Tomahawk 1200 pics and first impressions(update,test fired)

Mangil

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Ok, for those interested, here are some pictures and my first impressions of the new tomahawk 1200...
Excuse my poor english skills and feel free to ask questions and request others pictures.

BTW I am not a shotgun expert, my only other one is a cheap Maverick 88

So far, I can say that:

-The gun is light and front heavy but it "fit" me better than the Maverick,
I don't know if it's because of the shorter LOP or what but I like the feel and the way it point

-the trigger and especially the safety are a lot better than the Maverick

-The flat black finish on the barrel and the receiver is thin and scratches easily

-The stock and the forearm are made of very soft and thin plastic, they also scratch easily,
but thet looks better than the maverick ones

-The gun is internally rough... lots of machining marks and burrs

-my biggest complaint comes from all those "tactical accessories" they are cheap and their fit is bad


also: A very similar looking gun (in hunting version) is sold in the US under the Tristar Viper name...

Here is a Viper review from Gunblast w ww.gunblast.com/TriStar.htm


Picture time now... I will post them in small batches today and tomorow, along with some personal observations...

This is it, just out of the box with the supplied accessories

tomahawk001.jpg



the gun came "factory equiped" with a few scratches on both side of the receiver...
this "z" shaped one being the most obvious

tomahawk002.jpg


An other one on the pistol grip...

tomahawk081.jpg


the gun comes with a big muzzle break and 3 choke tubes... the muzzle break is actualy a 2 pieces unit

tomahawk012.jpg


tomahawk011.jpg


The choke tubes treads are rough and the notches even more...

tomahawk013.jpg


Tomahawk (Benelli type?) vs Mossberg choke tube...

tomahawk087.jpg


One of them is badly machined, it does not screw all the way into the barrel

tomahawk093.jpg



The gun is also supplied with a choke wrench, a user manual, two acc. rails (one already fitted on the receiver) and this notice from Marstar regarding those two rails

tomahawk010.jpg


The first rail (The european one?) is actualy a banana shaped piece of very soft plastic...it is honestly the first time I see "something" like that on a firearm

The other supplied rail is is molded (not milled) out of aluminum...

Here are the two rails side by side

tomahawk052.jpg


As you can see here, someone made some final ajustements to the aluminum rail "after" the final painting

tomahawk007.jpg


Deburring the holes was obviously not part of the process...

tomahawk009.jpg


the supplied mounting screws are not helping much in the look departement...the new holes are not conicals and they don't match the screws very well...
it's a sad thing because, as you can see, they were carefully cut to lenght by a turkish artisan

tomahawk053.jpg


tomahawk056.jpg


The use of the rail was not in my plans anyway so it's not a big deal for me...but nothing was supplied to plug holes in the dovetailed
receiver (std #8 set screws would probably fit)

tomahawk080.jpg


the coating on the receiver and the barrel doesn't look very tough... it scratches very easily

tomahawk005.jpg


the bolt release button, trigger safety button and bolt are chromed...like kitchen appliance... lol ...not really tacticool
but the finish seems tough...

tomahawk078.jpg


tomahawk024.jpg


more pics tonight...
 
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Looks like you got a lemon, I would ship it back and ask for an exchange. Marstar has their iron clad warranty and most likely will send you another one. Looks like QC was sleeping when this one went by on the line.
 
I finaly figured out how to remove the bolt (the bolt handle actualy)...the thing is locked in
place with a spring loaded ball... small pliers are needed to remove it the first time
The action bar is rough but thick...

bolt008.jpg


bolt009.jpg


bolt010.jpg


Here is the mag cap... the sling swivel is not screwed, it is more like a rivet

tomahawk015.jpg


tomahawk014.jpg


It locks against a plastic sleeve in the forearm...

tomahawk016.jpg


tomahawk017.jpg


mag tube and piston (the sleeve at the left is a plastic buffer)

tomahawk021.jpg


tomahawk030.jpg


The barrel (piston housing) exterior finish and machining are really rough...

