Shotguns

Remington Keeps Killing it with the 870 DM

Remington made a bit of a splash when introducing the Remington 870 DM. Mag fed shotguns have existed before, but this was the first time a major American company embraced the concept. Remington seems to have high hopes for the 870 DM because they made quite the display at SHOT Show 2018.

Remington has the basic model we’ve all seen, and are following it up with a wide variety of different models. The 870 Dm shotguns are equipped with either a 3 or 6 round magazine. It’s a single stack mag. The mags remove very smoothly, and are almost AK like in some ways.

Breaking Down the Remington 870 DM

Magpul – The Magpul model will feature Magpul fantastic SGA furniture for the pump and stock. The gun will also feature more dynamic sights and a ported muzzle break. This model is also optics ready.

The Predator – The Predator model will also be equipped with robust sights, a scope rail, and muzzle break. The biggest difference is going to be the stock and of course the color. The stock is a thumb hole stock with a straight pistol grip. The gun is outfitted with Kryptek Highlander camouflage from front to rear.

Hardwood – The Hardwood is a base model 870 with just a bead sight, no scope rail, and is as far from tactical as you can get. It features that classic Remington hardwood furniture and looks fantastic. This is my favorite model.

Tactical – The Tactical 870 DM is equipped for optics, has a muzzle break, and robust iron sights. The gun has a tactical stock with n A2 style stock and a straight pistol grip.

Tac 14 – Yep, Remington is tossing their magazine system in the Tac 14 platform. Its a base model Tac 14 with a mag tossed in. It works and works well.

Remington Brings back the Witness Protection 870

I’ve always been fascinated with the US Marshal’s service, their long history, and unique mission. Maybe it was too much Elmore Leonard as a kid. Combine the Marshals with one of my favorite platforms, the shotgun, and you have a match made in paradise. The Witness Protection 870, or WP870 came to be in the mid 80s. Its design was essentially at 870 with a 12.5-inch or 14.5 inch barrel, a birds head grip, and a custom sling plate hand stop. By the name you can guess what the guns were used for. These powerhouses were perfect inside vehicles and for general short range fighting. It could be concealed under a coat and was a force multiplier. Plus, no looks down the barrel of a 12 gauge and plays chicken.

The Witness Protection shotguns were built by famed gunsmith Jim Wilson. They were a custom gun and were regulated as AOWs under the NFA. In civilian hands, they were never really popular. However, with the recent explosion in popularity of the Mossberg Shockwave and Remington Tac 14, there is a renewed interest in portable hand cannons that are NFA free.

Enter Remington’s new Tac 14

Remington doesn’t explicitly called the gun the Witness Protection 870, and likely can’t due to the fact that Jim Wilson created the original and likely owns the licensing for them. They call it the TAC 14 wood, but if you have an obsession with shotguns and the Marshal’s service you’ll recognize right away what it really is.

Of course, the barrel is 14 inches instead of 12.5 of 14.5. It utilizes the same style Raptor grip and wood fore end. It even incorporates the custom hand stop and sling swivel design. Unlike the original Witness Protection shotguns, this is a non-NFA gun.

That also means you can’t play US Marshal and conceal this rig under a coat. If you conceal this gun on your person it becomes an AOW.

This is one of the guns I’m most excited for at SHOT. I’ve wanted a Witness Protection 870 ever since I was a little kid. Now, I can have one without the NFA and in a factory configuration.

Normally I’m a Mossberg man, but Remington is really impressing me this year.

Hands on with the Tavor TS 12 – SHOT Show 2018

SHOT Show’s industry range day is a spectacle to behold. It’s massive, well organized, and filled to the brim with guns you can see, handle, and of course fire. Best of all, its someone else’s ammo. One gun I’d been really wanting to get my hands on is the Tavor TS 12. The Tavor TS 12 is a bullpup shotgun from IWI and is quite unique. It feeds from magazine tube like a traditional shotgun, but it has three rotating tubes. It can hold up to 15 rounds and is semi-automatic. A lot of questions have been floating around the web, so I wanted to answer some here, big thanks to IWI for helping me answer these and letting me grip and rip with the gun.

How does it load?

While one tube is in action the other tubes are at the right and left loading gate. You load it like a traditional shotgun through either the right or left loading gate. You could even use both. This allows you to load it like any other shotgun. You can load it while keeping it down range and focusing on the target ahead of you. You can also load while you shoot without taking the gun out of action. The Tavor TS 12 retains the best features of a tube fed shotgun in that way.

In a pinch, you can easily eject a round and then load a slug, or specialty round.

