Shotguns

Escort Versatile Tactical Shotgun: A New Series of Scatterguns for the Rifle Crowd

HatsanUSA, the exclusive US importer of firearms from Escort Shotguns, announced a new line of gas-operated scatterguns at SHOT Show 2020.

The new Escort Versatile Tactical Shotgun (VTS) series is designed to replicate many of the controls and features of the AR15-style rifle. The concept is to have shotguns that will very familiar in the hands of shooters who are comfortable with modern rifles.

Escort is making a range of VTS variants. Initially, the company will offer the DF12, SDX and BTS shotguns to the US market.

Let’s take a look at each.

Escort DF12

Escort considers the DF12 as the premier VTS model.

Offered only in 12-gauge, the gun is magazine-fed and can chamber both 2.75″ and 3″ shells. The standard magazine capacity is 5 rounds while a 2-round mag will also be available for hunters and others needing more limited capacity.

Like an AR-style rifle, the DF12 has an upper and lower receiver that is held together by a pair of pins. Also like an AR, the upper and lower separate for easy cleaning and maintenance. The receiver halves are made of black anodized aluminum. Escort does not identify the aluminum used other than “aircraft alloy.”

The DF12 barrel is 18″ long and is hard chrome plated. It is internally-threaded for chokes and ships with a slug-friendly cylinder bore choke brake. Included with the shotgun are full and improved cylinder (F and IC) chokes.

Sights consist of a rear aperture in the carry handle with a front post. However, the carry handle is removable, so Escort includes flip-up sights the raplce the carry handle and front tower. You can also add your own optic.

The DF12 is available in two colors: black and flat dark earth (FDE) Cerakote.

Escort SDX

The SDX shares a similar configuration as the DF12, but has two significant differences.

First of all, the SDX is available in both 12-gauge and in .410 bore. So, if you are looking for a lighter shooting shotgun, the SDX might be a better choice than the DF12.

The other major difference is that this gun uses a polymer lower and forend instead of aluminum. According to the company, the magazine well has metal guides to ensure proper magazine seating and increased durability.

Like the FD12 shotgun, the SDX is available in both black and FDE.

Escort BTS

Using the same operating system as the two other shotgun models, the BTS reconfigures the package into a compact bullpup format. Keeping the 18″ barrel, the company is able to reduce the overall length of the shotgun by 9″. This gives the BTS a significant advantage in maneuvering.

Like the SDX, the BTS can be had in 12-gauge and .410 bore.

Gas System

AR shooters might expect to see a gas tube running above the barrel from the front sight tower. That is not how Escort designed this system.

Instead, the company developed a gas piston that floats around the barrel of the shotgun. According to the company, this improves the efficiency of the system while decreasing the overall weight and size of the shotgun.

By having the piston coming back with equal pressure above and below the barrel, muzzle rise should be reduced. In theory, the recoil should be closer to a straight push backward.

Final Thoughts

Modern rifle-style shotguns are not an entirely new concept. However, this seems to be a more complete approach to the design. Shooters have three different variants to choose from – two AR-style and a third in a bullpup configuration.

For me, reliability is always a key factor. For a semi-automatic shotgun, I expect it to run with light and heavy loads without a lot of tweaking. I look forward to seeing how the Escort VTS line does.

Pricing starts at $589.99.

Kalashnikov USA Komrad – New Not-A-Shotgun Firearm to Launch on April 2

by: Richard Johnson 19 Comments

Kalashnikov USA will launch a new non-NFA firearm called the Komrad on April 2. The new gun is similar to the company’s larger KS-12 shotguns but with a shorter 12.5″ barrel and an adjustable length SB Tactical SBA3 pistol brace. It will transfer just as any other firearm without requiring a special tax stamp as would be needed with a short barrel shotgun.

General Information

The Kalashnikov USA Komrad is one of a growing trend of non-NFA firearms that avoid specific classification in United States (federal) law and can be purchased from a normal dealer like any other gun. It is easy to mistake the Komrad for a shotgun as it is a smoothbore firearm that is chambered for the 12 gauge shell. Nevertheless, it is not a shotgun under federal law.

Made in the United States, the new Komrad is a semi-automatic gun based on the Russian Saiga series of firearms. It was not designed in Russia, nor is any part of it made in Russia. However, it is compatible with many Saiga parts including the magazines.

As it ships, the gun comes with two (2) 5-round magazines. Kalashnikov USA also offers 10-round magazines as an optional accessory. Third party drums and other magazines should all work if they are built to the original Saiga 12 specifications.

The Komrad can handle any 2 3/4″ or 3″ shell from birdshot to slugs. It has an adjustable gas regulator to match your ammunition.

Kalashnikov USA ships the gun with pistol-style sights: post front and a notch rear. The gun does have a side mount for adding a red dot with a rail like this one. Also, the gun has three Picatinny-type rails for the addition of a laser, white light, foregrip or other bits of gear.

According to the company representatives, the guns are now in production. Kalashnikov USA will make an official announcement on April 2 when it will have an ample supply ready to ship to buyers.

