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.
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.
Home intruders mostly come at night, mostly.
Mostly.
What, you put her in charge???
How can you tell what Gen you have – other that the light/laser? And will the Factory refurb/update an older one ?
Hey ! Gen 2 serial numbers start at 70000 lazer has nothing to do with it ! UTAS will upgrade your unit for 79 bucks ! Hope this was helpful !
Hoot
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!
When I saw these before I thought they looked pretty cool, but now that I see someone holding it the design just seems over-large and needlessly bulky. Odd because for whatever problems the Kel-Tec may have, it managed a fairly compact design.
I really want to like this gun, but the reliability issues (in a pump gun?!) and the price make it a complete non-starter.
They look like something you’d see in the Halo series.
I always thought the shotgun in Halo looked like an impractical piece of junk.
Oh…I see what you did there…
Really? I rather liked their idea of a top-loading shotgun.
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?
they hardly work as pump shotguns. it will be a while before we see a decent semi auto with 14+ rd capacity shotgun in this configuration.
Along the Aliens side of things, that front view looks a bit like the bow of the Sulaco, the ship from Aliens…
The front view looks more like the main gate at Auschwitz/Birkenau to me, and I hope to anyone who placed himself in the unfortunate position where I have mine pointed.
I want…
Would probably mount it on a wall in a case and keep my 870 for HD, but I still want.
No, thanks.
Seems kinda interesting, but I probably wouldn’t rely on it for defense. I keep wanting to buy a bullpup gun, because I like the idea of it. However, “bullpup” seems to be industry code for “let’s charge and extra $500 or so more”. So no pups for me 🙁
I’ve seen this thing totally trashed in reviews various places.
I’d wave off of this one.
“There’s no doubt that this is a nifty gun, but it’s not $1,200 worth of nift.”
How can you say that about a gun that’s so damn cool it has a smackdown ramp to feed shells into the chamber? It’s nifter than a lifter.
Why is this thing HUGE?
Seriously – It looks like two pistol-grip shotguns live inside of this thing.
I’m not a shot-gunner so this is a non-starter for me. I would just stick to the regular ones though. It seems like these bull-pup shotguns have a lot of ergonomics issues that move them into the P.I.T.A. territory. Also I’m a lefty so that’s a point deducted as well.
It’s a 1200 buck shotgun that’s intended for self defense/combat that doesn’t work smoothly and is dificult to top off the mags. I got a general purpose mossberg with a hunting and defense barrel for less than 250 and I got a maverick 88 for a little less than that.
That would leave me with roughly 800 bucks to the good to go and buy something else. I need a Utas/KSG why?
Agreed…
KISS – keep it simple stupid
UTAS:
Unlikely To Act Smoothly
KSG:
Krappy Stupid Gun
For the same reason I *need* a big single/twin turbo 1500+whp Lambo, Vette, Or Supra. I don’t. But damnit, I still *want* one.
Or, more appropo for the site, you need one of these for the same reason you need an AR. Or a can. Or an SBR or SBS.
Nutnfancy gave this thing a giant NO. After watching all the failures and jams and other problems he and FPSrussia had with it (FPS went through 3 of them in one video) I don’t see how this can be a LE shotgun with such a string of problems. Go with the Kel-Tec KSG.
How about lets NOT go with the KSG….have you seen MilitaryArms channel review…not good!!!
No KSG either.
Stick to single tube designs that actually work. Spend the same amount of money as these monstrosities and get it in semi-auto (Benelli), or spend a fraction of the cost for a pump action.
Yours actually functioned for more than 2 rounds?
WOW! WOW! WOW!
Major improvement!
PS
I don’t buy anything but fuel from that part of the world
Sir, do you know where Turkey is? No googling thst is cheating.
Are you asking because you don’t know where it is, and don’t know how to google??? It’s north of Iraq/Syria/Lebanon areas, and was established as such after the Terkman (sp?) dynasty. Is a NATO member. That help?? 🙂
I believe you are looking for the “Ottoman” dynasty.
ah. bigotry. a sure sign that neanderthal and cro-magnon genes still subsist in modern bloodlines.
Ok. I’ll bite. What do you buy from that area of the world besides oil?
Why have you taken reliability out of the summary rating?
If it takes more than 14 rounds of buckshot or slugs to handle a home invasion you’re FUBAR’d anyway. But yikes, feeding issues on a 1200 dollar pump gun?!
Well it took more than a hundred years, but I think we humans have finally found a way to make pump guns unreliable again.
Hilarious… And quite true.
“Anyway, the mechanism works and the rounds find their way into the chamber somehow.”
