Simple, Effective 12 Gauges: Shot-guns with a Little Bling

The 12-gauge shotgun continues to be the most respected shoulder-fired firearm for personal defense. Simple to use, effective, reliable and available in economy versions to fit every budget, the 12-gauge pump is a superior firearm for home defense, for use as a truck gun, and even for area defense on the ranch or farm. In this report, we tested several shotguns with a touch of flash or “bling.” They are special versions of standard shotguns, based on proven types, but with features that set them apart from the usual matte-finished shotgun with inexpensive wood furniture.

• The Mossberg 500 Retrograde 50429 shotgun is a highly finished version of the Mossberg Persuader. This shotgun features the standard Mossberg 500 action, but its bright-blue finish and highly finished stock are a step above the usual rack-grade shotgun. The Mossberg is almost priced out of the economy range, but at less than $400 with careful shopping, it isn’t prohibitively expensive.
• The Iver Johnson PAS 12 Copperhead is a pump-action shotgun with interesting features and a special coating resembling a copperhead snake’s skin.
• The Rock Island Armory M5 shotgun is a straight-up copy of the classic High Standard Flite King but is finished in matte nickel. These shotguns have a pleasing appearance, with a bit of eye appeal not found in the usual economy shotgun.

We would purchase any of these shotguns, but one proved to be our shooters’ favorite and the Best Buy of the test.

Mossberg Retrograde Persuader 50429 12 Gauge, $385

GUN TESTS GRADE: A

The Mossberg 500 Retrograde is a beautifully finished shotgun. There are no shortcomings. The Retrograde 12 gauge worked fine in all regards including loading, cycling, feeding, ejecting and firing. The shotgun handles quickly and invites a natural shooting style. With all those positives, the shotgun isn’t any more effective than the less-expensive imports.

MSRP for this product is $504, but we bought ours at SCGunCo.com for $385. The Mossberg Retrograde Persuader is a new introduction on an old theme. Officially called the Retrograde line, Mossberg also offers a 590 shotgun in this series. The Mossberg 500 is a pump-action shotgun with a five-round tubular magazine. The Mossberg Retrograde reinvents a popular model, the Persuader. The Persuader is a standard Mossberg 500 with an 18.5-inch barrel and bead front sight. The Retrograde line features a highly polished blue finish and well-turned-out wooden stock. While designed to harken back to Mossberg shotguns of previous years, the Retrograde shotgun is better finished and polished than any Mossberg we have examined and better than most shotguns of any type. While there is a race in progress in the firearms world to produce the least expensive firearms of any given type, there are also those willing to pay for superior fit and finish. The Mossberg Retrograde offers considerable pride of ownership, and the wood is particularly nicely finished. While the Retrograde is a classic shotgun in appearance, it is drilled and tapped for a red-dot sight or scope mount.

Retro guns are popular, and this one has the look and feel of an older shotgun. When it comes to function, though, the shotgun operates the same as any other Mossberg pump-action shotgun. The Mossberg 500 is loaded by pressing five 2.75-inch 12-gauge shells into the magazine. The action is racked to load the chamber. If desired, an additional shell may be placed in the magazine, giving the Mossberg 500 a maximum of six shells on tap. The safety is tang mounted and ambidextrous and positive in operation. The raters agreed that the tang-mounted safety is superior in speed and operation to trigger-guard-mounted crossbolt safeties. A small lever just behind the trigger guard releases the bolt when the shotgun is cocked. On firing, the bolt releases to allow the pump action to rack another shell into the chamber.

To test the shotguns for speed and recoil control, we used a total of five loads including 00, #1, and #4 buckshot, and two types of birdshot shells. These included Winchester 2.75-inch #4 buckshot ($4.36 for five shells) rounds and Winchester 2.75-inch #1 buckshot shells ($4.36 for five shells, both from SportsmansGuide.com); Fiocchi 2.75-inch Dove Load #8 shotshells ($85 for 250 rounds from AmmoMan.com), Winchester AA #7 loads ($8.99/25), and Remington 00 buckshot Managed Recoil ($4.99/5 at Academy.com).

We began running the Mossberg at 7 and 10 yards with the Fiocchi bird-shot load. We have used this load many times for economy and function. During the test, there were several light primer strikes as the load failed ignite, at a rate of perhaps 50%. We were disappointed and moved to Winchester AA loads. There were no further failures to fire. Moving forward to testing the Iver Johnson, we experienced the same FTF with the Fiocchi load, so we had to mark this down to ammunition and not the shotgun. After this issue, we continued the Mossberg portion of the test. Firing the bird-shot load, the action proved smooth and reliable. We cannot say if the Retrograde received extra care in the action. It was no more or less smooth than a Mossberg 590 recently tested. Either way, this is a good, solid and fast-handling action. After firing 50 light bird-shot shells, we moved to buckshot. Leaning into the shotgun for control, we fired the Winchester buckshot loads, both #1 and #4. These loads provide 16 and 27 pellets, respectively. The pattern was good in each case and offered a good spread on the targets out to 10 yards. Recoil was strong with these loads.