Indexing the Tubes

Indexing the magazine tubes is actually very easy. Inside the trigger guard is a button. Hit the button and you can spin the next tube into place. It’s easy to reach with the trigger finger and quite intuitive. What’s great is if you run Tube 1 dry, when you rotate to Tube 2 the gun automatically loads the round. This substantially reduces the time you have the gun out of action.

The tubes spin easily and some audible and tactile feedback really helps let you know its in place.

What about lefties?

The gun can be set up for right or left-handed use. You can swap the ejection port, the charging handle to a left-handed configuration. Loading the Tavor TS 12, using the safety, and indexing the tubes is ambidextrous.

Final Comments on the Tavor TS 12

Here’s a quick hit list of notes I made when shooting the gun. This isn’t a full review in any way, but a first impression.

-Recoil is quite low
-The trigger isn’t super ‘mushy’ or ‘bullpupish’ It’s not perfect, but good enough for a shotgun.
-Everything is really intuitive and easy to use
-Reliability was top notch
-The gun is hefty, but the weight is well balanced.
-Yes it looks like the gun from Starship Troopers

Here is a Short video we took at the range, it may clear some things up.

A Magfed Mossberg? – The Mossberg 590M

Remington and Mossberg seem to be trading blows left and right when it comes to their classic shotgun platforms. Last year it was the Shockwave versus the Rem Tac 14. This year it seems to be a battle of the mag fed pump action shotguns. Remington came out first with their 870DM, and Mossberg followed up with the Mossberg 590M. I got a little hands on time with the 590M with at Shot Show’s industry range day. I walked away smiling.

A Bias Selection

Personally I’m a bigger fan of the Mossberg 590M platform. I prefer the safety, I prefer the dual action bars, and the fact the Mossberg 500 is an easier gun to work on. With that said if my gun store had gotten a Remington 870DM in the gun shop I’d have already grabbed one. Now, I’m waiting for the Mossberg 590M. The 590M and is a standard pump action shotguns that simply takes a magazine. The big advantage to the Mossberg platform is the magazine capacity.

The Mossberg 590M uses a double stack magazine, which offers substantially more capacity than the Remington 870DM. The Mossberg 590M offers shooters a 5, 10, 15 and even a 20 round magazine. The gun will come with a ten round magazine and magazines will be available at launch. The 590M will come in two configurations one is a standard 500 and another is a tactical 590 with a set of ghost sights, a heat shield, and a tri-rail fore end.

Handling the Mossberg 590M

It handles like a Mossberg 590 with a magazine, and that’s it. There is a magazine release built in front of the trigger guard that’s easy to access. It’s odd inserting the magazine into a Mossberg 590, but ultimately its not hard. Could you do it in a tactical situation? That remains to be seen. The Mossberg reps told me the gun will be out first quarter 2018. Watch this space for more.

Brace Yourself for the Remington TAC 14 SBL: SB Tactical Does it again!

Who doesn’t love the SB Tactical line of pistol braces? As controversial as they’ve been and as many ups and downs as we’ve had with them they continue to change the pistol landscape. SB Tactical is looking to change not only the pistol realm, but the “firearms” realm as well. By firearms I of course mean the Mossberg Shockwave and Remington Tac 14 style guns I can’t seem to shut up about. SB Tactical has recently released a package for both the Mossberg Shockwave and Remington Tac 14 incorporating one of their braces. The braces are similar and since my Shockwave is rocking the awesome Knoxx grip I ordered one for my plain Jane Remington Tac 14. Known the Tac 14 SBL this brace kit is a thought out combination of parts.

Can I put a Brace on my Tac 14?

Yes, yes you can. It retains the OAL of 26 inches and is perfectly legal to do so. Black Aces Tactical received an ATF letter in 2014 approving the use of a brace on a ‘firearm’ style weapon. The caveat it is that 2014 letter states you cannot shoulder the brace or it becomes an SBS. Has this changed since 2014 with the 2017 ATF letter further refining the use of a brace? Who knows? I’m not pushing that envelope, but if someone else has an alternative letter from the ATF that says different please let us know. I will say Gabe Suarez doesn’t seem to mind as you can see from this photo and the TAC 14 PDW kit he markets.

Installation of the Tac 14 SBL

The kit comes in basically three pieces and if I wasn’t like a little kid at Christmas when I got it I’d show you how to put it together. Tac 14 SBL include:

AR Pistol Buffer Tube with SBL Brace
Ergo Remington 870 Adapter
Ergo Flat Top Suregrip

It’s insanely easy to install. The Key to it all is the Ergo 870 Grip Adapter. It attaches where your Raptor grip is supposed to and acts as an AR buffer tube and pistol grip adapter. The rest of the kit installs just like a standard AR tube and grip.

