barrel folding shotgun.” The unique part of these single shots is that they break up to the point where it folds in half. In finding parts for this gun I had trouble because is not appear to be all that common, at least in the US, even though Beretta manufactured these single shots from the 1920's until 1992. They made it in 12, 16, 20, 24, 28, 32, and .410. Even though it was marketed towards the beginner hunter it was manufactured in plain basic models up to fancier ones with hand engraving, walnut stocks, and even gold plating.

The model I own is a nice little 12 gauge. It is a fixed full choke that gives very tight patterns. It is the base model yet still has checkering on the stock and fore grip and some fancy engraving of the Roman goddess of victory. How many many beginner single shots have anything like this?

The shotgun is very light and according to specs it weighs 5 ½ pounds. That's very light for a 12 gauge. That is great for a hunting gun when you have to carry the thing around all day but not so good for reducing recoil. The prime factor in how much recoil you feel is weight. The lighter the gun the more recoil you get. That's the one big draw back of this otherwise fine gun, especially if you consider beginners. To give you some perspective this gun feels lighter than my New England Arms Pardner 410!

I must admit I have a fondness to the break single shot shot guns (and rifles for that matter). Too often they are seen as just a beginners gun but I really appreciate the simpleness and the sporting nature of making your one shot count on the hunt. I think Leonardo da Vinci said, it best “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."

A few days ago Remington announced their line of 12 Gauge HD Ultimate Home Defense Shotshells. What intrigues me is that these shells are not loaded with buckshot, but with bird shot.

The HD Ultimate Home Defense comes in two loads. The one load contains BB bird shot and the other has a mixture of #2 and #4 sized birdshot. The shot is made from the Remington HD (High density) tungsten alloy.

Both contain 1.25 ounces of shot (547 grain) which is launched at a velocity of 1250 fps. That works out to be 1898 ft/lbs of energy.

Just a few months ago Federal launched a line of self-defense .410 Shotshell, also loaded with bird shot. There was a long discussion on The Firearm Blog about the suitability of these shells for self defense. The consensus was, to borrow an old maxim, that birdshot is for the birds!

The fact that a two major ammunition manufacturers are selling bird shot for self defense makes me wonder if they know something we do not?

The HD ammo is loaded with very hard, but dense, tungsten alloy shot which would give it greater penetration than lead. On the other hand, 00 (”double-ought”) buck shot is .33″ in diameter, much larger than BB birdshot (0.18″) and more than twice the diameter of #2 (0.15″) and #4 shot (.13″). It is almost universally accepted than bigger == better for self defense.

For the sake of those who purchase it, I hope it performs well. Remington and Federal could certainly ease our fears by releasing their test data for public scrutiny.

If any of your want to test the ammo and do a write up for The Firearm Blog, get in touch with me.

UPDATE: I forgot to list the price. Both loads cost $34.99 for a box of 10 rounds.

Weatherby have added two new additions to their line of SA-08 semi-automatic shotguns.

The Youth Synthetic is a 20 gauge shotgun with a short 12.5″ length of pull and low weight of 5.75 lbs. It has an MSRP of $449.

The Youth model also comes in a wooden stocked version. The lower recoil of the twenty gauge makes it a good choice for youngsters and the recoil sensitive (myself included).

The 12 gauge Waterfowler features a Mothwing Marsh Mimicry finish and is available in 26 and 28″ barrel lengths. The MSRP is $649.

Introduction by Steve: This is a guest post is written entirely by Y-Man. He has shown incredible ingenuity in a country that severely restricts the firearms and ammunition civilians can purchase. I have previously blogged about Y-Man’s exploits.

Imagine that all you could ever get in terms of ammunition is this:

Ordinary 12 gauge, BB Birdshot.

Well, I got some of that, but was I satisfied? NO! I needed something I could really use to “Reach out and touch…” Something that would penetrate at range with some accuracy.
Continue Reading »

For a company that supplies bayonets with some of their pistols, I am surprised it has taken CZ-USA this long to offer a breech choke.

I presume that it will fit in all their 12 gauge semi-automatic shotguns. I don’t know how useful this would be in a home defense situation, but it sure looks cool and at $39.99, is not all that expensive.

