[SHOT 2016] Crye Precision SIX12 Update

Rusty S.
by Rusty S.
the newest iteration on display also had the titanium cylinder (likely under a polymer outer shell)

I stopped by Crye Precision’s booth today to see what was going on with the SIX12, as nothing had really been heard about it over the last year. Unfortunately the shotgun’s lead designer wasn’t there at the time, but Caleb Crye took the time to explain to me the current state of development, and any changes that had been made. The most significant change that he pointed out to me was that the barrel and cylinders are now made out of titanium. Another thing I noticed about the cylinders is that they now do not have any cuts on the side.

A look at the titanium barrel
the newest iteration on display also had the titanium cylinder (likely under a polymer outer shell)

The receiver halves are now made out of forged aluminum instead of polymer. Caleb mentioned that they had produced 100 of these shotguns, and they were now undergoing rigorous evaluation before bringing them to the larger market as a whole. I took the opportunity to try out the trigger on the newest iteration, and I must say, it was very smooth. It did have a long pull in order to rotate the cylinder, but there wasn’t perceptible stacking. The mag release is now a smaller square button instead of the rather large round button seen in the past. The standalone units now have QD sling cups at the rear of the receiver.

The oh-so-futuristic suppressed version
The non-NFA underbarrel version
lastly, the "standalone" version. Jackyl would approve.

I can’t wait until the SIX12 can finally start “opening doors, and meeting new people.”

Thanks to Caleb Crye for his time.

Rusty S.
Rusty S.

Having always had a passion for firearms, Rusty S. has had experience in gunsmithing, firearms retail, hunting, competitive shooting, range construction, as an IDPA certified range safety officer and a certified instructor. He has received military, law enforcement, and private training in the use of firearms. Editor at Outdoorhub.com

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  • Lt_Scrounge Lt_Scrounge on Jan 23, 2016

    It's cool looking, but no thanks. Why not simply mount a gas operated semi automatic shotgun under there? The length wouldn't be much longer if you use a bull pup firing mechanism. The weight would be less since the magazine tube and receiver could be completely made of polymer like the receivers on the Benelli Novas. The mechanism would have fewer moving parts as well. Reducing the number of moving parts and increasing the use of polymer would reduce costs and improve reliability. If you want interchangeable magazine capability, start with a Saiga type action. I think the Russians are already building something similar.

    • Daniel E. Watters Daniel E. Watters on Jan 26, 2016

      @Lt_Scrounge A conventional reciprocating action adds a lot of overall length. You need at least twice the length of the shotshell for the action. So you'd need at least 5.5 to 6" dedicated to the receiver alone. When you are trying to maintain an overall length under that of the host weapon's barrel length, the parasitic shotgun is going to lose a lot of its own barrel length as a result. Moreover, if the parasitic shotgun uses a tube magazine, the loss in overall length will also cut into the magazine capacity, knocking you down to 2 or 3 in the tube. Box magazines for shotguns have the disadvantage of excessive height due to the width of the shotshell and the length of the spring required to lift their mass.

      You'll note that Benelli doesn't offer a semi-auto version of the Nova. A polymer receiver and tube magazine would difficult with typical gas-operated sporting shotgun designs. Most use the magazine tube as a guide for the gas piston. Do you want hot gas venting onto a polymer magazine tube? Even with an alternative gas piston design or a recoil-operated action, you'd still need anchor points for the recoil springs.

  • GearHead GearHead on Jan 24, 2016

    I hope someone in Canada has the balls to try and import this as a "revolver" so we can have them too.

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