The bead front sight offered a good aiming point at moderate range. As we approached 15 yards, some of the #4 buckshot was off the hit zone, on the paper but not inside the green silhouette. Switching to Remington’s managed recoil 00 buckshot load, we repeated firing at 7, 10, and 15 yards. The pattern remained tight to 15 yards and this reduced recoil loading was controllable.

We fired a total of 50 bird-shot shells and 45 buckshot shells, firing five shells at 7, 10, and 15 yards with each type of buckshot. The bird shot was expended primarily to test the action’s smoothness. There were no failures that may be attributed to the shotgun.

Our Team Said: When the raters compared notes, the Mossberg 500 Retrograde shotgun received an A rating. The shotgun is reliable, the action is smooth, and the 12-gauge pump handles well. We liked the tang-mounted safety the best of the shotguns tested. There are shotguns with superior sights and extended magazines, but this is a formidable choice.

Iver Johnson PAS12 Copperhead Edition 12 Gauge, $180

GUN TESTS GRADE: A

The Iver Johnson pump-action shotgun has good features that were overshadowed by the snakescale-like finish. The action is smooth enough and never failed to feed, chamber, fire or eject. While we had a few shells that failed to fire, the same shells failed to fire in the Mossberg as well, which points to the shells being at fault. Overall, this is a solid, reliable shotgun that gets a solid A rating. It would be a Best Buy at the $203 price for the Standard finish. We would not pop for the extra bucks for the cool-looking snakeskin finish.

This was our purchase price for a used Copperhead at SCGunCo.com. It appeared unfired, however, and was found with the original box. We could not find a Copperhead edition for sale and in stock. We contacted Iver Johnson and were told that the Copperhead is a special edition that often has a waiting list. The standard PAS 12 gauge lists for $203 at BudsGunShop.com. The standard PAS 12 would be the least expensive shotgun tested if we had ordered that piece. This is a standard pump-action shotgun manufactured by Armed Guns in Turkey.

The Copperhead Cerakote-type finish is distinctive, but we are not certain we would pay an extra $250 for the finish. The shotgun itself is a pump-action that operates much the same as any other pump shotgun, but with a number of differences. The shotgun has very interesting features apart from its copperhead-snake-like finish.

The shotgun operates like the Mossberg in most particulars. The magazine holds four rather than five shells, which is a demerit compared to the Mossberg and Rock Island Armory shotguns. However, there are other features that are superior to the other shotguns. The PAS 12 features a trapezoid-shaped crossbolt safety. We cannot find any difference between a round and trapezoid-type safety in operation, but the safety is positive in operation. One rater felt that the design was less likely to allow the finger to slip during movement. The bolt release, however, is extended and makes for much easier manipulation than the other shotguns. It is located a bit more forward than the other bolt-release levers. There was no debate on the merits of this feature. The barrel-locking nut is the best shape we have yet tested for easy manipulation. Long grooves in this oversized barrel-locking nut make for easy handling. The bolt is smooth in operation as it moves in the aluminum receiver. The front sight isn’t a simple bead but is instead a dovetailed post that offers an excellent aiming point.

The PAS 12 features an aluminum receiver. The shotgun is light enough and for this reason was the hardest kicker tested. This isn’t a design defect, the shotgun is easily carried, and there is no free lunch. We would have changed the odd design of the recoil pad. It really did not help control recoil compared to the other shotguns. The front sight is superior to any simple bead front sight. The knurled take down knob is easy to use well, the easiest to use we have encountered on a shotgun. The large bolt release is something we feel is an advantage in handling.

The Iver Johnson was fired with the same shells as the Mossberg. When firing the Fiocchi, we encountered the same light strikes as with the Mossberg, discovering the failure to fire was ammo related. Firing the birdshot first, we found the PAS 12 operated quickly. The forend is well shaped for rapid manipulation. The front-post sight offered an excellent aiming point for use with all loads. Firing the buckshot loads, patterns were more or less the same as the Mossberg. Shotguns are individuals concerning patterns, and in this case there was no real difference among the shotguns in patterning. There was a difference in recoil, however. The PAS 12 exhibited greater recoil than the Mossberg, at least partly due to the stock design. Just the same, the PAS 12 was completely reliable and fast in action.

Our Team Said: The PAS 12 is a decent pump-action shotgun at a very fair price. We like the improvements in the bolt release and barrel nut, as well as the sights. Half the raters felt the trapezoid-shaped safety was less likely to present a surface for the finger to slip. We don’t think we would purchase the Copperhead finish, however. It was showing signs of wear by the end of a few weeks testing.

Rock Island Armory M30 M5 Matte Nickel 51330 12 Gauge, $202

GUN TESTS GRADE: A- (BEST BUY)

The M5 is a smooth-handling shotgun. It is the heaviest shotgun tested, but also the lightest kicker — physics. Magazine capacity is greater than the Iver Johnson, but the same as the Mossberg. The Speedfeed-type stock is a good addition.

This was a recent price at BudsGunShop.com. The M5 is a copy of the High Standard Flite King. This design features a barrel that screws into the steel receiver. This isn’t a shotgun that takes down easily. Still, routine maintenance isn’t difficult.

