Brand New to Canada: SG-12 "SPAS"

Back from the range. Took the gun right out of the box. No oiling nothing.

About 200 shells through it. 150 challenger target 1250 fps, 2 slugs, 20 #6 bird shot 1450, 40 1330fps target

The challenger target was 1250 so I wont comment on the gazillion jam and failure to eject

It did run flawlessly in semi auto with high brass #6 bird shot 1450fps but fail to cycle on slug.

The bolt does not stay locked in pump once close and not fired. Wich can make for akward reloading. The gun is design like this (I believe) but its worth noting.

My bolt release absolutly does not work without pulling the charging handle (in semi auto) wich make for akward reloading, or pulling the forehand in pump.

The stock folding button was very stiff but got better very quickly by playing with it.

I experience 3 light strike with 2 brand of ammo. I dont think I ever experience a single light strike with multiple shotgun and 1000's of rounds in my whole life. I just had 3.

Choke was loose out of the box, I hand tight it and it came loose again. Ill put the wrench on it tonight.

Switching from manual to pump is a breeze on mine.

Action, trigger and recoil are all surprisingly smooth.

It had hippcup loading in pump, were I had the push and pull the forehand a second time for the shell to go.

But of all my issue the one that truly bum me, cause I can live with all the others, is the fact that 3/4 in the session the stock was folded and started to bounce around under the recoil. It was properly lock in. Important to note that I shot 90% of my ammo with the stock folded. Ill post video of it later.

Funny enough, no double feed, beside when I was reloading and not pushing the shell all the way in.

Overall I want this thing to works. Its a really cool looking gun and fun to shoot. If I can fixed my bouncing stock and bolt release ill be satisfied.
 
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Light strikes
 

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Heres a video of my stock bouncing around. Sorry for the camera angle, all I had was a properly angled rock. Btw thoses are bird shot 1250 fps. The latch was all the forward into the sight.
 

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Jesus.C said:

Heres a video of my stock bouncing around. Sorry for the camera angle, all I had was a properly angled rock. Btw thoses are bird shot 1250 fps. The latch was all the forward into the sight.
Click to expand...
Well I see your problem, you didn't remove that spring and try stuffing the follower spring out of a CA-75 into the space before you complained it didn't work. I mean, it's like you're not even trying.

(Mine is at the post office, I'll see if I can get non life threatening failures too...I might be slow getting back if they are life threatening failures).
 
Update

I just started taking it apart and the tube extention was loose. This mean the whole assembly could move a bit forward Including the rear sight itself. I believe that why my stock was bouncing around. Will have to test that on the range cause otherwise nothing else make sense.

Just need to find a way to fix my bolt release and ill be very very happy.

For those of you who havent try yours yet. Tight your choke and your tube extention and keep an eye on it during your session.

Beside being load specific I think they can become reliable.
 
JeffMan said:
My M2 SP has been ZERO malfunctions for hundreds and hundreds of rounds. I’ve done the bolt mod to ghost load it and shortened the long spring (U.S Spring for the longer mag tube) it came with to the correct length. It’s been chugging away ever since.

Update on my Velociraptor gun: it ran 00 buck like a champ except sometimes it leaves the last round on the lifter with the bolt locked back - it thinks it’s empty but it’s not 🤷 this seems indicative of a weak magazine spring. Maybe I’ll put a longer spring in with the existing limiter. See how that goes.

Double feeds had been gone tho.

Maybe I’ll go back to #6 now and see how she does.
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Putting a longer mag spring in to try and increase reliability? Hmm, where have I heard that before...
The Crover said:
Tried my SP-12 today.

Gun was disassembled, inspected, and reassembled without the magazine tube spring retainer to have 6 2.75" shells in the tube as advertised in the Tactical imports page. A longer spring was added to ensure proper feeding, as factory spring was barely the length of the mag tube + extension. New spring was approximately 2.25x the length of the magazine tube with the extension.

No extra cleaning or lubrication.

Put about 75 shells of mixed Score buckshot and slugs through it. Issues found:

- Experience double feeds every single time the gun was fully loaded, with less double feeds as the gun emptied.

- Occasional failures to feed, hull ejected from chamber but next shell hung up halfway out of magtube. Disassembled at the range with no apparent cause for issues.

- Pump mechanism was engaged. First shot in pump mode caused the action to seize shut. Had to mortar the charging handle to eject spent hull. Rest of pump mode shot ejected correctly, while still experiencing double feeds and failures to feed.

- The two screws that attach the heatshield to the barrel had come loose. Heatshield could move 3-4 mm front and back on the barrel.

- Choke quickly got loose, no wrench provided to tighten so it was removed for the duration of the tests. Choke attaches externally to the barrel which has external threads, so no damage was done while shooting the gun with the choke removed.

There were glaring issues out of the box as well. Some potentially so significant I can't talk about them.

- Gun is so tight out of the box, the bolt release cannot be used with one finger. Both hands needed to be gripping the receiver tightly, and then the bolt release button had to be pressed with significant force to get the action to close from the locked open position. Working the action is helping to loosen up the button, but it is still significantly tight.

- In the folded position, the stock latch was locked into the rear sight so tight, stock had to be removed from the receiver to release. A rubber guard was pressed into the stock, tensioning the entire stock against the receiver. It has been removed, and the latch can be operated freely now.

