If the Turkish-made UTS-15 [above] is the world’s ugliest bullpup shotgun, it must be said that it achieved this dubious honor by beating two competitors. The first, the Neostead 2000, was built in the Republic of South Africa in limited quantities just after Y2K destroyed the world’s computer systems. The videogames Fallout and Mirror’s Edge featured the NeoStead 2000. According to mirrorsedge.wikia.com, it was not a great choice. “The structure is very heavy, causing the Faith to run slowly and jump very low (about 25% as high as jumping with no weapons equipped) which is a very bad disadvantage if she has low health, indicated by a darker gray screen, or has to run somewhere quickly . . .
When she’s holding this weapon, Faith can’t use any of her running skills (speed vault, climb, pole swing, etc.) except for sliding. It unfortunately only has enough ammo for 3 shots, but it does have a slightly better damage rating if only some of the shotgun blast hits the enemy so it is smart to get close to the enemy when holding the Neostead 2000.
Well that sucks. But at least the NeoStead 2000 has that sleek, streamlined Batman-meets-Volga-carburator steampunk look that was so fashionable at the turn of the century.
In contrast, the Kel-Tec KSG suffers from a pox of grip squares: the same sort of indentations that help distance Springfield’s XDs from the Glock’s Batman-meets-lead-ingot style.
The KSG is all picatinny rails and snout. Flip up the sights and it looks like Darth Vader’s five-dollar foot-long Subway sandwich with a hard-on. Well, two. Add an optic and the KSG looks like Darth Vader’s five-dollar foot-long Subway sandwich with two hard-ons imitating a python that ate a large mouse about two days ago.
And now this, the Turkish-made UTS-15. I’ll start by saying that it’s way cool that the shotgun’s made out of carbon fiber—a material famous for disintegrating to dust during high impacts. But the police and law enforcement officers for which the gun was copied—I mean “designed” will appreciate the light weight.
And don’t discount the UTS-15’s WTF factor; imagine a perp staring at a snout so ugly a feral pig wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole. The UTS-15 is so aesthetically-challenged the ATF doesn’t consider it sporting.
Saying that, creating a Barbie version of the plastic fantastic KSG simply requires removing the firing pin. Like most modern Turkish guns I’ve encountered, the UTS-15 looks like it’s got some heavy duty metal bits. Well, excluding that funny little hinged door hanging off the side. And I like what U.S. importer Hatfield Gun Company has done with the graphics (i.e. nothing).
Bottom line: in the not-entirely-crucial fugliness contest between the Neostead 2000, Kel-Tec KSG and UTS-15, the latter two tie for first. Both guns get nul points for style. But it you’re facing a bunch of bad guys in anything more spacious than a prison cell, well, it’s got to be the Saiga 12 doesn’t it? More rounds, more style, more velocity.