Specifications

caliber	12 gauge (2 3/4" and 3" shells)
capacity	5-round detachable magazine standard, 10-rounds optional
action	semi-automatic, adjustable gas regulator
barrel length	12.5"
overall length	30.25-33"
weight	7.15 pounds
grip	polymer pistol style with interchangeable inserts
MSRP	TBD (expected to be around $1,000)

Range Time

I was invited to the Kalashnikov USA factory in Pompano Beach, Florida for an introduction to the gun. I had a chance to shoot a production version of the Komrad with both buckshot at slugs. The staff at K-USA provided unlimited ammo to shoot, and there were a total of six media members on hand that gave the gun a good workout.

The Komrad felt good in my hands with the balance point of the rifle seemingly just forward of the magazine well. It moved and pointed easily. It felt quicker to transition between targets than a traditional shotgun like a Remington 870, but I’d like to do a side-by-side comparison of the guns to get a better feel for this.

Shooting heavy 12 gauge loads is not everyone’s cup of tea. However, I am one of those strange birds that do enjoy it. From this gun, the recoil seemed very similar to a traditional shotgun. If I had to guess, I would say that the felt recoil is slightly more – maybe 5-10% – in the Komrad, but I freely admit this is completely subjective. Another shooter might say more or less.

I experienced no malfunctions with this gun. It fed and shot reliably. However, I did see another writer have an issue with cycling a few rounds. He seemed to fix this problem by changing his stance with a more aggressive shoulder forward position.

Thoughts & Coming Review

Non-NFA firearms like the Kalashnikov Komrad are very interesting to me. The Komrad helps to solidify this style of weapon as a mainstream product, and more guns in common use are a good thing in my opinion.

Beyond the political and legal implications of the Komrad, does it have a practical use? Yes.

A short barrel firearm (as compared to the company’s KS-12 shotgun) is easier to maneuver indoors and when moving in and out of a vehicle. For a dad protecting his family in the middle of the night, this can be a valid choice: 5 or 10 rounds of 12 gauge buck is certainly a time-tested method of repelling violent criminals in a home invasion.

Mix in the ability to add a red dot and white light – this has the potential of being a valid home defense option.

I’ve requested one of these new not-a-shotguns for review, and the folks at Kalashnikov USA stated they will make this happen. Once I get it, I will run a lot of ammo through it and put it up against more traditionally sized scatterguns for a full review. If you have specific questions or things you want me to test, please post your requests in the comments section below.

Disclosure

As I stated previously in the article, I was invited to a special shooting event hosted by Kalashnikov USA. This event was paid for by the company including a one night stay at an oceanfront motel and three meals (dinner, breakfast and lunch.) Since I am within driving distance to the company’s factory, I provided my own transportation. However, the company did provide airfare to other attendees.

Kalashnikov USA did not request, nor did I promise any media coverage. But let’s face it – I’m sure they hope to receive it, and providing news and reviews on guns for you is what I do.

Kalashnikov USA is not an advertiser, nor are we in any talks for them to be one. I do not have any financial interest in K-USA or any other gun manufacturer.

GunsHolstersAndGear.com is a for-profit website. I do not use pop-ups, autoplaying videos or other annoying advertising. Rather, I employ affiliate links. If you choose to follow one of my links to a site like Amazon or Brownells and then make a purchase, I earn a small commission (typically between 1-4%) that literally helps me to feed my family. I do not get to see what any individual purchases, and the links do not alter your price.

Special Thanks

A special thank you to B. Gil Horman with the American Rifleman for helping out with the range photo shown above. I hope my photos for you turned out as good as yours for me.

New Chiappa CA612M Shotguns

by: Richard Johnson Leave a Comment

New for 2016, Chiappa Firearms will officially introduce the new CA612M shotguns at the SHOT Show. There will be two versions of the gun at launch: the Field and the Turkey.

The new shotguns share a number of features, but are customized to the needs of different hunters. Both guns are chambered for the 3.5″ 12 gauge shell and are semi-automatic. The semi-auto system is an inertia driven system that is designed to eliminate some of the problems associated with gas systems.

Escort Raider Shotgun

by: Richard Johnson 4 Comments

The Escort Raider is one of the shotguns introduced this year by Turkish manufacturer Hatsan Arms Company.

Much like the Diamond SWAT 12 shotgun I previously discussed, the new Raider is a box magazine fed, semi-automatic scattergun. Unlike the Diamond-manufactured gun, Escort firearms are already imported into the United States by Legacy Sports, so I would expect these will have a higher probability of importation.

There are a number of different options and variants of the gun being introduced at the same time, so let’s go over everything.

Diamond SWAT 12 Shotgun

by: Richard Johnson 1 Comment

Turkish manufacturer Matsan A.S. showed off the new Diamond SWAT 12 shotgun at the IWA Outdoor Classics exposition in Germany. IWA is similar to the SHOT Show that is held annually in the United States.

Quite a few Turkish shotguns come into the US market through various distributors, and in some cases, branded with a US manufacturer’s name. So, I suspect that we will see these in this country – assuming they can muster BATFE approval.* (see more on shotgun importation below)

The new shotgun is a tactical-style, semi-automatic gun that uses a detachable box magazine. Both 5- and 10-round magazines are available for these guns. The magazine latch is at the rear of the magwell. The action is gas operated.

Mossberg L Series Shotguns – Left Handed

by: Richard Johnson 4 Comments

At the SHOT Show, Mossberg announced a new line of left-handed shotguns called the L Series. These shotguns replicate many of the standard (right-handed) 500 and 590 series shotguns in the Mossberg catalog in both 12 and 20 gauge.

Here’s the full information…