It seems like double-tubed shotguns are all the rage these days. Kel-Tec kicked off the craze in the U.S. with their KSG and the response from the public was so overwhelming that there were bound to be other players trying to muscle in on the market. One of those competitors is Turkish maker Utas Makine who have come out with their UTS-15 shotgun — a redesigned version of the Neostead NS2000. And while the shotgun looks like it’s right off the set of Aliens, is it something you’ll want to put in your safe or nuke from orbit? . . .
The first version of the gun was pretty much game over, man.
In short, the original UTS-15 didn’t work. It would fire for two or three rounds and then the gun would have a malfunction. Either the shell failed to eject or it double fed. But it was impossible to get through more than five rounds without having to clear a stoppage. Some might blame this on the shooter, but when we tested the original UTS-15 shotgun, four experienced people tried it and it failed for all of them. And as for the proficiency of the shooters, they were Kevin Brittingham (founder of Advanced Armament), Reed “Trey” Knight, III (of the Knight’s Armament dynasty), Johnny (weapons instructor for special operations teams) and me. So we’re pretty sure it was the gun and not us.
This shotgun has been on the market for a couple years, but the guys at Utas weren’t happy with the Gen 1 version. In fact, when I asked them to give me one to review they told me that they were in the process of revising the design and that they’d send me one as soon as that was done. Now, over a year later, that revision is complete.
There are many things that Utas has improved in the newer rev of the UTS-15, but the primary visual difference is the addition of a light and laser combo in the bottom section of the shotgun (the tube that the pump rides along). Previous versions had the markings and requisite holes for the device, allowing it to be installed as a kit. Now, in the latest version, it comes pre-installed. A switch on the right side of the gun allows the shooter to activate either the flashlight or a laser — but not both at the same time. The light and laser work fine, though.
Looking over the rest of the gun, you can see that this is a very different design than the Kel-Tec KSG. While the KSG had the magazine tubes mounted below the barrel, the UTS-15 carries them above the barrel. This lowers the relative position of the barrel into a more AR-15-esque firing position, allowing the impulse from the recoil to come straight back into the shooter’s shoulder. That reduces muzzle rise, which is a neat trick.
That lower firing position (relative to the magazine) means that the lifter mechanism is reversed. It’s more like a smackdown ramp. Anyway, the mechanism works and the rounds find their way into the chamber somehow. In order to enable the mechanism to work in a bullpup configuration, practically the entire buttstock is used to house the operating mechanism. The top cover lifts off if you pull on it (no pins or screws required) and gives you access to the internal workings of the gun, much like an FS-2000, if you need to clear a jam.
That stock design does have some drawbacks, namely that it doesn’t feel very comfortable. The length of pull is too short for me to use my usual shotgun grip and stance, which makes me feel a little like Lennie petting a rabbit when I hold it. This is probably a training issue and if I used it more often it would feel better. It’s just something that takes some getting used to.
In order to squeeze the gun into a tighter package, the ejection port for the shotgun is set behind the grip of the gun. This puts it in a rather uncomfortable spot for left handed folks, ejecting the spent hulls directly into the mouth of the shooter. No bueno. Another feature of the ejection port is an AR-15 style dust cover, which is held closed by a magnet. When the action cycles, the magnet disconnects and the the port opens. However, unlike with the AR-15 there is insufficient spring tension to keep the port firmly open while the gun is firing. As a result, the cover has a tendency to flap about as the rounds are flying downrange.
Loading the shotgun is…interesting. There are two flaps on either side of the top of the shotgun that open to reveal the mag tubes. These covers are held in place by spring-loaded detents and require a bit of force to open. Then, to stock the mags you need to push the plunger assembly forward and then load each individual round into the tube one at a time. I tried to perform the usual “load two” shotgun loading method, but it didn’t work. The angle of the flap combined with the awkward angle of the port makes loading this thing quickly downright impossible.
Speaking of impossible, topping off a partially filled magazine tube is a tall order with this thing. When the magazine is empty and you need to load it, it’s easy as pie. But when there are rounds already in the tubes and you’re in the firing position, it’s tough. When you close the latch, the last round in the magazine is released and pushed backwards until it hits the keeper that’s part of the magazine tube selector assembly, followed by the rest of the rounds in the mag. If you want to top off the magazine, you need to push these rounds back up into the magazine before adding the fresh shells.