This made me laugh.
I would much rather do a New York reload with a pair of 930s. Just as a test I loaded mine up with 7 different shells, from light game to 3″ magnum slug and it did not even hiccup.
When is someone going to design and manufacture a shottie that is reliable and has a decent capacity. The AA12 would be perfect, if the designer would break his military only rule and sell a semi-auto version. Drum or magazine fed are the most efficient ways of reloading a shotgun. this side by side tubes crap is not the way to go.
I agree that the aa12 works. i had a chance to check one out at a rental range in Utah. But it’s a beast. And those ammo drums are quite a burden to carry. Maybe aa12 gen 5 will have it down pat.
Well, I’ll see how it handles in the next cawadoodie and go from there. Still want an Mts255 though…
For $1200 I could get what, 3 Mossberg 590A1s? Arm a couple buddies when the SHTF and be confident in their battlefield proven performance?
Firearms are a lot like condoms. {Insert your failure-to-eject, failure-to-fire, rapid fire, slam fire, or single shot joke here} Yes, they can be an integral part of a really fun time; but you also place a lot of trust, perhaps even your life, in their safe and reliable operation. Toward that end, the more of a silly, cutesy novelty either one is, the more likely it is to put you in a bad spot. Let them keep their Turkish shotties and French ticklers, I say. I’m a Mossberg and Trojan man.
I really love the design because I am paraplegic. Conventional shotguns are too long and I don’t want a pistol grip shotgun, the KSG ejects straight down so that is a no go when you’re seated.
It seems like this is a good gun as long as you have the right ammo. I know when Hickok45 on Youtube reviewed it he was running slugs no problem, so it must be an ammo sensitive design. That isn’t really surprising given that shotgun shells have such variance in length. The design would almost be more suited to a proprietary shell.
As it stands it is pricey, but innovative and I would definitely like to get one.
When are you going to review the SRM shotgun?
That’s got to be one of the ugliest firearms of all time.
That is the ugliest POS ever to be called a firearm. And, it doesn’t work to boot. FAIL
Doesn’t the import ban prohibit importing a shotgun with a capacity greater than 5 rounds? How does UTAS get around this?
I believe it is made in Illinois and just a few parts are imported from Turkey.
My Remington 870 works first time, every time, with every load out there. If I need more than six I’m breaking out the AR for lots of little holes or the Garand for long range fun. I wouldn’t pay $1200 – hey I wouldn’t go $2.00 – for a defense weapon that isn’t reliable. And its ugly too!
After seeing Nutnfancy struggle with this sh!tpiece for 20+ minutes and not even getting it to run right there’s no way I’d consider this over a tried and true design. Even the KSG for all its faults is more or less a functioning firearm. This is a $1200 Hasbro toy.
for 1200 you can get a VEPR or saiga with a folding stock that will eat 10 of those guns for lunch.
I need a high capacity shotgun but for some reason will not use a drum or mag fed gun. . . it doesn’t need to be ergonomic, reliable or affordable, I’ll never top it off and always fire at least one tube empty before reloading, who the heck am I?
Double tube guns are a novelty item meant more for mall ninjas than to address any inherent problem with existing designs. I can’t imagine getting through the 8+1 capacity on my M590, let alone getting through it while ‘feeding the puppy’ throughout an action. This seems like a (poor) attempt at a gear solution to what is rightly a training issue. Besides, if you really need a high cap shotgun, dead on reliable mag and drum fed designs have been around a long time.
That thing is absolutely useless in every way and it cost about 4 times a much as a decent HD pump gun.
Bring it back when it’s reliable as any other pump gun AND it’s semi auto. Then we’ll talk about it being a weapon rather than a folly.
What about just buying a pair of ithaca 37s? Weld them together (make one side on Each receiver a bit thinmer so they mate better). Make a custom stock for it and you would have something unwieldy BUT reliable and lightweight (relatively speaking).
Don’t forget a chainsaw foregrip so you can rack both at the same time. ithaca briefly made the Road Blocker pump in 10 ga. 2 of those would be my choice if we were trying to make it impracticle and useless all in one.
I dunno, bullpups are in nowadays but has anyone tried to upgrade a proven platform (870) to have two tubes. Further, a bullpup shotty that has a 7 or 8 round capacity is fine by me.
These jokers are trying to be too high-speed for their own good!
Is an extra tube mag needed on these pump and semi auto shotguns we’re already using? Probably the easiest gun to keep topped off is the tubed mag shotgun with the tube in the traditional lower position.
John Moses Browning’s ghost is facepalming
While I’ve seen all sorts of YouTube reviews and read plenty of forums, I’ll speak to my own experiences, as I actually own this gun.