You need to install the buffer tube first to keep the length over 26 inches before putting it in firing condition. Once the buffer tube is threaded onto the adapter a set screw below this area needs to be tightened as well as the castle nut.

From there you attach the pistol grip. You can use actually any AR grip you choose. The included ergo grip is nice and soft and hand filling. It’s great for dealing with the recoil from a lightweight 12 gauge.

Ergonomics

Traditionally I prefer the tang style safety of the Mossberg, but the Tac 14’s push button safety is superior when using the Tac 14 SBL kit. The Ergos are excellent and the brace is the perfect length for both my gorilla length arms and my wife’s more petite frame. The new and improved elastic strap on the Tac 14 SBL is a brilliant touch. It’s much more comfortable that the old strap.

The entire design is perfect for a 12 gauge firearm. The recoil issue is a bit different than dealing with a pistol. I tried attaching an old school SB 15 brace to my Shockwave and the recoil from the 12 gauge would push the receiver extension rearward. The SBL brace has a closed rear portion so the brace cannot slide.

The full cavity design of the SBL brace also keeps the brace portion from twisting or spinning due to recoil. The elastic strap doesn’t dig into the arm as the gun recoils or bends either. Its a nice setup. I feel bad for the guy who likely had to rub his forearm raw finding the right combo.

Braced

The Tac 14 SBL is a great addition to any Tac 14. If you want to change things up from the standard Stakeout configuration. It certainly keeps the gun over 26 inches and does give it a much more complete look. SB Tactical is one of my favorite companies, and I can’t wait to stop by and say hi at SHOT Show 2018.

Mossberg Shockwave Versus Remington Tac 14

2017 was the year of the ‘not a shotgun’ 12 gauge firearm. Going into 2018 we are going to see even more of these not a shotgun 12 gauge firearms. Every Youtuber, gun magazine, and gun writer is covering them. The two Titans of American Shotguns, Remington and Mossberg have both unveiled their own 12 gauge firearm designs. The question is, which one is for you? Well, let’s do a little Mossberg Shockwave versus Remington Tac 14 showdown.

Mossberg Shockwave versus Remington Tac 14 Throwdown

I’ve recently purchased both of these ‘firearms’ and wanted to take a fair and even look at them. I’m not going to be declaring a winner because it’s generally a futile exercise in the gun community. Opinions, and experiences will always differ among shooters. Personally I’ll go ahead and say it, the Shockwave is the better gun in my opinion.

What we can do is take a good look at the features and designs of each ‘firearm’.

Before we dive into the Mossberg Shockwave versus Remington Tac 14 let’s look at what they have in common.

14 inch barrels
Shockwave Raptor Pistol Grip
12 Gauge
Pump Action
Bead Sights
Cylinder Bore

Fit and Finish

When handling both guns I was more impressed at the finish of the Remington 870. The darker black finish is well applied, and gives the gun a very sleek look. The Mossberg Shockwave uses a lighter finish that’s closer to dark gray than black. Both guns do have nice and tight lock up.

The Pump on the Mossberg feels a bit looser with some more slack in it, it wobbles just a bit. The Remington’s pump feels nice and tight. In the months I’ve owned both guns, neither have had any issues with rust or corrosion.

Ergonomics

Since both guns are pump actions the ergonomic differences are minor, but can be important to consider. Both guns feature the Shockwave Raptor grip. This bird head design is quite different than your average pistol grip. It’s much more comfortable and easier to shoot with. It fills the hand, and gives you a softer recoil impulse than a 90-degree grip.

The Mossberg’s tang safety is much easier to use for lefties, and equally easy for right handed shooters. Due to the design of the Shockwave grip the tang safety is very easy to manipulate.

Pump It.

As a righty, I don’t have any issues with the Remington’s push button safety. It’s easy to reach and press with the trigger finger. Due to its location its likely to be the bane of left handed shooters.

The choice of Pumps on each gun is also interesting. Mossberg uses a corncob forend with a hand strap. Remington uses the Magpul shotgun pump. I have a few thoughts on both.

The Mossberg strap pump is a pretty good idea. It keeps your hand from slipping forward of the pump when shooting rapidly, which could end in disaster. Outside of the safety aspect this little gun wants to jump with full powered buckshot. The strap keeps it in your hand, and makes it easier to control.