Compared to the KSG, loading an empty UTS-15 is much easier. Where the KSG has a blind loading port, the UTS-15’s is very visible. It’s a solid improvement, but still awkward for those used to running a traditional shotgun. Loading up a partially filled tube, however, is much worse than with the KSG.
One thing I liked a lot about the magazines on the UTS-15 is that you can select feeding from either the left or the right tube. There’s also a central position where you can feed from both simultaneously. That central position alternates between the left and right tubes, depleting the ammo evenly. It’s a definite improvement over the KSG’s operation where you needed to switch the selector lever if you want to switch magazine tubes.
Also on the list of things I liked is the slot running the length of the mag tube that lets you see how many shells are loaded. It’s a nifty feature, but like the cutaway magazines in the Chauchat (the hipster of magazines – they were windowed PMAGs before windowed PMAGs were cool) it probably lowers the reliability a bit in dusty environments.
A couple final thoughts about the design before we move on: the grip is a standard AR-15 grip, so you can replace it with whatever you want to make the shotgun more comfortable. Another convenience is that the shotgun is a dream to disassemble — you unscrew one piece and the gun splits in half. Re-assembly is similarly simple, since you aren’t wrestling a magazine follower into place.
Speaking of switching things around, the shotgun features a barrel that’s threaded for chokes. this allows you to add whatever crazy muzzle device you want to the gun. The version I had shipped with a standard round cylinder choke, but also included a funky looking improved cylinder door breaching thing and this barrel extension. That could be helpful if you’re shooting trap, I suppose. Also included are a set of removable notch-and-post sights, but thanks to the full-length rail across the top of the gun you can mount whatever aiming device your little heart desires.
As for firing the gun, it works now. Mostly.
The new and improved UTS-15 shotgun ran perfectly with 2 3/4″ birdshot. Where previously I couldn’t get through more than a handful of rounds without a jam, the issue seems to have been fixed and I’m a happy shooter. But there’s still a problem.
While the shotgun runs fine with 2 3/4 inch shells, it’s supposed to run with everything up to 3″ magnum shells. However, it really doesn’t like slugs. Even slamming the pump forward with all my strength, every once in a while it would fail to lock on a slug. It took some extreme effort to get the breech closed, much more so than any other shotgun I’ve ever fired.
Just because it doesn’t like to chamber slugs doesn’t mean that the gun doesn’t like shooting them. Quite the contrary, it’s actually pretty accurate as evidenced by this 25 yard slug target.
The UTS-15 shotgun has had issues from day one, and it continues to have a few design flaws. But despite those hiccups, I definitely see a market for something like this. A “high capacity” shotgun would work great for home defense, something that you could load with 14 rounds and then not worry about ever reloading in a home invasion scenario. But if you ever did need to reload, you’d pretty much be screwed. And on the range, it would definitely be an eye-catching range toy that everyone would want to try out.
But for me, that $1,200 MSRP (still over $1,000 retail) is too high to justify. For reference, that’s more than an FNH USA SLP MK I or a Benelli M2 semi-auto. Heck, you could buy two Mossberg 930s and duct tape them together for that price. There’s no doubt that this is a nifty gun, but it’s not $1,200 worth of nift.
Utas UTS-15
Specifications
Caliber: 12ga
Barrel: 18.5 inches
Size: 28.3 inches
Weight: 6.9 lbs. empty
Capacity: 2 x 7 round tube magazine
MSRP: $1,200
Ratings (Out of Five Stars):
All ratings are relative compared to the other weapons in the gun’s category.
Accuracy: * * * * *
Can’t fault it for being inaccurate. The gun is a fine shooter. When it runs, that is.
Ergonomics: * * *
High marks for using an AR-15 pistol grip in the design, but the short stock as well as the awkward loading process really hinder it. And the lack of ambidextrous controls in a modern firearm is slightly disappointing, considering that it wouldn’t take much effort to make that happen with the current layout.
Ergonomics Firing: * * *
Locking up the bolt is tricky with longer shells and there’s no feedback from the gun when it’s in battery. With an 870 I can feel when the bolt locks, but not with this gun.
Customization: * * *
It comes in multiple paint schemes and the full-length rail on top lets you mount any optic you want. But the lack of any real aftermarket keeps the rating in this category low.
Overall Rating: * *
For the price, it doesn’t make sense. It’s a cool range toy and an interesting design, but the early reliability issues that have only mostly been solved and the cheap feel of the gun have me concerned. And when it would cost just as much to buy two good semi-autos, a pump gun doesn’t seem like a good investment.
