Your honest opinion on Kel-tec KSG?

lavino

lavino

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My 2017 buy boils down to 1 pistol plus 1 rifle. I pretty much have an idea for the pistol but I can't decide for the rifle part. In fact, it has totally splitted direction: either a bolt action rifle like Rem 700 (223) or a shotgun. I live in Burnaby BC and go to DVC in PoCo. The range is so short a bolt action rifle is not very practical (honestly I even found shooting AR in there a bit overkill). Shotgun, on the other hand, is doable in that indoor range. However, I do know that they have a TMSA membership add-on (not sure it is full or not). If so the bolt action will be useful. Then the other direction is the shotgun. I am not a big fan of traditional shotgun for they are too long too bulky. I am kinda looking into the pup like KSG or UTS15 or K12 Puma.

After the review and etc on Youtube the KSG is on top of the shotgun list. I would like to know the feedback on

1) Recoil (compare to traditional 12ga shotgun)
2) Pumping action (is it as hard as the UTS15?)
3) Is there any speed loading option exist?
4) Upgrades? I have seen extended selector and etc. What are the must have and can I find them in Canada?
5) Any reason I need to know or I should stay away because of them (like why I must stay away from a pup)?

I am not a very experienced shotgun shoot. This will be my first buy. I did shoot my uncle's 12ga when I was younger but not that much. He is no longer around so I really don't have anyone I can ask...

Are there any cheaper alternatives? How good are they?

I know this is a really long shot but I wonder if anyone who goes to DVC happens to own a KSG or UTAS can let me take a few shots of it (I can pay you back the ammo cost for sure)? I am not sure if any local store like Reliable or Italian or Eagle or any place else (that I don't to drive for over an hour) has either in current store if you know who has one please also let me know.

Please feel free to PM me if you really love these or really hate them ;) I want honest opinion. I am not gonna do like speed shooting or competition for this will be just a fun gun thingy.
 
I had a KSG, sold it, wasn't crazy about how it handled and shot compared to a traditional shotgun. Found it quirky to pump, need lots of oomph or you short stroke it and it jams which is hard to unjam. More recoil than a regular shotgun, therefore less accurate for me, my two cents ymmv. I do have a Mossberg 590A1 pump that I love to shoot, and just bought a MKA 1919 semi auto shotgun which run very well. I also have a versa max tactical which is my most accurate and softest shooting shotgun by far.
 
I also had a KSG but sold it, and now own a 590A1 with a 14" barrel for my "shorty". The KSG is an interesting gun, but some minor gripes I had:

-it kicks like a mule. Feels the same with 2 3/4 as my Mossberg with 3"
-it holds 7+7+1 for a total of 15 rounds. Great capacity, but a lot of extra weight. You could load it with less, but that sort of defeats the purpose.
-it's harder to take apart than "normal" shotguns, and requires special tools to fully strip
-you can blow chunks off your hand if you aren't careful.
-it's plastic....errr, polymer. I don't doubt it's strength, but you can flex the trigger group side to side which doesn't sit right with me
-it will not eject cheap low-brass shotshells
-it's a little tricky to load fast, but because of the capacity it's less of a concern

That said, it's super cool looking and compact/maneuverable. If the compromises it makes don't bug you, it may be for you.

On the money front, I was able to buy a 590A1 18" on sale, pick up a 14" conversion kit, sell the original barrel/parts to recover most of the 14" kit costs, and then ordered a Trijicon RMR as the bead sight wasn't doing it for me.
This added up to about $200 more than the KSG, but since the KSG shipped without any sights, it was basically a wash.
 
Two of my buddies own the KSG. Both love them, & both have had a couple issues. Minor at that.

They tried to persuade me to avoid the UTS-15. However I have been intrigued since I first seen one. With all the issues they apparently had, I waited.. Until Gen4 came out. I know own one, and have installed a Magpul Rail & AFG-2.

