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If you love shotguns, there is plenty to get excited about in 2023, especially if you’re partial to sub gauges. This year, a handful of companies delivered new shotguns. Beretta engineered its first-ever 3-inch gas-driven 28-gauge auto-loader; Mossberg debuted the first dedicated turkey gun in 28-gauge; and TriStar has jumped into the niche lever-action shotgun arena with its first .410.
And that’s just the start. Browning made a dramatic change to its Citori. Benelli, Stoeger and CZ all overhauled a variety of their existing shotgun models. RemArms expanded the offerings of the new Remington FieldMaster, which replaced the Express last year. Stevens—owned by Savage— is once again trying its hand at importing inexpensive Turkish shotguns. Clay shooters who are looking for a customized over/under, but don’t want to pay bespoke prices, should take notice of the incredibly adjustable break-action 12-gauge Caesar Guerini built.
In 2023, there is a shotgun for you no matter your hunting or shooting pursuit. Now it’s time to decide which one to buy. That will be no easy task once you finish reading through this list.
Browning Citori Composite
Key Features
- Gauge: 12
- Action: Boxlock
- Capcity: 2
- Chamber: 3-inch
- Barrel type: Chrome-lined steel
- Barrel length: 26, 28, 30 inches
- Chokes: Invector Plus (iC, M, F)
- Sights: Mid bead, ivory front sight
- LOP: 14¾ inches
- Weight: 7.4 pounds
- MSRP: $2,200
I had to do a double-take at SHOT Show range day when I saw an all-black 12-gauge Browning Citori sitting there on the gun rack mixed in amongst the camo-clad autoloaders. After 50-plus years of building walnut and steel Citoris, Browning is introducing a composite version and never-before-seen finish on the company’s flagship over/under. There are a few notable differences between the conventional Cirotis and this new Composite. Since it’s lighter (7.4 pounds) due to the synthetic stock and fore-end, this Citori handles a bit differently than the traditional Citoris. It mounts fast, but can be tough to keep moving if you’re not used to shooting clays with a light shotgun. However, its light weight will make it easy to carry in the field. Heavy shotguns typically swing better, but not if you’re dog tired from lugging it around muddy ag fields in pursuit of roosters all day. The synthetic variant features an adjustable cheek piece, which you access by removing the buttstock (not all walnut and steel Citoris have this feature) to provide a more custom fit.
The rest of Citori remains much the same. There is still a single-selective trigger, the gun is built on a boxlock action, and the familiar tall ivory bead sits at the end of the vent rib barrels (available in 26, 28, or 30 inches). Auto-ejectors dispatch spent hulls when you break the Citori open, and there is an Inflex recoil pad that assists with felt recoil, which I found manageable shooting light 1- and 1⅛-ounce target loads. One drawback, there are only three Invector Plus chokes—IC, M, and F—that come standard with the Citori. That’s not ideal if you want to use the Citori for clay shooting or hunting quail or grouse in tight cover. But you can always buy additional Invector Plus chokes.
Mossberg SA Pistol Grip Turkey
Key Features
- Gauge: 28, 20
- Action: Semi-automatic (gas-driven)
- Capacity: 4+1
- Chamber: 2¾-inch (28-ga); 3-inch (20-ga)
- Barrel type: Steel
- Barrel length: 22 inches
- Chokes: EXT Turkey
- Sights: Fiber-optic ghost ring, and front sight
- LOP: 12¾ inches
- Weight: 6 pounds
- MSRP: $902
The 28-gauge has long been popular with upland hunters, and enjoyed a renaissance among duck hunters with advancements in bismuth and tungsten shot. But turkey hunters haven’t had a dedicated shotgun in that bore diameter until now. Mossberg’s SA-28 is chambered for 2¾-inch shotshells (there is also a 20-gauge 3-inch model) with a pistol grip, ghost ring sights, and a Picatinny rail for adding an optic. The vent-rib barrel is 22 inches long and an extended turkey choke comes with the gas-driven auto-loader. An oversized bolt handle makes it easier to quietly slide the action forward as you chamber a round. Finished in Mossy Oak Greenleaf camouflage, the SA series is the only current production Mossberg line that uses a crossbolt safety. All other models have a tang-mounted safety. The SA-20 is also available in a non-pistol grip variant, which makes it a half-pound lighter (5½ pounds) than the pistol grip version. A word of caution: before you buy the SA-28 make sure it’s legal to turkey hunt with a 28-gauge in your state.
