Smith & Wesson is moving in a new direction with the just-announced M&P12, a twin-tube magazine bullpup 12-gauge pump shotgun. The M&P12 is chambered for up to 3-inch shells including minishells.
The new M&P12 packs in a lot of features, which is going to be key for Smith & Wesson because it is entering a crowded and highly competitive market. While the M&P brand is one of the best in the industry, Smith & Wesson is squaring off against some of the biggest names in the gun industry, with a lot of loyal customers.
“Smith & Wesson has a long, storied history of making handguns for self-defense, yet no conversation around personal protection can be complete without mentioning the 12 gauge shotgun,” said Smith & Wesson Vice President Kyle Tengwall. “With the introduction of the new M&P12, Smith & Wesson is able to offer our consumers a personal protection product in a variety of categories: pistol, revolver, rifle, and shotgun.”
“Today, we’re excited to unveil the M&P12,” Tengwall said, “a new category introduction for Smith & Wesson, and a firearm that’s purpose-built for protection and a blast to shoot at the range.”
The M&P12 is a fully ambidextrous bullpup shotgun, with an ar-style ambi safety selector and an ambi action-lock lever just in front of the trigger guard. The magazine tubes are selectable, allowing shooters to both carry more ammunition as well as different kinds of ammunition.
Because it is a pump-action shotgun, the kind of ammunition used won’t affect the shotgun’s reliability. It doesn’t need any tuning to run a range of shells from low-recoil buckshot to full-power slugs.
Additionally, each tube has a loading and unloading assist lever. The magazine tubes run flush with the 19-inch barrel and each have a 7-round capacity when loaded with standard 2.75-inch shells, or 6 with 3-inch magnums. The barrel is threaded for Remington-pattern chokes.
See Also: Smith & Wesson’s New And Improved Rifle: The M&P 15T II
The M&P12 has a top-mounted Picatinny rail for optics and iron sights and the ventilated barrel shroud has Magpul M-Lok slots for other accessories like offset lights. The forend has a serrated scallop texture in addition to a full-size pistol foregrip.
Recoil shouldn’t be too harsh thanks to the chunky rubber buttpad and an unloaded weight of a little over 8 pounds. The fixed stock has a reciprocating action cover that can be used to clear jams, and it provides a set of quick-detach sling points at the rear. Despite the weight, it’s definitely compact with an overall length of just under 28 inches.
The shotgun comes standard with Smith & Wesson’s modular M&P pistol grip that comes with four interchangeable palmswell grip inserts. It also ships with additional chokes, a choke wrench and a cable lock in a hard, foam-lined carry case. The MSRP is $1,165.
While Smith & Wesson has, in the past, offered shotguns, mostly contracted through other manufacturers, the company is best known for rifles and handguns. The M&P12 looks promising, but it’s going to face off with some of the best.
For more information, visit Smith & Wesson online.