Probably not anti-gun, it looks like saddleback leather may have participated.
IE:
http://www.youtube.com/user/saddlebackLeather
and:
http://sdlbk.com/sundance
Enjoyed the aliens references, I was yelling nuke it from orbit at the start of the article, its the only way to be sure :D. So far, ive heard few good things about these newfangled fancy double tube shotguns. Guess ill stick with my remingtons until a workin mans space age shotgun comes around.
How can you tell what Gen you have – other that the light/laser? And will the Factory refurb/update an older one ?
Good luck with the upgrades, same group of people are the middle man for imported Huglu shotguns, they been improving junk huglus for all the years that CZ own the product line, and its nothing but salesman be for all the years, they famous saying is: “its not that bad, it can be worst”, or they gilt trip you, truth is this people don’t understand how a pencil works they specialize in talking, they have hands in anti gun politicians pockets and all marketing connections and they don’t care about what they sell because they know there are enough people there that even small group of curious customers that will try this junk is enough money for them. Two years on market and they claim 13000 it’s junk sold, that is like a small little town in USA, but for them is enough, 1200$ a piece – you do the mathematics!
Re•vol•ver.
Addressing the concerns of concealed carry enthusiasts since the 1800s:
Q: Do I have a round in the chamber?
A: Ummm…. yeah.
Q: Is the safety disengaged?
A: What’s the eff is a safety?
Q: What if: I’m shooting from an akward position; the BG grabs my gun; I have to shoot from a pocket; I limp wrist it; my barrel bushing is too tight; won’t this cause a malfunction?
A: Nope.
Q: What do I do if there is a malfunction (ammo related)?
A: Pull the trigger, reaquire sight picture, repeat.
Q: Is this gun chambered in a caliber sufficient for social work?
A: .357, .41, .44, .454, .480… you get the picture.
Assuming that they could be made to work, either this or the KSG would be so much cooler in semi auto.
What if a well respected company jumped on the bandwagon? Or do you believe that the reliability issues are inherent to the concept?
You can’t go wrong buying this Sig 516. Trigger is just fine. It’s an incredible rifle.
You know you’re a gun nut when you have three editions of “Cartridges of the World”.
And read them.
No, thanks.
Please excuse my bluntness in addressing this person who has chosen to go public with her anti-gun stupidity:
“And she did everything in her power to protect those children from harm.”
1. Did not protect children from murder. FAIL.
2. Did not protect staff. FAIL.
3. Got killed. FAIL.
Did I miss anything?
I think we can hate Piers because he’s a douche bag. The rest of that stuff is just bonus.
For now I’m just going to stick with my Peltor electronic muffs. They stay on my head no matter how much running and moving I’m doing with them on, do a nice job keeping out the super loud while letting in and amplifying speech. I find them enormously useful on the range and in training sessions where I’m trying to hear the instructor’s commands over the sound of AR fire, etc.
Maybe orgs like the NRA, GOA, and SAF that have big memberships, a lot of reach, and legal and political clout, should be taking a more boots-on-the-ground approach to things.
There have been a lot of people making themselves heard, but from what I’ve seen the overall response has been spread out and diluted. The anti-gun industry is just that: a highly organized industry with very effective PR machinery. But that’s all they have — a few monomaniacal people at the top pushing masses of low-information people who aren’t that dedicated.
If our side had the organization and PR polish at the top to match the passion that tens of millions of gun owners have for their rights, we could forever shatter the myth that gun rights are only something pushed by the mysterious “gun lobby.”
Of course there’s the inconvenient fact that gun owners tend to be stubborn, independent, and suspicious creatures…makes it kind of hard to fill the bandwagon.
wouldn’t it be ironic if Piers last day on CNN was on Dec. 13th ?
Why have you taken reliability out of the summary rating?
I say save the money and buy something that would piss Piers Moron off even more.
9mm, .45, or 5.56?
Blonde, beautiful and brain-dead. How stereotypical.
And is part of our safety attitude about firearms a self defense mechanism? It seems as though there are lawyers lurking behind every bush. We are a lawsuit happy nation and this leads those of us with somwething to lose to adopt a cautious approach.
I think it has to do with what psychologists are coming to call the “risk thermostat” model. Namely, we all have a certain level of risk we’re willing to tolerate, and almost certainly culture and childhood environment have a role to play in how high that thermostat is set.