Sauer SL5 Waterfowl
Key Features
- Gauge: 12
- Action: Semi-automatic (inertia-driven)
- Chamber: 3-, 3½-inch
- Capacity: 3+1
- Barrel type: Steel, chrome-lined
- Barrel length: 26, 28, 30 inches
- Chokes: Extended C, IC, M, IM, F
- Front sight: Fiber-optic
- LOP: 14½ inches
- Weight: 7½ pounds
- MSRP: $1,579-$1,779
Sauer is better known for building German rifles—they’ve been doing so for 250 years—than shotguns, so they smartly teamed with respected Italian shotgun-maker Breda to deliver the SL5 Waterfowl. An inertia-driven 3½-inch auto-loader (available in 3-inch as well in the black synthetic model), the two-piece receiver is made up of a steel upper for added strength and aluminum lower to cut a small amount of weight from the SL5. There are three barrel lengths—26-, 28-, and 30-inch—available, which are topped with a stepped ventilated rib. You get five extended choke tubes (C, IC, M, IM, and F) for added versatility. An oversized bolt handle and bolt-release button make manipulating the controls easier when your hands are cold or if you’re wearing gloves. If the SL5 reminds you of a Benelli, that’s because of its roots. Breda owned part of Benelli before Beretta bought it. I tested the turkey variant of this gun last spring and it ran flawlessly while delivering killer patterns at 40 yards. The SL5 Waterfowl is available in black, Fred Bear Old School Camo, and a Fred Bear Camo-Cerakote finish.
Beretta A400 Upland 28
Key Features
- Gauge: 12, 20, and 28 (new)
- Action: Semi-automatic (gas-driven)
- Capacity: 2+1
- Chamber: 3-inch
- Barrel type: Steelium
- Barrel length: 28 inches (28-gauge)
- Chokes: 3 flush-mounted Optima-Choke HP (IC, M, F)
- Front sight: Red fiber-optic
- LOP: 14⅜ inches
- Weight: 5.73 pounds
- MSRP: $1,829
With the popularity of sub-gauge shotguns, you may be curious why Beretta took this long to bring a 3-inch, 28-gauge to market (they’ve had a 2 3/4-inch, 28-gauge option for years). It’s because only one semi-automatic shotgun manufacturer (Remington) had ever built a gas-driven 28 in that chambering before, so there were some engineering hurdles to clear. Beretta had to modify the gas piston housed within the A400 Upland to cycle 3-inch shotshells reliably, a lengthy process that took countless attempts to properly tune. Gas guns use the propellant from a fired shotshell to drive the piston, which operates the bolt so it can eject spent hulls. So, that makes the piston an incredibly important piece to get right.
The aesthetics—walnut stock/fore-end and aluminum nickel-plated receiver—and name of the Beretta (A400 Upland) indicate it’s an upland shotgun first, but this semi-auto will also play in the duck blind or turkey woods (a variety of ammo makers offer 3-inch 28-gauge loads for ducks and several are introducing 3-inch turkey loads this year). It’s a capable clays gun as well, since the gas system is built to cycle any shotshell charge weight. This model does not have the Kick-Off recoil system—hydraulic shock absorbers built into the stock—like other A400 and A300 Berettas. But it’s an almost six-pound 28-gauge, so the weight combined with gas-operated action, and recoil pad should tame felt recoil adequately. The 28-inch barrel has a 6mm ventilated rib and three flush mounted Optima chokes (IC, M, F). If you need to adjust the balance of the gun, the fore-end cap was designed to add aftermarket weights.
Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus 20
Key Features
- Gauge: 12, 20 (new)
- Action: Semi-automatic (gas-driven)
- Capacity: 2+1
- Chamber: 3-inch
- Barrel type: Steelium Plus
- Barrel length: 28 inches
- Chokes: 5 Optima-Bore extended (C, IC, M, IM, F)
- Front sight: Fiber-optic
- LOP: 14¼ inches
- Weight: 6.72 pounds
- MSRP: $1,929
One of the best gas-operated semi-automatic shotguns ever built is now being offered in a sub-gauge. But Beretta’s A400 Xtreme Plus 20-gauge has a few upgrades you won’t find on the 12 (which was the winner in our test of the best duck hunting shotguns). It’s easier to load the 20 versus the 12 because Beretta incorporated the same pro series lifter used by the company’s 1301 tactical shotgun. Once you chamber a 2¾- or 3-inch shotshell, the carrier stays lifted, so no more snagging your thumb between the magazine tube and lifter or difficulty loading if you’re wearing gloves. Beretta also designed the bore of the steelium plus barrel (used mainly for the Italian gunmaker’s expensive over/unders) with 12½-inch forcing cones to maximize pattern density. There is quite a bit of debate as to whether extending forcing cones past five inches actually improves patterns. Once I get a chance to shoot the A400 on paper, I’ll report back.
Offered in Realtree, Mossy Oak, and True Timber camo, the A400 weighs just under seven pounds. It has the same Kick-Off recoil system as the 12-gauge, which includes hydraulic shock absorbers near the buttstock and pistol grip. There is also a micro-core recoil pad and soft comb that dampen felt recoil. A 28-inch stepped rib barrel leads into a fiber-optic front sight. You get five extended choke tubes (C, IC, M, IM, F) as well. Included shims allow for adjustment of the 14¼-inch stock. The crossbolt safety is reversible and rubberized grips are integrated into the fore-end and pistol grip. One inconvenient difference you will find on the 20 is the fore-end cap does not have the same half-turn quick-release feature the 12 does.
Read Next: Beretta A400 Xtreme Plus Review
Beretta Ultraleggero
Key Features
- Gauge: 12
- Action: Boxlock over/under
- Chamber: 3-inch
- Capacity: 2
- Barrel type: Steelium Optima Bore HP
- Barrel length: 26, 28 inches
- Chokes: C, IC, M, IM, F
- Front sight: White bead
- Weight: 6.5 pounds
- MSRP: $2,999
Most well-built 12-gauge over/unders weigh at least seven pounds, but Beretta decided to change that this year with the Ultraleggero—which translates to “ultralight” in English—by skeletonizing the steel receiver. Depending on the barrel length you choose—26- or 28-inch—this break-action weighs between 6.4 to 6.6 pounds. There is quite a bit of steel that was removed from the pockets of the action and filled with techno-polymer inserts. If you remove the recoil pad from the buttstock you will also notice that the wood walls of the stock are thinner than normal, another way weight was taken out of the gun. A boxlock action, the Ultraleggero uses the similar mechanics found on Beretta’s 690 series. Two fellow shotgun writers put this gun to the test after it debuted in 2022, and reported trigger pull weights between 5 and 5½ pounds, pretty standard (and on point) for a field gun. The same writers found that the Ultraleggero shot 50/50 patterns from both barrels. Since this gun is lighter, recoil may be an issue with heavier loads. A pheasant hunting friend took this gun afield in the fall and reported that 2¾-inch, 1-ounce lead loads were quite manageable, but once he stepped up to 1⅛-ounce payloads, there was definitely an unpleasant difference in felt recoil. That’s been my experience with most break-action shotguns unless it weighs over 8 pounds.
The safety is automatic, so when you open the action the gun goes back on safe. This is a nice feature for hunters, but you may not want it if you use this over/under for clays too. A gunsmith can easily convert the safety to manual for you. There are no side ribs on the barrels—again to decrease weight—and Beretta provides five flush-fitting Optima HP chokes (C, IC, M, IM, F). The balance point of the Ultraleggero is weight forward, which I think is best for a lighter gun like this because it allows you to keep the barrels moving more easily than if the weight was placed in the stock.