Yes it’s big and ugly. There’s no changing that. It’s it’s a hell of a lot of fire power in a compact (yeah it’s big, but in terms of length, it’s definitely compact due to it’s bullpup design). Does it work?
Yes. I cannot speak for other users, though some of the video reviews show short shucks. It works for me and other uses of my gun, unless I short shuck (causes failure to extract and thus feed the next round). I’ve never had any other issue, slugs included. I’ve shot 200+ rounds of 2.75″ buckshot and 50 or so slugs of similar size. Mine wasn’t among the first produced, but it’s not a “gen 2” (their enhancements are more continuous than implied by generations). It’s accurate, recoil is rather well controlled, and it’s fun to shoot. $1000-1200 fun, well it’s hard to say, but obviously I said yes, though it’s easy to see how other options are better for others.
As for the issues, they are real (again not for me), and while many can be attributed to a temperamental gun that needs strong pump action and users not giving that, others are likely more complicated. Numerous other owners (not YouTube gurus) have had issues quickly and permanently fixed via UTAS. Is buying a gun that may need TLC to work a good idea, in many cases no, but I’ve had more trouble with many 1911s and AR15s than I ever had with this gun.
Anyway, that’s my two cents.
I have had one for a year now and it was a 1st Gen. It worked fine until the mag select screw broke off. I called and they had it picked up by Ups and paid for it. I had it back in 5 days with updated magnesium block and larger screw. I then had the rail warp so I called them and they sent ups again. I got it back in 6 days with magnesium rail and for some reason they also replaced the barrel. They also replaced one magazine cover. I had scratched really bad. All for 36 bucks. It only jams if short strocked. It requires a slam in both directions. If you do and it has shells in it ,it will go bang and on target. These naysayers need to know from personal experience about products before making negative comments.
Seriously, I’ve never seen reviews so divergent from my ownership experience. I have a 870, a Benelli m3, and one of these (Aparently the 2nd generation). A few points:
1. It is NOT big. Minuscule and featherweight compared to even the Benelli.
2. I haven’t had a single mis-feed AT ALL, after hundreds of 2 3/4 and 3″ shells of all varieties, buck to bird to slug.
3. The thing is extremely easy to load IMO. Topping off, if ever called for, is NOT rocket science and I manage even practicing in the dark.
4. I find it stunningly good looking in a sci-fi kind of way. To each his own, but range freaks and non shooters give it tons of positive attention.
5. Disassembly, cleaning, etc. is virtually as simple as my Remington. And I’ve owned the 870 forever, so with more time I’m betting the UTS will be even more intuitive as time goes by.
6. Don’t underestimate the advantages of FIFTEEN freeing rounds of 12 gauge. Feels like an absurd amount of shooting.
7. No, this thing handles NOTHING like a ‘regular’ shotgun. Ultra lightweight but overbuilt where it counts, it handles quick and well balanced. Absurd to talk about welding together two guns as an equivalent, this thing makes my Benelli feel like a crowbar.
Not sure why people have such animosity on the UTS. Money, at this scale, isn’t the biggest deal for me. Feels like good value for the price to me. It has moved to the front of the line long gun for home defence. Not many superior 12 gauges that are CA legal and have this much going for it.
If it ever gives me trouble at the range, jams, etc., I’ll say so. But up to now she’s been 100% reliable. And the ergonomics, despite what I read, are excellent. I know new and unfamiliar isn’t always comfortable. But all the naysaying hasn’t been reflected in my experience. Sometimes new is good…
Skeeter
Thanks for the detailed comment.
You can see another detailed review at this link:
http://www.gunsumerreports.com/review_utas_uts-15_p1.php
I picked one up over a year ago and shoot it every few weeks or so, few hundred shells thru it with no big problems. They had upgraded the mag tube selector switch and screw since I bought it and had swapped it out for me no charge, so that was nice. I like things that are different that’s why I picked one up when it first came out. Have a bunch other 12ga for back up too.
