There will be more, but this time you'll have to be quick, I'm sure there are a lot of guys now on the notification list from TI. I'm going to try for a second one just to have a parts gun.
Brand New to Canada: SG-12 "SPAS"
- Thread starter Tactical Imports
- Start date
If it were a more esoteric vintage gun, I would get the logic. But buying a whole ass second brand new gun as a parts gun is not something I can wrap my head around.
rajczak_kashka
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Surrey, B.C.
Rumours that an 18” version may be offered soon here ?
rajczak_kashka
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Surrey, B.C.
For a $1000 one as parts gun makes sense to me . I was thinking same
It's a seam in the sheet metal that is welded. Come on guys, be better.
Okay. I think I can say I can give this a pretty fair "review". I took it out along with the TurkiM3 and the Benelli M2.
Firstly, this ain't no M2. I love my M4, but on almost every metric, I prefer my M2. The thing just runs. It's likely been a decade since I even stripped it down and cleaned it. I wanted a baseline for operation, different rounds and recoil. Plus MAN I love that gun, anyone who has never shot one is legit missing out. Anyone who has only ever shot Turkish M4s...you're missing out too, they are NOT the same, but I digress...
The carry handle is great for carrying, but it DOES come loose and conk you right in the face under recoil. Likely fixable, but not really to be run folded and trying to use the sights.
My bolt release is garbage. I will try and pop it out tonight, but by far that was the biggest issue I had, and in fact probably the only real issue I had. What a janky sh*t design. I'll get that roll pin out and see if it is indeed a loose piece. To operate, I had to butt slap the gun while pulling back on the charging handle and then slamming it forward. Had this thing worked, I probably would have left this at a 10/10. Absolutely unacceptable to let this thing roll out of a factory with a non working action. But...Turkey.
As for ammo. I ran literally a little bit of everything I had from reloads to dominion low power slugs, trap loads, and almost an ammo tin of challenger buckshot. Results were as follows:
High brass, low brass: No difference.
Trap loads to heavy loads: 100% feed on the slugs and buckshot, hit and miss on the trap loads, although I had a lot more luck if I had a really good shoulder/cheek weld for them Generally it was just a failure to eject. It got better as the gun ran, but not 100%.
Pump action: Worked every time, but again, you can feel this thing sort of moving around on you. I felt like I had airsoft hardware on a real shotgun. That said, the pump worked every time, no issues at all.
The choke came loose about every ~20 rounds, I'm going to glue that sucker on.
The mag tube came loose about the same amount, I'm going to put blue loctite on that. The indents are just too tiny I think.
I experienced zero double feeds, and the mag tube plug stayed put. As an aside, the plug retainer on the M2 is a far far better design. This one is friction fit, the M2 has a pressure retention, the harder you push feeding the rounds, the harder it holds, and it pops out super easy. I've never understood why all shotguns don't use that design...
Accuracy was okay, I was hitting gongs at 50 yards with slugs, and was shattering clays with hipfire birdshot. Good enough.
I really liked the carry handle. for such a heavy shotgun it feels nice. I didn't do any one handed shots, I have a rotator cuff thing that is driving me nuts.
Oh! And as for recoil, which I was sort of dreading....not bad at all. I'd put it on par with the M2. The action takes a lot of the recoil. Even in pump I didn't mind it at all, not sure why since, well look at that buttstock. I didn't shoot a ton of slugs compared to buckshot, but they were fine. Like REALLY surprised I didn't hate shooting this.
I give it an 8/10 because of that bolt release. It's simply not functional. Having to mortar a shotgun is a legit first for me, and I didn't like it. I pride myself on being pretty safe around firearms, I don't think I would have been running this if there had been other people around.
Still, this was one of the most fun/memorable days I've had out. It was better than expected, worse than hoped, but I think it's workable. I'm going to have to check that handguard again, If it's a crack in it there's no way it's not worse now, it took a beating.
Oddly enough the M3 was the "turkey" today, a bunch of failures to eject and load, which I haven't had before, but it's possible I didn't clean it last time out. That one I only bought because the progressives said I couldn't have one and I wanted to see why. Still don't know why they made the original prohib.
