Owning, shooting, and collecting guns is awesome, but as with any hobby, there are pros and cons to everything, and I thought I’d take a moment to discuss several of those annoying little truths about owning guns. These negative aspects of gun ownership are mostly First World problems, and they’re not always deal breakers when you’re itching to get to the range, but like the title says, annoying little truths.

Followers are probably one of the most frequently upgraded parts on tube magazine shotguns. The main feature of most aftermarket followers is better visual and tactile identification of an empty magazine. Aridus Industries has introduced their version of a shotgun follower called SMRT Aridus Follower (SMRT-AF) which besides the mentioned feature also is designed to work reliably with magazine extensions. Let’s see if it is as smart as claimed.

Italian FABARM (Fabbrica Bresciana Armi) first published pictures of their new SDASS PRO Stage 2 pump action shotguns at the beginning of the year and now they have added them to the Law Enforcement section of their website. This new generation of SDASS (Special Defence And Security Shotgun) shotguns currently includes two models – SDASS PRO Forces Stage 2 and  SDASS PRO Telescopic Stage 2. The main difference between the two models is in the furniture design.

Shortly after the release of their HK MP5 trigger, Timney Triggers announced yet another expansion of their extensive product line by introducing the Impact Shotgun (Impact SG) trigger which is designed for AR-style semi-auto shotguns. Describing the design of this new trigger, Timney points out that “all trigger parts have been engineered for excellence and are precision machined from premium materials to guarantee a lifetime of dependable service”. Let’s take a closer look.

Welcome everyone to the 167th edition of ‘Hot Gat or Fudd Crap?’, one of our many series here on TFB. If you’re new to the series, this is where we look at the most obscure firearms that are actually for sale and ask the question – is this Gat a sweet deal or only has a Fudd appeal?  Each week the TFB staff weighs in with their thoughts, but readers get the final say in the poll at the bottom of each article.

TALO Distributors has announced a line of exclusive Tristar Bristol side-by-side shotguns from Tristar Arms that are the first TALO Tristar exclusive guns. There are five TALO exclusive Tristar Bristol models chambered in 12 Gauge, 16 Gauge, 20 Gauge, 28 Gauge to 410 Bore. They all feature 28″ barrels, auto ejectors and come with 5 Beretta chokes. The stocks have a pistol grip, and are made out of Turkish walnut. The receivers are color case hardened.

CZ-USA has a new series of semi-automatic shotguns called the CZ 712 G3, with a focus on clay shooting or hunting. The 712 G3 Utility model (pictured above) can also be used for home defense. All of the models are gas-operated and made to cycle 2 ¾- and 3-inch shotshells through the chrome-lined barrel. There are two pistons included, one for light and one for heavy loads, as well as five choke tubes. The MSRP starts from $579, and you can find more technical details and specifications below.

In the world of shotguns, there are endless options when it comes to self-defense, competition or hunting. Depending on your budget and needs, the sky is literally the limit to finding your perfect shotgun. Personally, I’ve always been incredibly curious about the high-end aftermarket autoloading market. Whether it’s Salient Arms, Agency Arms, Hayes Customs, or Taran Tactical, there are a ton of various options for a high-end competition or defensive shotgun. I decided to purchase one of Hayes Customs M2 shotguns and put it to the best. Let’s take a closer look at the Hayes Custom Guns Competition Ready Benelli M2 Shotgun.

Sauer continue to expand their SL5 semi-auto shotgun series with a waterfowl line with three models. The 12 guage shotguns are available in a number of material and camo options. All of the guns are available in 3.5” models, which can accommodate 2 ¾”, 3” or 3 ½” shotshells. Capacity is 3+1. The Black Synthetic model is also available in a 3” chambering.

Strike Industries is proud to introduce its latest stylized aftermarket upgrade to its customers with the new 12-gauge spiral fluted magazine follower for 12 gauge shotguns. Strike Industries claims that the follower is not only self-cleaning, but also enhances the inherent reliability of your shotgun, and helps aid the user in identifying the follower for an easier time confirming that your shotgun has been properly cleared.