I think many just want to dish on this or any new design gun. YES, it is a very modern design, some like it some don’t. Then again I here this same thing every time a new gun, car, door, house, toaster is produced. Stay with the old proven desing…It worked for my daddy, so it most have been good. Yes, Yes, yes… Well, they said the same when the M16 came out, when the automatic pistol replaced the revolver, when the Army had the .45 auto, everyone wanted the 9mm, then when they moved to the 9mm, then everyone wanted the .45 back?? Some fear change, some don’t. Don’t talk to me about cost. Every rifle, pistol or gun cost money, nothing is for free or cheap . If you don’t want to spend your money on this gun, then fine…but don’t tell me or anyone else what to buy, what to pay or what to like. Is $1200 cheap, no..is it expensive no. I’ve bought many rifles that cost 3-4 times that amount, and when we fire them it’s $4-$6 dollars a hit…That might also be considered expensive, I think so, but other do not. This thing is cheap to operate, I can burn a 100 rounds up, for about 25-30 bucks. The same amount of 338Lupa would be 4-600, same with 50 cal. Yes, some of these guns work just fine. I do believe there is a bunch, maybe the first generation that had many problems, but my works great. It shoots fast, smooth and fun. Yes, you can easily short stroke the thing, but you get the hang of it pretty quick, just a more deliberate back and forth motion, then some other pump shotguns. I paid 999.00, and I happy, you might not like it, but it does everything I need it to do.
Right on Dave. Owners reviews and opinions seem to diverge wildly from armchair critics or reviewers shooting a defective gun and not following up with the v2 improvements and tight quality control.
Yes, some fields are not like technology, which embraces the new and novel. Gun culture tends to be conservative. Witness the lack of numerous obvious innovations: Electric actuated triggers that can be adjusted infinitely and will be far more durable than mechanical triggers, increased use of graphite, carbon fiber type materials, intelligent scopes with built in processors, gyroscopic stabilization, etc.
All will be met with resistance and doubts, but eventually people will come around; what works will endure despite a culture of conservative design.
Still loving my UTS 15. Continued flawless function, I continue to be amazed at how simple the gun really is fundamentally.
Peace,
Skeeter
What’s modern, O that it’s a junk and it’s it’s selling thanks to a connections on market and that it comes with great replacement plan.
Negative commenters: it’d be helpful and informative if you would let us know whether you actually have any experience with this gun.
Do you own one? Have you fired a buddy’s? Are you going based strictly off of video reviews and what other people are saying?
I find a wide gulf between people who are knocking it out of principle/design philosophy/price, and the reviews of _owners_, especially gen2 models.
In the many months since my first review, I have put hundreds and hundreds more rounds through it, in all varieties. 3 inch slugs to two and three-quarter buckshot, with no malfunctions.
It’s every bit as reliable as my Remington 870, or my Benelli M3. Clearing jammed rounds, were they to occur, couldn’t be simpler and the gun is far easier to clear than any other shotgun I’ve seen or handled. I’ve had no reason to doubt the durability of the composite parts, this sounds like more complaints from people who haven’t owned one, just like when the Glock first came out…
Show me some photographs of a broken part and I’ll perhaps change my opinion, but so far it seems like naysayers more than real owners with bad experiences.
For what it’s worth the flashlight laser combo that can be integrated into the pump does not distinguish first and second generation models. The units can be retrofitted to first-generation models as well as installed on second-generation models.
Great shotgun for what it’s meant for, I love mine and am continually surprised at how simple the design is and how easy it is to clean.
Skeeter
I own one of these and mine works fine. I am adding the laser at this time. I saw one of these in Turkey where the Army and Police use it. I tried the KSG and it works and is more compact then the UTAS. The KSG is heavy which could have some advantages…if you want to use it as a club. The UTAS has a higher percentage of polymer (non-metallic) elements. This gun has some delightful ergonomic advantages besides the higher capacity. In confined space or limited line of sight situations, it is faster to acquire a target. The drum designs I have tried have one glaring problem…the drum hangs up on things like brush and obstacles especially while you are moving and focused on the objective you are targeting. I agree with Skeeter and Dave. I consider this and the KSG as “speciality application” weapons. It is not a “Swiss Army Knife”. I own several shotguns. They each have application specific advantages.
What are the UPGRADES on the G2 and can the G1 be retro fitted ??? Looking at buying one this week at the local gun shop ! I think it might be a G1 as it does not have the light installed in the pump action !! Any ideas ??
I came across a review of this shotgun in American Rifleman. They made it sound like the best thing since sliced bread. So I went out looking for other reviews and ended up here. What I get from this article is that it is a very improved version from their gen-1 model, but still not ready for prime time. I had no idea of the price until I read this article and the comments that followed.
I think for the price that I would be better off getting a second Maverick 88 and a sling if I want to double my magazine capacity.
My UTS gen 2? Has no laser or light, but runs like a top. I have not once experienced any FTF issues, however, I have not tried 3 inch shells. We shoot birdshot all day long on the weekends and this is a fun, very very light , short and handy weapon. FYI, if you try to install any standard AR grip, only ones without the rounded web of your hand extension will fit.
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!
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