The Metal Storm MAUL has finally be unveiled and it is awesome. Previously only computer rendered images of the weapon were publicly available. The light 2.75 lbs 12 gauge shotgun has no moving parts and comes in a pistol and a rifle under-barrel configuration. Five rounds can be loaded at a time into the barrel and each is fired electronically.

The official video:

Last year I blogged that the US Navy was funding the MAUL development. The MAUL should not be confused with the Metal Storm multiple grenade launcher, the 3GL, which uses similar technology.

[ Why do all the interesting things happen when I am officially not blogging ]

Hat Tip: Defense Update

The Coach Gun is the name given to the relatively short double barreled shotguns which were popular for self defense in the Wild West where they were issued to the drivers and security personal of stage coaches. If you have ever seen a Western movie you have probably seen a coach gun.

They were effective and simple to operate self defense tools back in the mid 1800’s and still they are today, although they are almost never mentioned in self defense literature. Hollywood movies reinforcement the perception that autoloader pistols are the only effective self defense option.

Maybe today this attitude will change. Stoeger, a Benelli brand, have unveiled their new tactical shotgun which drags the coach gun, kicking and screaming, into the 21st century

Double Defense 12 gauge. Click to expand image.

Double Defense 20 gauge. Click to expand image.

The Double Defense has a picatinny rail on top for red dot sights, and under the barrel for lights, lasers or pistol grips. Another unique feature for a coach gun is a fiber optic front bead. The photos above show red dot type sights and flashlights – these are not included.

The barrels on both the 20 gauge and 12 gauge models are 20″ long and have a fixed improved choke and can chamber 2.75 and 3″ shells.

It has single trigger which is more convenient than a double trigger in a self defense situation and a tang-mounted safety that is automatically applied when the action is closed. The hardwood stock and metalwork is matte black in color.

I think this gun is a winner for those who are not “gun” people and who are not likely practice at the range. The only problem will be convincing people that it is a better option than a pistol. James, a self defense expert and trainer who blogs at Hell in a Handbasket, often laments that he cannot convince his clients that a shotgun is better than a pistol. A few days ago Jay emailed me a link to this news article where a woman could not shoot a home invader because she did not know how to operate the safety on her semi-automatic pistol. Chances are that a round was not even chambered. From VolunteerTV.com:

“He had that gun pointed and he was hollering ’sit down, sit down,’ ” Graves told WVLT.

Next came a struggle. Billy went for a gun in the bedroom. That’s when Vickie heard gunfire.

She says she had nothing to lose at that point, so she reached for another gun kept in the living room.

“I kept pulling the trigger and just pulling, pulling, pulling. I couldn’t get the safety. I don’t know. I hate guns.”

If your spouse, grown-up child, parent, girl or boyfriend “hates guns” or simply has no intend to practice but needs one for self defense consider getting them the Double Defense, it is simple, reliable and effective.

There a a couple of things I would change if I had designed the shotgun. I would have preferred a synthetic stock, a 18″ barrel and a butt stock shell carrier for quick reloading. A shell carrier is an essential accessory for a double barreled shotgun that will be used for home defense.

Thanks to Joe from Benelli for emailing me the photos.

The much hyped Benelli Vinci shotgun has finally been unveiled. Benelli have proclaimed the shotgun to be a revolution. I will go through the features and let you decide if it is truly a revolution or an evolution of Benelli’s existing high-tech shotgun designs.

Benelli Vinci: In Advantage, RealTree and Black Synthetic finishes.

The modular design features is made up of three main parts: a removable stock, an upper receiver (barrel and operating mechanism) and lower receiver (trigger group, magazine and forearm). This configuration is not unlike many autoloader rifles. The three main modules can be broken down and reassembled quickly for easy transport and storage. The only extra module promised so far by Benelli is a tactical pistol gripped stock. Over time I hope we shall see a variety of lowers, stocks, handguard and uppers with different barrel configurations.

The removable stock has been made possible by a significant change to the famous Benelli Inertia recoil system. The old system requires a recoil spring in the stock. The new In-Line system has a recoil spring adjacent to the bolt.

Old Inertia recoil system. Note the recoil spring in the stock.

New Vinci In-Line recoil system.