On 30 September the Australian Defence Department announced that it had selected a raft of new weapon systems as part of the first tranche of its major Lethality System Project (LAND 159) project. One of the weapons selected was the Benelli M3A1 which will become Australia’s new Combat Shotgun.

The Australian Department of Defence has announced that under its Lethality System Project LAND 159 project a raft of new small arms have been selected for the Australian Defence Force’s dismounted combatants. The news was announced at the end of last month with Head Land Systems, Major General Andrew Bottrell announcing the selections and saying that “this is a bold step into modern weaponry to quickly improve Australia’s defence preparedness.” Bottrell said early engagement with the industry had proven very successful.

Apex Ammunition is excited to announce new limited-edition shotgun ammunition specially produced in partnership with the Mossy Oak brand to showcase their Shadow Grass Habitat camouflage pattern and also featuring a duplex load combining No. 3 Zinc and No. 8 TSS shot to provide the user with a versatile load that can be used all season long for any type of waterfowl. The full press release on this latest offering from Apex Ammunition is posted below:

Photo Of The Day: It’s been over a year, so we hear very few things from Afghanistan. These images were taken in 2014, in the Helmand province, and we see U.S. Marines 3/7 in a shooting competition with various firearms. Above you see U.S. Marine Corps Capt. James Covey, commanding officer, Headquarters and Service Company, 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment (3/7), as his M500 12 gauge shotgun spits fire. The pump-action Mossberg 500 (M500) is made by O.F. Mossberg & Sons and has been in service since 1987. It was designed in 1961 by Carl Benson.

Tokarev USA has just announced that they are entering the hunting and sporting market. The first model will be their APEX Field Shotgun which is a semi-automatic shotgun with a 3.5” chamber. The model will be available with checkered Turkish walnut furniture and matte black chrome finish. Priced from $379.99 it’s available with either a 26” or 28” barrel with ventilated ribs and fiber optic front sight.

Folding shotguns aren’t exactly new, but the Canadian firearms community has recently gained access to an infinitely more modern take on the concept with the Taiga Wolverine folding shotgun line. The Taiga Wolverine folding shotgun now comes in two sizes, “X” with an 18.5-inch barrel, and “M,” which stands for “mini” and will come with a 10-inch barrel. The Wolverine’s receiver is split into two segments and joined by a hinge on the front of the lower receiver, while the upper receiver houses the bolt, barrel and magazine assembly. The Wolverine X can reportedly fold to a length of 25 inches for easier storage, however, the Wolverine M is new enough that the specifications aren’t published at this time.

Welcome everyone to the 160th edition of ‘Hot Gat or Fudd Crap?’, one of our many series here on TFB. If you’re new to the series, this is where we look at the most obscure firearms that are actually for sale and ask the question – is this Gat a sweet deal or only has a Fudd appeal?  Each week the TFB staff weighs in with their thoughts, but readers get the final say in the poll at the bottom of each article.

Green Top and Benelli USA have teamed up to give their customers access to a special edition of the popular Super Black Eagle 3 shotgun dubbed the “Virginian”. This special edition shotgun aims to celebrate 75 years of successful retail business from Green Top Sporting Goods which is Virginia’s largest independent outdoor retailer and firearms dealer.

The Beretta A400 Upland semi-auto shotgun is now available in 28 gauge, combining Beretta’s latest technologies with a classic look. According to Beretta, the new A400 Upland in 28 gauge manages everything from light loads to 3” magnum shotshells, so you can quickly switch ammunition depending on what you’re hunting, without sacrificing reliability. It’s possible to field-strip the A400 Upland without any tools. The price in the USA is $1,829 (MSRP).

Welcome everyone to the 159th Edition of ‘Hot Gat or Fudd Crap?’, one of our many series here on TFB. If you’re new to the series, this is where we look at the most obscure firearms that are actually for sale and ask the question – is this Gat a sweet deal or only has a Fudd appeal?  Each week the TFB staff weighs in with their thoughts, but readers get the final say in the poll at the bottom of each article.

Katanga Arms, a company from Ogden, Utah, makes a survival shotgun called Scout. The Katanga Arms Scout is a single barrel break action 28 gauge shotgun that has an extremely simple design. It comes as a DIY kit which must be finished and assembled by the customer requiring the use of a power drill and hand tools. Let’s take a closer look at the Katanga Arms Scout DIY survival shotgun.