Remington 870 FieldMaster Synthetic
Key Features
- Gauge: 12
- Action: Pump-action
- Chamber: 3½-inch and 3-inch
- Capacity: 3+1
- Barrel type: Steel
- Barrel length: 21, 26, 28 inches
- Chokes: IC, M, F
- Front sight: White bead
- LOP: 14 inches
- Weight: 7½ pounds
- MSRP: $500
RemArms discontinued the 870 Express last year and replaced it with the FieldMaster, which has an upgraded rust-resistant finish on the barrel and receiver, three chokes (instead of one), smooth metal finishes inside the chamber and on the action bars for improved cycling, and it’s drilled and tapped for an optic. In 2023, RemArms is adding a synthetic variant to the 870 FieldMaster platform. The stock has a comb insert that is interchangeable with the 870 Tactical side folder and Versa Max. There will be a compact 20-gauge version as well. It comes with a 21-inch barrel and length-of-pull kit so you can add inches as your young shooter grows into the 870. The standard FieldMaster has 26- or 28-inch barrel options and weighs 7½ pounds. I torture tested the walnut and steel FieldMaster last year and it performed wonderfully.
Benelli M2 Field
Key Features
- Gauge: 12, 20
- Action: Semi-automatic (inertia-driven)
- Capcity: 3+1
- Chamber: 3-inch
- Barrel type: Crio steel
- Barrel length: 24, 26, 28 inches
- Chokes: 5 extended Crio (C, IC, M, IM, F)
- Front sight: Fiber-optic
- LOP: 14⅜ inches
- Weight: 6.8 pounds (12-ga); 6 pounds (20-ga)
- MSRP: $1,499
Benelli’s M2 has been in production since the late 1980s, but the Field variant was overhauled for 2023. The changes are mainly ergonomic. Benelli replaced the triangular crossbolt safety with a circle and made the bolt-release button long and skinny to match the shape of the release used on the Super Black Eagle 3. There were some small changes made to the stock and receiver, but you can’t tell much of a difference other than the gun fits a little better—at least it did for me on the SHOT Show floor in Las Vegas. The major upgrade is on the fore-end. Benelli tapered it, starting at the fore-end cap back toward the receiver. This allows shooters of various hand sizes to find a more comfortable hold on the M2, though it lost that sleek feel Benelli shooters are used to. Mechanically, the 2023 version of the M2 adopted the same bolt as the SBE3 and Ethos. It uses a small spring to rotate the bolt head shut and drive the shotshell into battery. This lessens the chance of a misfire when the trigger is pulled, often referred to as the “Benelli click.” Turkey hunters should note that the inertia-driven semi-auto will also be available with a 24-inch barrel in 20- and 12-gauge in Mossy Oak Bottomland. The only way to get that combination before in the M2 was to buy the Performance Shop model, which is double the price.
Read Next: Best Duck Hunting Shotguns
Benelli Montefeltro
Key Features
- Gauge: 12, 20
- Action: Semi-automatic (inertia-driven)
- Capcity: 4+1
- Chamber: 3-inch
- Barrel type: Crio steel
- Barrel length: 24, 26, 28 inches
- Chokes: 5 extended Crio (C, IC, M, IM, F)
- Front sight: Fiber-optic
- LOP: 14⅜ inches
- Weight: 6.6 pounds (12-ga); 5.9 pounds (20-ga)
- MSRP: $1,499
Benelli’s Montefeltro also underwent a redesign this year. Like the M2 Field, the stock and pistol grip have been slimmed down, crossbolt safety switched from triangle to circle, and the bolt-release button made long and thin. One modification you should notice when loading the Montefeltro is the new two-piece shell latch. It’s a part typically built into 3-gun competition shotguns (some shooters buy it as an aftermarket upgrade) for a faster, smoother loading experience. The latch, which is connected to your bolt-release button, is a nice feature when running through multiple boxes of ammo, though that’s not something most American hunters need. But if you like to regularly shoot clays with a Montefeltro, or you’re a high-volume dove or pigeon shooter, you will find it useful. The fore-end of the 3-inch inertia auto-loader is more shapely than the last iteration, and the Benelli sports swivel studs if you want to add a gun strap. That hasn’t been available on the Montefeltro since the synthetic variant was introduced in 2013.