If you grow up in a society with higher rates of violent crime (as is almost universally the case in developing countries), where going hungry is a very real possibility, where in short you are subject to any number of elevated risks for an untimely death, a higher level of risk is just going to seem normal to you. This applies to everything from firearm safety to carrying 16 people in the back of a pickup truck at highway speeds.
For $1200 I could get what, 3 Mossberg 590A1s? Arm a couple buddies when the SHTF and be confident in their battlefield proven performance?
The Knob Creek show is like the Super Bowl for gun owners. No matter how cool the video looks, actually being there is much more impressive. I would say go in October, the weather should be drier than April. The parking lot becomes a swamp after a rain. If you want to shoot some “real” weapons, bring money and come early. Do not leave before the Night Shoot. It is glorious.
Whaddya’ mean, the tape is Gone? GONE?!?
Jeez Robert, he bogart’ed your tape, bro.
When are you going to review the SRM shotgun?
Agreed that Americans “relatively speaking” are better with gun safety (always an exception to the rule and we all know of one). I first learned this in College when I was at Mizzou (Tigers #14 in the Nation!) and went trap shooting in beautiful Columbia, MO. with guys from all over the world (Russia, UK, Serbia, UAE, Kenya) all of which would naively and routinely sweep me with their respective shotguns. The thought of having 12G pointed in my direction was nauseating and I advised them of such.
Why Does America Have Better Gun Safety Than the Developing World?
Because in the developing world, life is cheap so nobody gives a damn.
Went many years ago. It was a blast! Shot some rattle guns on the rental range. Watched and listened to the big shoot several times over the weekend. Saturday night it got crowded. Long walk from parking lot fo range. Impossible to see whats going on at night unless you go early and get a seat on the bleachers. I got a video taping pass that let me have access to the firing line. Not sure they do any of this anymore. A little girl got killed there some years ago when a tripod mtd gun fellover on her. She should not have been on the firing line in the first place. Traggic all the way around.
My only advice is pay attention when driving through princeton the self entitled douches there are so busy smelling their own farts they won’t hesitate to walk right into traffic. Yes I know not everyone is like that in princeton.
Sure. It also looks like a hanging steel target.
I feel threatened
If the citizens of Cleveland want the police shooting up their unarmed fellow citizen, I say “good on ya”. It is, no doubt, what they deserve.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogGBPVk5GQk
Subconscious projection of their own innate, insatiable lust for violence.
I’m a .45 guy and I kinda hate to say this but I’ll take the Kahr and fling the double tap at em as I reload the Kahr.
Mo’ rails is not necessarily mo’ betta. but i could maybe be enticed if they included wing tips and an epic mustache.
Sniper what do you see? a banana tree, I shoot for food. Not climbing anymore trees.
H&R 10 gauge with 18″ barrel?
The problem is economics, but the driving force is cultural.
A culture that prizes athletic ability above education, a culture that says it’s just fine for men to knock up a dozen women and move on, a culture that says it’s fine to use and deal drugs, a culture that will not take responsibility for its own failures but seeks instead to blame everything on anybody else — that culture is on a death spiral. Economic disadvantage and crime follow like night follows day.
Media still doesn’t bother mentioning that he was confronted by armed SRO. Every single radio & TV report I’ve heard just says he was “confronted by police.”
Hmmm, black people don’t want to give up the guns they bought illegally, but want to take guns away from white people who purchased their guns legally. Sounds like black people have a plan to start killing disarmed white people. The fact that they claimed the NRA wants to hunt black people and are neo-Confederates, certainly suggests their intentions are violently inclined.
Dang, listen to all you haters. All this complaining especially about the price. Look if u got the money how could u not own this. I got mine for 1050 2 weeks ago. Took it to my cousins house and shot the heck out of it. No issues. Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom. 15 booms. Now dont tell i wasnt grinning from ear to ear
I traded for one of these a while ago. I shoot it all the time and have no issues with seating slugs, no issues with feeding or ejecting. The funny thing is i mainly got it for trap shooting and its awesome at that too. It hasnt let me down with hundreds of rounds through it and is the only shotgun i need because it works and it works great,
mine is a gen 2
Purchased a month ago have had the chance to get on the range let. I will surely give you feedback.
Good luck with the upgrades, same group of people are the middle man for imported Huglu shotguns, they been improving junk huglus for all the years that CZ own the product line, and its nothing but salesman be for all the years, they famous saying is: “its not that bad, it can be worst”, or they gilt trip you, truth is this people don’t understand how a pencil works they specialize in talking, they have hands in anti gun politicians pockets and all marketing connections and they don’t care about what they sell because they know there are enough people there that even small group of curious customers that will try this junk is enough money for them. Two years on market and they claim 13000 it’s junk sold, that is like a small little town in USA, but for them is enough, 1200$ a piece – you do the mathematics!