However, the Magpul pump is well made, and modular. It allows for the attachment of accessories like grips, lights, and lasers. It does lack that strap so rapid fire isn’t as safe as with the Mossberg.

With this said I still I added the Magpul pump to my Mossberg 590 Shockwave, but I wouldn’t suggest it for a beginner. I did add a vertical foregrip to both guns, and I think a vertical grip or handstop is a must have for safety reasons. In general neither of these guns are good for new shooters.

Judging the guns without modifications I’d have to say the Mossberg with the strap is safer and more effective. If you are willing to add a hand stop or foregrip the Magpul pump is superior.

Red Dot Compatibility

The Shockwave does come tapped and drilled for a scope mount. The Remington does not. I’ve found a substantial increase in shootability with the addition of a red dot sight. (I use the Meopta Meosight 3.) This is especially true when running slugs. The Aguila mini slugs plus a Meosight red dot gives me an effective range of about 35 yards.

Capacity

I was actually pretty shocked when I first handled the Mossberg Shockwave at Shot Show and found out it had a 5 + 1 capacity. That’s a very reasonable capacity for such a compact weapon.

The Remington Tac 14 comes in with only a 4 + 1 capacity. That’s a 20% difference in ammunition on the gun. Theoretically you can add a +1 extension to the Remington Tac 14, but Remington doesn’t make this easy. My Tac 14 is dimpled to hold the plastic plunger in place. To install a +1 adapter you’ll need to remove the dimples. Personally that’s too much hassle for me.

If we start looking at modifying the gun the Mossberg 590 does have the ability to utilize the Opsol Mini clip. This little device allows the Mossberg 590 Shockwave to cycle the Aguila mini shells. This gives the gun a 9 + 1 capacity. This is a clear advantage in the Mossberg Shockwave versus Remington Tac 14 throwdown.

Weight and Length

Both guns have to an overall length of 26 inches. If they are any shorter than 26 inches overall, they become AOWs, which are regulated under the NFA. The difference in length is very short, with the Shockwave being 26.37 inches and the Remington being 26.3 inches.

When it comes weight, both are pretty lightweight guns. The Remington does weigh 5.65 pounds and the Shockwave weighs 5.25 pounds. The difference in weight comes from the materials used in the receivers.

Materials and Construction

Keeping on the subject of weight we can look at the material difference. Remington goes with steel and Mossberg with aluminum. Overall there isn’t a practical difference in terms of actual use. No one is going to crank the guns so hard the receivers bend or break. While steel has a higher tensile strength, it isn’t a major concern. Plenty of firearms utilize aluminum and its never been an issue.

Both guns are solid and well made. The Mossberg does have two extractors which helps with positive and consistent extraction. The Remington features a single extractor. So far, I haven’t had any issues with either gun when it comes to extraction, ejection or general reliability. They are pump action firearms, so the simplicity keeps them reliable.

In the materials and construction category, the Mossberg Shockwave versus Remington Tac 14 are pretty close. The dual extractors in the Mossberg are not only nice but easier to replace. The extractor is often the first major repair needed on a shotgun. With the Remington, you’ll need a gunsmith or gunsmithing skills and tools.

Price

The difference in price is small. The Tac 14 has an MSRP of $443.05 and the Shockwave comes in at $455.00. Oddly enough I purchased the Tac 14 for ten dollars more than the Shockwave, from the same gun store. Technically the 870 should be a bit cheaper. The price via msrp gives Remington the slight advantage in our Mossberg Shockwave versus Remington Tac 14 contest.

Final Thoughts

The classic Mossberg vs Remington debate is about as played out as the 45 ACP vs 9mm debate. If this was a competition between tactical shotguns we could look at round counts, parts, failures, and things like that. Let’s be real, these are fun range toys and not much else.

They are the perfect candidate for those looking to build a short-barreled shotgun because the short barrel and tube are already there. Adding a stock is a lot cheaper than finding a factory short barrel. These two ‘firearms’ are the cheapest way to build an SBS short of a hacksaw.

Both are great guns, and I personally prefer the Mossberg, but can and will admit the Remington Tac 14 is also a solid contender in the market. It’s certainly nice to see interest and competition in the 12 gauge firearm realm. At the end of the day the real winner in a Mossberg Shockwave versus Remington Tac 14 fight is us, the consumer.

I doubt anyone would be disappointed with either gun. They are both a literal blast to shoot and a range conversation starter. I now have two of these, and won’t be getting rid of either anytime soon. Make sure you check out the 20 gauge versions of both of this guns at Shot Show 2018.