Stoeger M3500
Key Features
- Gauge: 20, 12
- Action: Semi-automatic (inertia-driven)
- Capacity: 4+1
- Chamber: 3-inch (20); 3½-inch (12)
- Barrel type: Steel
- Barrel length: 26, 28 inches
- Chokes: IC, M, F, XFT (extra full turkey)
- Front sight: Red bar
- LOP: 14⅜ inches
- Weight: 7.8 pounds
- MSRP: $799
Stoeger, Benelli’s introductory shotgun brand, underwent a face-lift as well. The M series (3500, 3000, and 3020) semi-autos were slimmed down, giving the Turkish-made auto-loaders a fit and feel closer to that of Benelli shotguns. They also have a lower profile and aren’t as boxy as the old models. Shooters will find that the fore-end conforms better to their hand. Previous models had a fairly flat-sided fore-end with machine-checkered grips. New M series semi-autos are shapely and give you more to hold onto. An oversized bolt handle, bolt-release button, and beveled loading port come standard. Stoeger also upgraded the recoil pad from a stiff piece of plastic to a softer, flexible pad. They carried over the recoil reducer, a long spring/piston inside the stock that lessens felt recoil, from the original M series. There is also a removable rubber cheek piece that allows you to fit the gun to your body type. The feature will come in handy if you deer or turkey hunt and want to add an optic to the 3500, which is drilled and tapped for Weaver-style scope bases.
CZ 712 G3
Key Features
- Gauge: 12
- Action: Semi-automatic (gas-driven)
- Capacity: 3+1
- Chamber: 3-inch
- Barrel type: Chrome-lined steel
- Barrel length: 20, 26, 28 inches
- Chokes: Extended C, IC, M, IM, F
- Front sight: White bead
- LOP: 14½ inches
- Weight: 7.3 pounds
- MSRP: $579-$679
The third generation of CZ’s 712 has a slightly larger bore diameter than the G2 (.735 versus .730), five extended choke tubes, shims for a customized stock fit, and includes a new Mossy Oak Terra Elements camo finish. CZ made the 712 G3 available in a Turkish walnut and steel variant as well as a matte black Utility model that sports a 20-inch barrel. Gas-operated, the 3-inch 712 includes two gas pistons, one for magnum loads and another for light target shotshells. There is also an oversized bolt handle and bolt-release button. The bolt lock is located on the right side of the trigger group, not the carrier, so you don’t have to reach under the gun before opening the bolt. A cross bolt safety is positioned at the front right of the trigger guard. It is not reversible for left-handers, but southpaws will find it easier to manipulate than safeties located at the rear of the guard. As a lefty, I am all too familiar with guns that have a rear guard safety, which I end up accidentally clicking back on to safe after I fire the first shot because my trigger finger inadvertently slides it back to the right.
Caesar Guerini Summit Impact Trap Combo
Key Features
- Gauge: 12
- Action: Underlug boxlock
- Capacity: 2 or 1 (Unisingle trap)
- Chamber: 2¾-inch
- Barrel type: Chrome-lined steel
- Barrel length: 32, 34 inches
- Chokes: C, SK, IC, M, IM, F
- Sights: White Bradley-style front; silver mid-rib bead
- LOP: 14.9 inches
- Weight: 8.6 pounds; 8.12 pounds (Unisingle trap)
- MSRP: $10,425
Most of us will never be able to afford a bespoke shotgun from one of the historic shooting houses in London. But there are plenty of attainable guns that can be custom-fit to your body type and shooting style for far less money. Caesar Guerini’s Summit Impact Trap Combo isn’t an inexpensive over/under. But if you’ve been saving up for a fine break-action double, this 12-gauge offers an adjustable stock, comb, and you can raise and lower the height of the rib for optimal patterns. A kinetic balancer inside the Monte Carlo stock allows shooters to change the balance of the gun by adding or removing three 1.41-ounce weights. That will make the Summit Impact weigh between 8.6 and 9.4 pounds. To access the balancer, simply remove the recoil pad from the buttsock. Two barrel sets—doubles for skeet, sporting clays, and five stand and a unisingle for trap—have a rib that’s 17mm in height. The double barrels have an adjustable point of impact range from 50/50 to 80/20. The unisinlge barrel can be shot as low as 60/40 to 110 percent above the centerline of the target. A socket head wrench is included to properly fit the rib height. The higher the rib, the lower the gun will shoot. Lower the rib and the gun shoots higher. The trigger has two weight options and can be tuned for takeup, overtravel, and length of pull.