Firstly, this ain't no M2. I love my M4, but on almost every metric, I prefer my M2. The thing just runs. It's likely been a decade since I even stripped it down and cleaned it. I wanted a baseline for operation, different rounds and recoil. Plus MAN I love that gun, anyone who has never shot one is legit missing out. Anyone who has only ever shot Turkish M4s...you're missing out too, they are NOT the same, but I digress...
The carry handle is great for carrying, but it DOES come loose and conk you right in the face under recoil. Likely fixable, but not really to be run folded and trying to use the sights.
My bolt release is garbage. I will try and pop it out tonight, but by far that was the biggest issue I had, and in fact probably the only real issue I had. What a janky sh*t design. I'll get that roll pin out and see if it is indeed a loose piece. To operate, I had to butt slap the gun while pulling back on the charging handle and then slamming it forward. Had this thing worked, I probably would have left this at a 10/10. Absolutely unacceptable to let this thing roll out of a factory with a non working action. But...Turkey.
As for ammo. I ran literally a little bit of everything I had from reloads to dominion low power slugs, trap loads, and almost an ammo tin of challenger buckshot. Results were as follows:
High brass, low brass: No difference.
Trap loads to heavy loads: 100% feed on the slugs and buckshot, hit and miss on the trap loads, although I had a lot more luck if I had a really good shoulder/cheek weld for them Generally it was just a failure to eject. It got better as the gun ran, but not 100%.
Pump action: Worked every time, but again, you can feel this thing sort of moving around on you. I felt like I had airsoft hardware on a real shotgun. That said, the pump worked every time, no issues at all.
The choke came loose about every ~20 rounds, I'm going to glue that sucker on.
The mag tube came loose about the same amount, I'm going to put blue loctite on that. The indents are just too tiny I think.
I experienced zero double feeds, and the mag tube plug stayed put. As an aside, the plug retainer on the M2 is a far far better design. This one is friction fit, the M2 has a pressure retention, the harder you push feeding the rounds, the harder it holds, and it pops out super easy. I've never understood why all shotguns don't use that design...
Accuracy was okay, I was hitting gongs at 50 yards with slugs, and was shattering clays with hipfire birdshot. Good enough.
I really liked the carry handle. for such a heavy shotgun it feels nice. I didn't do any one handed shots, I have a rotator cuff thing that is driving me nuts.
Oh! And as for recoil, which I was sort of dreading....not bad at all. I'd put it on par with the M2. The action takes a lot of the recoil. Even in pump I didn't mind it at all, not sure why since, well look at that buttstock. I didn't shoot a ton of slugs compared to buckshot, but they were fine. Like REALLY surprised I didn't hate shooting this.
I give it an 8/10 because of that bolt release. It's simply not functional. Having to mortar a shotgun is a legit first for me, and I didn't like it. I pride myself on being pretty safe around firearms, I don't think I would have been running this if there had been other people around.
Still, this was one of the most fun/memorable days I've had out. It was better than expected, worse than hoped, but I think it's workable. I'm going to have to check that handguard again, If it's a crack in it there's no way it's not worse now, it took a beating.
Oddly enough the M3 was the "turkey" today, a bunch of failures to eject and load, which I haven't had before, but it's possible I didn't clean it last time out. That one I only bought because the progressives said I couldn't have one and I wanted to see why. Still don't know why they made the original prohib.
Thanks for the in-depth review. I haven’t had the chance to take mine out yet, but will this weekend. I will say that out of the box, my bolt release was HORRENDOUS. Like 2 thumbs on top of one another, white-knuckling it horrendous. I’ve been throwing snap caps in and working the bolt release a lot today, and it’s significantly better than before. Keep working it and hopefully yours loosens up a bit.
It's messed up. I emailed TI about it yesterday and haven't heard back, I'll likely disassemble this evening and see if I can figure it out.
After the 20th time I had to work it I realized it was getting worse, not better. Faulty design for sure. Luckily if the whole unit comes out with a roll pin, it can be fixed without shipping the gun anywhere (hopefully).
You're going to have fun though, just keep in mind that the barrel gets HOT so don't just grab that choke to check if it's still on...
We stopped doing pre-orders a while ago. Bad experience for customers due to typical delays, and significantly more work on our end (double the invoices, double/triple correspondence)
That's a SPAS "chin weld"...