tomahawk031.jpg


tomahawk036.jpg


The O ring is inside the housing...

tomahawk046.jpg


gas ports...

tomahawk034.jpg


piston

tomahawk033.jpg


mag-tube

tomahawk023.jpg


mag plug removed...

tomahawk057.jpg


The trigger assembly is easily removed...

tomahawk059.jpg


detail both sides (metal parts are stamped)

tomahawk060.jpg


tomahawk062.jpg


closer pics of the trigger assembly...

tomahawk068.jpg


tomahawk064.jpg
 
The inside of the receiver and the bottom of the bolt where full of those black particles
they are not metal shavings, more like dried powder coating ore something like that

tomahawk070.jpg


tomahawk083.jpg


There was also this big metal burr inside the receiver handle slot...

tomahawk004.jpg


tomahawk084.jpg


And this chrome shaving... (the chrome finish may not be so tough finally)

tomahawk085.jpg


OK, What is next, the barrel...?

The barrel shroud is screwed to the barrel...Those like me who wish to discard it will run
into an esthetic problem...

At the rear, the shroud is bolted to the barrel...in order to bolt the shroud,
a metal "cube" was welded to the rear of the barrel...as you can see,
this cube is also carefully hand crafted by a skilled Turkish artisan...

post004.jpg


This is a pic of the gun without the tactical stuff... the hard to miss rear shroud post

tomahawk089.jpg


again our artisan at work... a dremmel was used to "adjust" the clearance here on the barrel...
note that the edge of the barrel was hit by the dremmel wheel and the metal dust near the pin...

tomahawk048.jpg
 
The only thing left is the stock I think... (last set of pictures)
Compared to my Maverick stock, the tomahawk stock is looking better, but the plastic used is thin and soft.

the recoil pad is wierd... it's a big plastic cap with a rubber insert ...

tomahawk073.jpg


tomahawk076.jpg


tomahawk077.jpg


sling swivel... from the dollar store... a regular steel swivel fits in the hole, I tried it...

tomahawk006.jpg


tomahawk072.jpg


Like them soft?

tomahawk086.jpg


soft forearm (to be honest, once in place, it feels OK)

tomahawk018.jpg


tomahawk020.jpg


So, what do you think, should I...

Send It back for a refund and forget about it
Send it back and ask for an exchange like DAR 701 suggests
Give this gun a chance and shoot it before I take a decision

your comments are welcome...
 
Thanks for the review... $379.00 for a new semi-auto shotgun is not bad.

i paid only $100 more for a Baikal/Remington SPR 453. while i initially complained about its fit and finish, it was nothing even close to this.

that said, if it functions flawlessly then all of this stuff is pretty irrelevant, since nitpicking about tool marks and finish on a $370 semi is a bit silly.

the reason i went with the Baikal is because it is a tried/tested action with a lot of overwhelmingly good feedback on the net. really need to see some field tests with this - if it turns out to be a reliable semi then its still not such a bad deal.
 
Fire it first..if fit and finish were a prerequisite for functionality the AK-47 would not have the reputation for reliability that it enjoys. If it doesn't work you can still return it and Marstar will take care of you. VERY in-depth review by the way.
 
Fire it first..if fit and finish were a prerequisite for functionality the AK-47 would not have the reputation for reliability that it enjoys. If it doesn't work you can still return it and Marstar will take care of you. VERY in-depth review by the way.

AK47 doesn't have FIT problem. It uses loose fitting parts so no hand fitting required.

This shotgun is a tactical upgraded version of something. The "tactical" part of it is more less like one-by-one gunsmith job. Lots of hand fitting there. I have a feeling that those guns are test run products.

Another problem is this shotgun uses light weight hunting shotgun design. The stock is too weak for a tactical shotgun. Trying to open a door would destroy it - then you enter room with a gun without stock.
 
Its a squishy shotgun lol. I wouldnt feel right with that in my safe. Let alone in Grizzly country!. Get your money back and save a little more for a Baikal mp153, the Russain tank. cheers
 
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