I have fired the KSG and liked it. What sold me on the UTS-15 is the auto mag feed from both tubes!!!!! The KSG you have to manually select. The other thing that persuaded me to purchase the UTS was price!!! KSG roughly $1200-$1400..... I picked up the UTS for $759 tax in. Now what you talk about with the UTS being hard to pump?? NO idea what you are talking about. IT is a BREEZE to pump. The KSG was as well. Just have to pump it like it owes you money! lol. Bullpups are a different breed of shotgun. I also own a Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag which I love. I just wanted a shotgun which can hold and shoot 15 slugs IF need be in the bush for bear defence.

Do your homework and do what you feel is right for YOU!


Oh.. IF $$ is NO issue, have a look at the DP-12!!! They are sweet!
 
If you want to say you own one for the cool looking factor, or to display on the wall of your gun room then yes. But for practicality and ease of use then I would say no. I took a tactical shotgun clinic a couple years ago and there were two guys using them with less than stellar results. Better off with a Rem 870 or a Mossberg 500-590 and have it tuned up by Tacord and call it good. You would still be under the cost of a KSG and could add another barrel if you wanted to use it for hunting.
 
I have a ksg, 590a1 and 870. Ksg defenitley looks the coolest but that wears off quickly. My 14" 590a1 is my favourite gun. If u look into tactical shot gunning u r constantly feeding shells anyways so high capacity isnt really necesary. I would wrather have reliabilty over high capacity. As far as the action on my ksg i would describe it as crunchy! Lol
 
I don't own one so my opinion ain't worth squat ...

Maybe it's my practical side but I just don't see the real world worth of these modern shotgun designs. Look at say the US military. ... they rely on the Mossberg 500/590 and 590a1 for their shotgun applications. Main reason being it's very rugged and simple. You can beat the hell out of the thing and it's generally gonna work. That has HUGE value to me over the cool factor of the KSG or the like.

And imo, a well done 14" 590a1 or 870 (with a police or wingmaster receiver) does pretty well in the cool factor dept.

I really think many of the KSG type of shotguns are a bit of a fad. When it's time to get down and dirty, bang the thing through the bush, drop it on the ground etc. I'll take an 870 or 590a1 any day.

I guess my opinion in this day and age is the cool factor should be one of the lower items on the list, therefore making this SG not great value. Now if it had the built like a tank track record of the Mossberg than sure..... but it doesn't.
 
I'm a former KSG owner. I liked the compact size, capacity and it just looked cool.
I think Kel-Tec shyt the bed with the way the action bars connect to the forend, that and the non-captive tube selector screw is just a bad design IMHO. You can Loctite the screw but there's no fix for the forend and as a Canadian I have no desire to go through the warranty process. Too long and painful at the best of times.
There are plenty of proven pump actions to choose from, I would pick one of those.
 
Had the KSG for a while when it first came out. Cool gun that was a great conversation starter , but in the end I sold it for the following reasons:

- the polymer quality felt cheap
- it was finicky with ammo selection when it comes to ejection
- hard to clear a jam. Need to disassemble the gun to do it


Had the Puma K12 for a while as well but sold it too. The craftsmanship was not good and the plastic parts felt terrible.
 
Thanks guys, you guys totally unsold the KSG (or any similar) one. What would be a good entry level shotgun? I hear the mossberg 500/590 and 930 for semi-auto? Is it good to start with pump or semi-auto? My instinct kinda tells me for shotgun I should go for pump... ? Is there something less bulky or long? I wish to get nothing that much longer than a regular AR15 length. Prefer to have a AR like folding stock to save storing space. I don't have a lot of space in my storage area. What can I reduce recoil for shotgun? Ammo? Rubber stock pad? Anything else? What would be good newbie shotgun ammo for good value and less recoil?
 
lavino said:
Thanks guys, you guys totally unsold the KSG (or any similar) one. What would be a good entry level shotgun? I hear the mossberg 500/590 and 930 for semi-auto? Is it good to start with pump or semi-auto? My instinct kinda tells me for shotgun I should go for pump... ? Is there something less bulky or long? I wish to get nothing that much longer than a regular AR15 length. Prefer to have a AR like folding stock to save storing space. I don't have a lot of space in my storage area. What can I reduce recoil for shotgun? Ammo? Rubber stock pad? Anything else? What would be good newbie shotgun ammo for good value and less recoil?
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Sounds like you're fairly new to SG's?