Before you buy this master piece designed by talker salesman’s/junk sellers: why by twisting forearm and the bbl bottom sub frame made out of flimzy composite the shooter can change point of impact from left to right? Why by doing the same bolt opens easy or jams and don’t open at all? Why they say that gun is easy and quick to load while they show that: 1. Open the door, 2. Push follower, 3. Insert shells, 4. Close the door and repeat this quick loading procedure with the second tube!, why my scope can move all around while its solidly mounted to a solid flimsy composite top rail that its all wavey as its assembly bolts pulled it down? Hope scope will fly out in my eye! How much do scrap plastic pay now days? My advise: don’t buy junk from Des Plaines IL, don’t support junk makers and importers!
this is the absolute worst shotgun and cheapest made shotgun I have purchased. I kept the shotgun in box for over a year and wanted to preserve the gun. I then decided to carry the weapon as I work with a sheriff’s department and was not provided with a shotgun. I then took the weapon to qualify and the very first time I attempted to rack a shell the selector switch, the selector switch spring, and several other pieces fell out of the weapon and onto the ground rendering the shotgun useless. The company then stated it was out of warranty and sent me a ridiculous estimate to fix a gun the was defective and worthless. Never again will I own another one of their products in any capacity
For those of you who are interested, the new gen 3’s have a metal picatinny rail on top and metal selector switch. That is an easy way to tell if it’s a gen 3 without stressing too much.
Well long after posting my original (positive) review, and after countless boxes of everything I could feed her, I got my (gen 1) to malfunction.
It developed a feed timing issue and the selector switch broke. Note that the latter problem wouldn’t have rendered the gun inoperable in combat, but the first woukdve been a serious problem and not field reparable.
Called UTAS and was blown away by the service. Got a human (‘Merican no less) on the phone first try, he emailed me a shipping slip, and two weeks later I had a fully current generation model. Bought mine a long while back, early first batch, so I’m surprised that anyone was denied the no cost repair and virtually no-cost upgrades (like $75 for parts).
Still loving the gun, compact size, light weight, maneuverability and capacity, ergonomics… The only improvement I’d really cry for is a semi auto version.
And it just so happens that a little bird told me that they are working on exactly that! And that they’d be making it CA legal, like the first.
Y’all can deride composite materials and bull pup designs all you want, I’m all about well engineered instruments that innovate. All the crap people talked about the ‘plastic’ Glock, same deal.
Yes, the first release of the gun had a couple points that were less than perfect, but I beat the he’ll out of it before anything went wrong, so it’s hardly like they rushed a known defective product out the door. And better still, they not only stood behind their product, they went beyond my usual customer service experience making everything more than right.
Still a big fan of the UTS-15, and loving the new accessories they’ve put out for it. Trust reviews from people who own one, not from people rehashing other (negative) reviews. Modern design firearms are always going to be derided, it’s the nature of the community. I’m loving mine, as well as my Tavor. Also lots of plastic. Also a bull pup. But fantastic!
Skeeter
Perfectly composed content material, appreciate it for selective information. “The earth was made round so we would not see too far down the road.” by Karen Blixen.
TODAY IS THE 11TH. OF NOVEMBER,
BOUGHT THE GUN TWO DAYS AGO, SO FAR HAVE PUT 4 BOXWS OF SHELLS THROUGH IT ( NO PROBLEMS ) I THINK IT IS ALL AMO RELATED.
EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE A BAD ASS AND USE 3″ SHELLS.
THATS WHAT CAUSES PROBLEMS.
TELL ME THE TRUTH IF YOU HAVE A GUY 20′ AWAY FROM YOU I THINK 2 3/4″ WILL TAKE CARE OF IT.
I AM EXTREMLEY PLEASED.
I bought a first gen 12 gauge around September 2020,used from a local pawn shop. Reading about possible problems with the gun, dismantled it to find the “gear box” housing was cracked badly. I contacted the company, and they said they could replace the bad part with a metal replacement, and to send the gun to them, which I did. That was seven months ago! During one of my calls inquiring about the repair status, I was told that the “gear box” fix wouldn’t really be the correct fix, and that a complete rebuild to current gen status would be required. I’m still waiting for the parts to be obtained by the repair people. Still waiting!