It is outside the scope of this blog post to explain how this recoil system work. In short the whole shotgun recoils but the bolt (a separate component to the rotating bolt head) does not move because of inertia. The bolt stays still, the Inertia springs compresses, the bolt head is unlocked and the Inertia spring then forces the bolt and bolt head backwards cycling the action. If this does not make sense, read Wikipedia which has a section explaining the Inertia recoil system.

I personally cannot see how the newer in-line bolt will reduce recoil anymore than the older Inertia recoil system already does. But it does makes sense in that it allows for a modular stock.

A gun writer at the Argentina Torture Test firing a Vinci.

Trigger/grip on Benelli M2 (background, camo) and Vinci (Black, foreground).

One of the touted features is a straighter trigger pull that is more like a rifle than a traditional shotgun. I overlayed the Vinci with a Benelli M2 and you can see the stock has a more pronounced pistol grip.

The Comfort Tech system used on older models have been upgraded:

The ComforTech™ Plus Stock is divided into 12 synthetic, recoil-absorbing chevrons, arranged diagonally from the heel of the buttstock to a point just behind the pistol-grip. The stock is designed so that the exterior shell flexes outward to further dampen recoil. In combination with the ComforTech™ Plus recoil pad, this design spreads the peak force of recoil over a longer period of time than any competitor’s claim.

Comfort Tech Plus

Specifications:

Cartridge: 2.75″ or 3″ 12 gauge.
Magazine capacity: 3+1
Chokes: Crio C,IC,M,IM,F
Barrel Lengths: 28″ or 26″
Sights: Red front fiber optic bead (receiver tapped and drilled for mounting)
Overall length: 45.75″ / 47.75″
Weight: 6.8 or 6.9 lbs depending on model.
Finishes: RealTree APG, Advantage Max-4 HD or black synthetic.
Also included: Fitted gun case.

The MSRP is $1379 for the black models or $1470 for the camo models.

At the Argentina Torture Test.

So is it a revolution? I don’t think so, but I do think it is a solid evolution of Benelli’s technology.

Twelve gun writers were invited by Benelli to a game lodge in Argentina to test fire the shotgun (I am very bitter about not being invited ). They shot a total of 88,000 rounds and apparently it functioned really well. I am looking forward to a comparison with the new Browning Maxus shotgun once both are on sale to the public. The Maxus and Benelli both claim to be significant improvements over the previous generation of the fowling piece.

A promotional video about the shotgun:

Some photos from Nodak Outdoor Forum:

UPDATE: Mark Keefe, Editor In Chief of American Rifleman has a write up and video of the Vinci

And now we know what the hype was all about. Benelli officially unveiled the gun yesterday at noon, but before that NRA Publications was granted an extensive preview. Not unexpectedly the Vinci is a semi-auto 12-gauge that relies heavily on polymer for its manufacture. It sports a 3-inch chamber with a new In–Line Inertia Driven bolt system and excellent, radically styled ergonomics. All that might have been predicted. What makes it so different—and worth the wait—is a revolutionary modular design that may change how future shotguns are built.

This is awesome:

Derek writes:

I have designed and patents pending on this.. Its a beltfed 12 gauge upper receiver for a ar-15 or m16 lower receiver. It uses your lower receiver, so if you have a ar15 its a semi auto shotgun, however if you have a registered m16 lower or a drop in auto sear it becomes a full auto 12 gauge machine gun. This is a prototype model and all the bugs arent worked out quite yet. Most of the problems that I have encountered revolve around the shotgun sheels not being consistent enough to eject sometimes.

I will be doing a brief interview with the Derek soon.

Hat Tip: Say Uncle

Last month I received an email from Nigeria. I know what you are thinking … not one of those emails Emmanuel was having some problems with his new shotgun and asked if I could help. I don’t know much about shotguns in general so I was not able to give him much advice. I ended up trading quite a few emails discussing the shotgun and gun laws in Nigeria.

Turns out that the only guns you can own in his country are shotguns, and only if you have the money:

I am a firearms enthusiast in Nigeria which has a very strict Gun control law, but which licenses shotguns (Single, double-barrel, pump action and recently: semi-automatics) to responsible, respectable people (actually: who am I fooling: anyone with the money!)

Even paintball, airsoft and air guns are banned! This ban of course does not stop certain criminal organizations in the country stocking up on hardware.