If that's the case, I'd recommend an 18.5" 870. Either the Police model or the Home Defense model (think that's what it's called)... depending on budget.

Opens up a huge world to make it what you want. If just starting out I wouldn't recommend an AR type stock... and I wouldn't recommend a short LOP just to save storage space. If however you do want a shorter LOP it's hard to beat the Hogue 12"LOP stock.

Reasons for recommending the 870 is you can get many different accessories to turn it into what you require. It's also a very sold proven platform.

The DA Grizzly is a good SG for the money, but I find a lot of 870 aftermarket parts don't quite fit right. They can be made to, but it's not fun if you're new to it. Also, forget about putting a Remington barrel on a DA Grizzly. They fit, but the sights are so far off from being in the correct position it's ridiculous. Grizzly's fault, not the Remington barrels fault.
 
lavino said:
Thanks guys, you guys totally unsold the KSG (or any similar) one. What would be a good entry level shotgun? I hear the mossberg 500/590 and 930 for semi-auto? Is it good to start with pump or semi-auto? My instinct kinda tells me for shotgun I should go for pump... ? Is there something less bulky or long? I wish to get nothing that much longer than a regular AR15 length. Prefer to have a AR like folding stock to save storing space. I don't have a lot of space in my storage area. What can I reduce recoil for shotgun? Ammo? Rubber stock pad? Anything else? What would be good newbie shotgun ammo for good value and less recoil?
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I'd say a 12 or 14" grizzly (norinco 870) with a messa stock adapter to get that ar look u want. They also offer a recoil reduction buffer tube. I just put one on my 590a1 and love it
 
I've never shot a KSG, but I have handled them. I thought they were cool looking, but when I read about the poor guy who blew his hand off, I realized I was no longer interested.
 
Brordo said:
How about a 12.5" Dominion Arms Grizzly from CanAm?
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I have one of these and it's sweet, let alone cool as hell! Comes at a great price too! And great service from the seller CanAm ✔✔ this would be my recommendation too... it's timeless cool!!
 
lavino said:
Thanks guys, you guys totally unsold the KSG (or any similar) one. What would be a good entry level shotgun? I hear the mossberg 500/590 and 930 for semi-auto? Is it good to start with pump or semi-auto? My instinct kinda tells me for shotgun I should go for pump... ? Is there something less bulky or long? I wish to get nothing that much longer than a regular AR15 length. Prefer to have a AR like folding stock to save storing space. I don't have a lot of space in my storage area. What can I reduce recoil for shotgun? Ammo? Rubber stock pad? Anything else? What would be good newbie shotgun ammo for good value and less recoil?
Click to expand...

An 870 or quality clone.

You can start out with just the base gun and it will be reasonably priced so that you can spend your $ on ammo to learn how to use it safely and properly.

If you like it and want to customize it, there is an endless supply of doodads limited only by your imagination and pocketbook.

The pump on the right is a $400 Norinco HP9-1. After I ran a couple hundred rounds through it and proved to myself that it was reliable and that I liked the feel of it I went ahead and modded it to my preferences.

The stock is a Knoxx recoil reducing unit and works well. It is very pleasant to shoot.

DSCN3428_zpsr1x0apxi.jpg
 
ONE thing I don't think I read through out this entire thread which HOLDS VERY TRUE.......


Go to various gun stores ie.. Cabelas, Wholesale Sports, BassPro, Local Gun Shops ect... and shoulder various brands and styles. I personally do not prefer the 870 for the simple fact I can't stand where the safety is... I prefer the Mossbergs, where the safety is ontop where my thumb can snap it on or off. So in all honesty, get out there and see what feels best for YOU. There are a lot of valid points here. Some people buy a shotgun based on "cool" factor alone. Others buy them for duck hunting..

IF you "want" a short shotgun with collapsible stock ect.. sky is the limit now a days. Two most popular shotguns in the world have to be either Mossberg, or Remington...
 
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