- The mechanism for switching between pump and semi was insanely tight. The instructions literally say to "wiggle the forend to help the switch". Wiggling did not help. Applying oil to the mechanism and the forend track did.

- The doublefeed was being caused by the aluminum follower, which was binding up in the magtube. Replaced it with a basic plastic orange 870 follower and issues went away.

- Heatshield is attached to the barrel with two crappy screws. They came loose, and heatshield rattles. Had to apply loctite, and retorque them.

Another shoot is planned for later this week.
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2 question for my fellow spas 12 enjoyer.

-How do you remove the charging handle.
Instruction are less than useful.
-Is there anything I can do to fixed the bolt release without going through TI.
 
Jesus.C said:
2 question for my fellow spas 12 enjoyer.

-How do you remove the charging handle.
Instruction are less than useful.
-Is there anything I can do to fixed the bolt release without going through TI.
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The charging handle has a grove you need to align with the bolt exterior. Once the barrel is removed push back on the bolt face until it aligns with the cut out.
 
Jesus.C said:
-How do you remove the charging handle.
Instruction are less than useful.
Click to expand...
With the barrel off, and the bolt forward, push the bolt back with your finger slightly. The action bars and bolt carrier should stay forward, while the bolt can move freely rewards. Line up the bolt with the cutout on the bolt carrier, and the charging handle can now be removed.

Jesus.C said:
-Is there anything I can do to fixed the bolt release without going through TI.
Click to expand...
If your bolt release is just tight, grab the receiver with both hands and push on it with both thumbs. It should release the bolt.
 
F-Tang said:
Putting a longer mag spring in to try and increase reliability? Hmm, where have I heard that before...
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There is quite a bit of information on the internet and YouTube where a longer/ stiffer spring reduced malfunctions with this particular shotgun.

One YouTuber reduced malfunctions by using an original SPAS spring, and then replacing it with a Wolf Extra Power 870 spring.

I have a baseline established for reliability with the stock springs now.
 
The Crover said:
With the barrel off, and the bolt forward, push the bolt back with your finger slightly. The action bars and bolt carrier should stay forward, while the bolt can move freely rewards. Line up the bolt with the cutout on the bolt carrier, and the charging handle can now be removed.


If your bolt release is just tight, grab the receiver with both hands and push on it with both thumbs. It should release the bolt.
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Finally got that charging handle. Turn out all I had to do is hit it harder with my purse.

I can release the bolt. But I wish to do so with one thumb and a reasonable amount a pressure. Right now its impossible without pulling the charging handle back or in pump the forehand.
 
Jesus.C said:
I can release the bolt. But I wish to do so with one thumb and a reasonable amount a pressure. Right now its impossible without pulling the charging handle back or in pump the forehand.
Click to expand...

In my very first report, I stated I had the same problem.

I had to work the action until the bolt release button loosened up. It is still stiff for me, but I can get it to release with one finger now.
 
Okay got mine and took it out. Now I WILL recommend that people strip these down and really clean them before taking them out. There was some really odd grease in the bolt and action. The oil itself was thin, but smelled different than the Afghani oil I used to get in high school.

I cleaned off all the packing oil and grease, tightened up the choke (Was only one thread onto the barrel), and I'm considering adding something sticky to the threads on the mag tube extension. I think I'll be leaving my mag cap in place, I might do something to secure it in there, I can see why these come loose, there's nothing keeping them in place I don't think. I did the entire gun over in simple green, then soaked it all in G96, wiped all that down and used lucas extreme duty gun oil on the action. Same as every gun.

I ran challenger buckshot, federal buckshot, and a big pile of random trap shot from back when I thought Trap was fun.

No malfunctions at all. Low brass high brass and various speeds I'm sure. It ran real nice and the recoil was way less than I expected. I ran only ~20 rounds total, so this is no sort of review, I'll take it out for a real trial tomorrow. I'll try and see if I can get 100 rounds through it without doing anything.

Pump action worked really well actually, nice and smooth. The button that moves it from semi to pump sure feels a little suspect, I'd like to be able to pick up replacement parts for sure, this is the kind of gun you bring out for guests, I think it will get a lot of use.

The action release is as reported really nasty. They utilized the tiny semi auto handle that a lot of semi autos come with, but yeah you have to pull back on that in order to release the action. That will get old real quick, but I assume that it should smooth out with use. I can't recall if the M3 had that issue when it was new. I haven't tried grinding or sanding anything at all until I'm 100% sure I have an issue, I'm more than happy to run this now that I know she feeds and ejects.

I was expecting this because of the M3, but the pump locks back on an empty chamber. Not the worst thing in the world but something to be aware of if you are used to a regular pump.

The spinny sling mount on the mag tube has got to go. Biggest complaint was that thing jingling around.

I do believe that a loose mag tube would result in the stock coming out of folded position, oh and the detent on the folding end piece is brutal. But that's such a small complaint (and I'll get that worked out).

Overall 10/10. That might change with use. So far, very happy.
 

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Oh, the instructions say to turn the charging handle (or something) to remove it. No idea what they mean by that. Just have the bolt slightly back out of battery and pull straight out. The biggest issue I see is making sure that mag extension doesn't come loose, it really does hold the whole thing together. I'll likely have a paint mark on the tube if I find it comes loose.
 
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