In today’s Photo Of The Day, we have pictures of the Blaser F3 Brushed over and under 12 gauge shotgun from the Blaser Custom Shop. Unlike most of the other custom F3 shotguns that have sophisticated engraving motifs, the beauty of F3 Brushed is in the simplicity of engravings and wood carvings executed by Ralph Salzmann.

In this episode of TFBTV, James Reeves tests the Turknelli, that is the Turkish-made Benelli M4 tactical shotgun clone. At around $400, these budget shotguns are almost exact replicas of the real Benelli M4, but at one-fifth of the price. They’ve become very popular and there are a number of importers bringing them into the country on the cheap. Do you get a bargain or do you get what you pay for? Check today’s video for details.

TriStar Arms has just announced a safety recall in regards to certain models of their Viper G2 shotguns – specifically the ones chambered in .410 Bore. The recall states that affected customers could potentially experience an out-of-battery detonation of a shell by way of inadvertent contact with the bolt lock button inside of the loading port. This product safety recall is only being issued for specific serial numbers of Viper G2 .410 bore shotguns. Full details on the product safety recall are listed below.

Like any other Rock Island premier firearms auction, the upcoming August 2022 auction is also full of unique firearms of virtually every category. However, what caught my attention when I was browsing its catalog, was the amazingly large collection of various rare flintlock guns consigned to this auction, and in this article, we’ll take a look at the ten most interesting ones. While flintlocks may not be the most exciting type of firearms for many of you, trust me, what we are going to see today is absolutely mindblowing. Today we’ll see unicorns of this firearm breed, some of which are unbelievably advanced and innovative for the time they were made. I am talking about revolving and lever action flintlocks, a waterproof one, a punt gun and grenade launcher, combination weapons and multi-barrel ones. Doesn’t it sound intriguing? If yes, then without further ado, let’s take a look at our list of 10 obscure flintlock guns found in the catalog of the  August 2022 Rock Island Premier Firearms Auction.

Kalashnikov USA teamed up with Outlaw Ordnance to create a trio of limited edition AKs – the KR-9S Patriot pistol caliber carbine, the KS-12T Valhalla shotgun and the KR-103 Tanker Green rifle. The Outlaw Ordnance did the custom engravings and Cerakote job on these KUSA guns. Only 100 rifles and shotguns, and 25 PCCs will be made. Let’s take a quick look at each of the Kalashnikov USA / Outlaw Ordnance limited edition AKs.

There are a lot of new, first-time gun owners out there, and I thought I’d take a moment to make ballistics visualized to help new gun owners with explaining how ballistics work with an easy-to-see and do object lesson. This article isn’t exactly meant for our faithful readers that are already aware of how ballistics work, but they’re certainly free to comment if I’ve missed anything or if they have other suggestions on how they explain the topic. Without further ado, if you’ve recently joined the masses in exercising your right to own firearms and you’d like to know how to get your bullets on target, here are some things to consider.

Popular with upland hunters for their instant versatility in range and relatively lighter weight, over/under shotguns are often the first choice for waterfowl hunters across the nation. Stevens Shotguns has just announced the addition of the 555 Sporting Model with some newly added features to their lineup of over/under shotguns. The 555 Sporting Model is intended to enhance the experience of sporting clays and trap shooters and comes in at an incredibly competitive price point. Full details are below.

Do we show too few shotguns in our Photo Of The Days? Well, here’s one in the hands of Private First Class Ariana Rittenhouse, a combat engineer with the United States Marine Corps using an M1014 shotgun to breach a fabricated door on Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, on July 23, 2022. This was a part of the ballistics breaching range.

Bretton-Gaucher is a French firearms manufacturer who are known for their extremely lightweight shotguns some of which are claimed to be the world’s lightest in their categories. The way they manage to achieve extreme weight reduction is primarily because of the use of aluminum alloys for making the barrels and actions of their guns. Bretton-Gaucher have just announced that they have updated their ultralight break action O&U shotguns and the new product line is now called Fastback. Let’s take a look at the features of Bretton-Gaucher Fastback shotguns.