The brand name his shotgun is “Magnum EFE”. I did some googling and could find nothing on the internet. Is is most likely a clone from Russia or Eastern Europe but even then google usually spits out something! UPDATE: Commenter Jarkko says it is from Turkey.

Emmanuel’s Magnum EFE 12 gauge semi-automatic

What I find fascinating is that the shotgun appears to come from the factory with a pistol grip and no stock, yet, has an etching of birds on the side. Is is tactical or hunting? Who knows.

Regardless, even for self-defense, a stock is preferable. Unforuntly unlike in the west Emmanuel cannot just wander into the nearest gun shop to buy an accessory.

Remember I told you I was looking for a stock to add to it? Well, in Nigeria, there are practically NO shops to buy anything related to firearms or the accessories. There’s NO where here I can buy a stock for my firearm. It’s that bad here…Obviously: this would also mean I can’t buy one abroad and bring back.

I think we sometimes forget how lucky we are!

Being a DIY nut he decided to fabricate a stock using a steel walking stick. These walking sticks are apparently all the rage with African chiefs (and wannabe chiefs). The result is a very cool looking wire-style stock.

Click to expand.

Emmanuel’s holding the shotgun. Click to expand

A very ingenious idea. He modeled the angle of the stock after the Benelli M1.

Click to expand.

Used a hot (Red hot!) piece of metal to melt a nice neat hole into the firearm’s pistol grip: positioning hole so the bracket welded on the rod would fit right against the hole through which one bolts the grip to the receiver.

The stock has been tested and work fine.

We read about African gunsmithing but this is the real deal. It just shows what a good job you can do at home if you don’t have a gunsmith on speed-dial Great job Emmanuel and thanks for the photos and information.

I previously reported that on the new Mossberg 590 SPX. It appears Mossberg also have a “regular” 500 SPX.

The SPX features:

* 18.5″ ported barrel (the holes are in just behind the front sight)
* Picatinny rail
* LPA Ghost sight
* “M16 style” front sight
* Adjustable stock.
* 6 round magazine

This shotgun really seems to be crying out for an 8 round magazine upgrade.

The more expensive 590 SPX has a nine round magazine, bayonet lug and Ontario M9 Bayonet.

R&R Arms has it listed for $494.44 but have none in stock, I am not sure if Mossberg has yet shipped any.

UPDATE: There is also a 930 semi-automatic version of the SPX.

The Mossberg 903 SPX autoloader has the same features as 500 and 590 SPX except it has a 8 round magazine.

Jay emailed me a link to The Brass Fetcher Online. It looks like it has been around for years but I never came across it. It is amazing. They have gel test results, including photos, for a while range of cartridges, often more than one brand. Everything from .17 HMR to 5.7×25mm to 12 gauge.

Federal Tactical rifled slug

Observation from testing the above Federal slug:

The 16×6x6 inch block, upon being struck with the projectile, flipped 1.5 feet into the air and off of the test stand. Permanent cavity was 6” in diameter, until 10.5” depth.

That is why shotguns scare the crap out of me. When I am in a gun shop and hear the clack-clack of a 12 gauge pump, without noticing a customer handling one, I almost always get a fright!

They also offer a ammunition testing service. For a price they can test your favorite brand of defensive or hunting ammunition to ensure it performs as expected.

The site is AMAZING. You must check it out.

Thanks to Jay for the link.

If this does not keep hippies awake at night and zombies at bay I do not know what will. The Mossberg 500 Road Blocker a real badass. Pistol grip, heat shield and BFMB (Big “Fraking” Muzzle Brake”).

Mossberg 500 Road Blocker. Click to expand.

The two baffle muzzle brake looks like it was ripped off a .50 BMG anti-material rifle.

The Roadblocker muzzle brake in action. Note the bead sight.

For comparison: M107 / Barrett M82 .50 BMG anti-material rifle

The Road Blocker is chambered in 12 gauge, has a 18.5″ barrel and a 6 round magazine.

It was previously sold as a TALO exclusive but this year it is now a standard production shotgun. I am not sure what the MSRP will be but if I had to guess I would say $400.

There should be some good reverse thrust from the muzzle brake. If used correctly you should be able to follow up the blast of buckshot with shotgun-in-the-guts. Follow the instructions in my handy guide:

Just joking. Don’t get to excited!