The Rock Island M5 isn’t advertised as a marine shotgun, but perhaps it should be. Marine shotguns with nickel finish or stainless-steel barrels are popular with boaters and sailors. When the shotgun arrived, it was coated in a heavy grease. We cleaned this off before firing. Shipping from the Philippines requires a long ride by boat, truck, and plane at different points, and the coating protects the finish, though the M5 doesn’t have much to rust.

Many such shotguns have been used to dispatch thrashing sharks caught in a net or perhaps to repel boarders. The Rock Island M5 features a matte-nickel finish. The senior rater owns an example that has been in use for several years as a truck gun and reports that the finish has been durable. A new M5 was ordered as a test gun. The finish is a matte nickel that is evenly applied. The shotgun features a 20-inch barrel, longer than the other two shotguns. The magazine holds five shells rather than the four of the Iver Johnson PAS 12, though the company specs say the tube magazine only holds four. The M5 is identical in operation to the other shotguns. However, the shell carrier is upward when the bolt is locked forward on this design, making loading fast and easy. The safety is located in the trigger guard. It is forward of the trigger, while the Iver Johnson safety is behind the trigger. With one you operate the safety by moving it to the off position to fire and then sweep forward to the trigger. With the other, you hit the safety button with the forefinger and then move to the trigger. We found no real difference in speed, but half the raters preferred the forward safety location of the M5. The bolt release is a standard lever that works well. The barrel features a heat shield. This shield is to protect the hand during prolonged firing. We really like the heat shield, but we did not fire the shotgun enough to heat the barrel up. Just the same, it is good to have. The barrel nut isn’t similar to the other shotguns. There really isn’t a barrel nut, just a magazine cap. The barrel is attached to the magazine, and the heat shield is also attached to the barrel and the magazine. The stock is a Speedfeed type that holds two shells on one side. They are in a spring-loaded recess in the stock. A tab holds the nose of the shell in place. Move the shell to one side and the shell jumps out of the recess. This allows rapid access to spare loads without a bulky magazine carrier.

A bonus was a very smooth 4.5-pound trigger pull, unusual in a pump-action shotgun. We began firing the shotgun with the loads as the other shotguns. In this case the Fiocchi loads fed well, as they had in the other shotguns, and also fired normally, which was not the case in the other two shotguns. Perhaps the M5 had a tighter chamber that made the shell primer sit closer to the firing pin, but no shells seemed to be a tight fit in this shotgun.

All three shotguns feature dual action bars and seemed to have good leverage in operation. The M5, however, was the smoothest. We discerned this in dry fire and with the first box of shells fired. The shotgun simply moved slickly, despite its slightly longer length. Operating the forend was simple enough with the ribbed synthetic design. Forward action was very smooth as well.

Firing the M5 for speed showed the best results of any of the shotguns. The front bead was adequate for getting on target fast and delivering center hits. The Speedfeed stock, although it required separate motions to load the two shells, improved the M5’s capacity over the others.

At the range, recoil seemed the lightest, but then the M5 is the heaviest shotgun. It wasn’t difficult to get a couple of shells in the air at the same time with the Rock Island M5. As for buckshot, we found the M5 gave slightly better groups with both #1 and #4 buckshot than the Mossberg and Iver Johnson shotguns. The difference wasn’t great, perhaps an inch to an inch and a half smaller size, and the Remington Managed Recoil load patterned the same. We cannot rate the Rock Island M5 higher on this score as shotguns are individuals as far as patterning goes, we have learned. Also the M5 features a barrel 1.5 inches longer than the other two shotguns, so we would expect it to have a patterning advantage over 18.5-inch barrel shotguns.

We found the M5 handled quickly and pointed well, and the extra 1.5 inch of barrel isn’t a demerit in fast handling. In short the M5 is smooth in operation and lighter in recoil, making it a winner. We experienced a single unwanted malfunction that we wrote down to a break-in malfunction. When we tested the Speedfeed-type stock’s feeding, the shell plunger stuck to the rear. The shells were not held under tension. We jiggled the shotgun to no avail, even using a screwdriver to attempt to budge the shell plunger. One of the raters triple checked the shotgun to be certain it wasn’t loaded and threw it into the air and let it hit a carpeted surface. The plunger sprung forward. We could not re-create the problem, but we would be certain this plunger operates correctly on our personal shotgun. We rated the M5 down a half grade anyway.

Our Team Said: We found the Rock Island Armory M5 to be on par with the Iver Johnson as far as economy goes, and the M5’s nickel finish will likely require less maintenance than the Mossberg and IJ finishes. We feel that the nickel finish qualifies the M5 for hard use. The heatshield on the barrel is good to have, even if you don’t shoot enough shells to make the barrel smoke. We really like the crisp trigger action and Speedfeed-style stock. The best feature, however, is the smooth action. This is a shotgun that offers real speed to a trained shooter who keeps in practice. The Rock Island shotgun isn’t drilled and tapped for a red dot, but at this price, we find that acceptable.

Written and photographed by Gun Tests Staff, using evaluations from Gun Teststeam testers.