Stevens 560 Field
Key Features
- Gauge: 12
- Action: Semi-automatic (gas-driven)
- Capacity: 5+1
- Chamber: 3-inch
- Barrel: Chrome-lined steel
- Barrel length: 26, 28 inches
- Chokes: IC, M, F
- Sights: Mid-bead, red fiber-optic front sight
- MSRP: $499
Affordable Turkish gas-driven autoloaders have begun to flood the American shotgun market. Savage, which has had success with its own dual-valve gas-driven Renegauge platform, is importing the Stevens 560 Field from Kofs, a Turkish shotgun maker. A 3-inch auto-loader that costs under $500, the 560 will also be available in a compact model (four inches shorter than the standard 560, which is 48¾ inches long). Two ventilated rib barrel options are offered in 26 or 28 inches, plus the 560 includes three flush-fitting screw-in chokes (IC, M, F). The bolt handle and bolt-release button are both oversized with the bolt lock located on the right side of the trigger group. You will notice the carrier is a solid piece of steel and the grips on the fore-end and stock are textured like a synthetic shotgun, instead of checkered. This was done in part to keep costs down.
Stevens has mainly kept their shotgun lineup to over/unders and pumps, but this is not their first foray into semi-autos. About a decade ago, when Vista Outdoor owned Savage and Stevens, they brought a Turkish-made inertia prototype to the U.S, which was eventually sold as the S1200. Editor-in-chief Alex Robsinson and I were two of the first gun writers to put that auto-loader to the test on depredation crow hunts. It patterned phenomenally that week, but struggled to cycle 3-inch shotshells. That issue continued once the gun hit store shelves and it was dropped in short order. Hopefully the 560, which has an inline gas system that pushes a metal sleeve and rods rearward to work the bolt, has more success. Because at that price, it’s a hell of a deal for a modern gas-driven semi-auto.
Tristar LR94
Key Features
- Gauge: .410
- Action: Lever
- Capacity: 5
- Chamber: 2½-inch
- Barrel: Steel
- Barrel length: 24 inches
- Overall length: 42¾ inches
- Choke: Modified (screw-in)
- Sights: Rifle sights
- Weight: 6.4 pounds
- MSRP: $850
Known as garden guns—because they are so adept at dispatching the pests and small game that invade your lettuce patch—.410-bore lever-actions are built for speed and offer more ammo capacity than many conventional shotguns. Tristar’s LR94 is the company’s first .410 lever gun. It has a five-round magazine and weighs just 6.4 pounds. Open rear and front rifle sights make target acquisition a breeze. The LR94 comes in nickel-plated and case-hardened receiver options, and is chambered for 2½-inch shotshells. A straight grip walnut stock caters to left- and right-handed shooters. There is also a thin recoil pad affixed to the buttstock, plus a screw-in Benelli/Beretta mobil modified choke.
Tristar Viper G2 Pro
Key Features
- Gauge: .410, 28, 20, 12
- Action: Semi-automatic (gas-driven)
- Capacity: 4+1
- Chamber: 3-inch (.410, 20, 12); 2¾-inch (28)
- Barrel type: Chrome-lined steel
- Barrel length: 26, 28 inches
- Chokes: IC, M, F (add extended SK .410, 28)
- Front sight: Fiber-optic
- LOP: 14¼ inches
- Weight: 6.8 pounds (12)
- MSRP: $870-$1,050
Tristar imports some of the best gas-driven semi-autos to the U.S. from Turkish gun-maker Armsan. The G2 Pro is an upgrade of one of my favorite affordable repeaters, the G2. These auto-loaders handle and shoot much like Berettas, but cost considerably less. The new Pro variant has a slimmed down stock and receiver. It’s a sleek gun, especially for a gas-driven auto, which typically have some bulk to them because of the operating system components. Loading is made simple thanks to the oversized bolt handle, bolt release button, and spacious loading port. It’s also available in every gauge except 16 for under $1,000. The 12-gauge weighs only 6.8 pounds. G2 Pros should make great all-purpose shotguns because they rarely fail to cycle and are not overly expensive, which means you can abuse them and not feel bad about it. The new G2 Pro is available in Bronze, Silver, Camo, and TT-Viper Snow models.
