One of the biggest and most bombastic new firearms on the shooting line at Range Day was the first shotgun from popular bullpup-rifle maker IWI. The new Tavor TS12 is unlike any shotgun ever made.
With three rotating magazine tubes that hold 5 shells each of 2-3/4″ shells, this semi-auto gas gun has a staggering capacity of 15+1 rounds. It can also chamber 3″ shells, which reduces the capacity to 12+1.
The bullpup configuration puts the action, and most of the weight, in the stock, making it surprisingly nimble. When the mag tubes are fully loaded, the weight balances out nicely.
The mag tubes are loaded from a port on either side, and since the cylinder rotates clockwise or counter-clockwise, you can cycle through the tubes one at a time until the gun is fully loaded.
The shotgun features an external bolt handle, but one of the coolest features is that when you rotate a loaded mag tube to the top, the gun automatically chambers a round (you keep the safety ON while loading).
A small leaver at the front of the trigger guard releases the mag tube cylinder for rotation. While the gun is semi-auto, you have to manually rotate the cylinder to access each mag tube, but this also offers great control for the user, especially if they have different loads in different tubes.
Finally, the shotgun is fully ambidextrous with reversible ejection ports and controls. The TS12 is expected to ship by the end of Q1. MSRP: $1399.
Though it’s not nearly a common sight in gun shops, the TS12 is pretty similar in function and design to the SRM 1216, which uses four rotating magazine tubes that hold four shells each. If anything, the SRM 1216 seems a bit less bulky than the TS12.
Check out the SRM 1216 in action below.