Retay Gordion Compact
Key Features
- Gauge: 20
- Action: Semi-automatic (inertia-driven)
- Capacity: 4+1
- Chamber: 3-inch
- Barrel type: Driller Bohler steel, chrome-lined
- Barrel length: 24, 26 inches
- Chokes: C, IC, M, IM, F
- Front sight: Fiber-optic
- LOP: 12½ inches
- Weight: 6 pounds
- MSRP: $799-$899
There is no difference in the frame of Retay’s 20-gauge Gordion Compact versus the standard model. It just has a shorter 24-inch barrel option (it also is available in 26 inches) and a shorter 12½-inch stock. The stock can be replaced with a standard sized one, which allows the gun to grow with the shooter. An adult hunter could buy the Gordion Compact for their son or daughter and use the gun as well by swapping stocks. Retay shotguns are inertia-driven and feature a similar looking rotating-bolthead that most inertia auto-loaders operate on. But the design is slightly different. Retay bolts have an interior torsion spring that makes it nearly impossible for a shotshell to remain out of battery after the bolt closes. The Compact has an oversized bolt handle, bolt-release button, and cross-bolt safety. It does not have the push-button trigger group release like the Masa Mara, but there is a Comfort recoil pad to help manage the felt recoil of the six-pound gun. The Gordion will be available in black synthetic, Realtree, and Mossy Oak camo options.
Pointer Field-Grade Side-by-Side
Key Features
- Gauge: 20, 12
- Action: Break-action
- Chamber: 3-inch
- Capacity: 2
- Barrel type: Steel
- Barrel length: 26, 28 inches
- Chokes: C, IC, M, IM, F
- Front sight: White bead
- Weight: 7.4 pounds
- MSRP: $699
Pointer, operated by Legacy Sports International, is carving out a niche for itself by importing inexpensive Turkish over/unders and semi-autos. Now they are adding a side-by-side to the lineup with the Pointer Field Grade. Initially it will be available in 12-gauge, with a 20 soon to follow. The walnut and steel break-action has a matte black finish on the receiver and barrels, but it’s likely a nickel-plated receiver variant is coming. Barrel options are available in 26 or 28 inches with a traditional flat rib. You also get five flush-fitting screw-in chokes, an incredible standard option for a $700 shotgun. There is checking on the pistol grip stock and the splinter-style fore-end. A single selective trigger gives you the option to choose which barrel shoots first.
Spandau Arms Premier Target
Key Features
- Gauge: 12
- Action: Boxlock
- Chamber: 3-inch
- Capacity: 2
- Barrel type: Steel
- Barrel length: 28, 30 inches
- Chokes: C, IC, M, IM, F
- Front sight: Fiber-optic
- Weight: 7½ pounds
- MSRP: $2,200
SDS Imports is a new Tennessee-based company, importing this Turkish over/under (among other guns) to the U.S. The Spandau Arms Premiere Target has an adjustable cheek piece so that you can custom-fit the shotgun to your body. There is a small wrench included with the choke kit so you can make adjustments. I had the opportunity to shoot this gun at SHOT Show range day and was pleased with the feel of the gun. The pistol grip and fore-end have some bulk to them, so you can really take hold of the Premiere Target. It’s also a beautiful break-action with an oil-finished walnut and a case-colored receiver. If the over/under proves to be reliable, it could rival many break-action target guns at this price-point. There are two vent barrel options for the Premiere Target—28 and 30 inches—and it also includes a single-selective trigger. SDS is offering a field version of the Premier as well, available in 12-, 20, and 28-gauge, plus .410-bore.