I hit SHOT Show 2025 with open eyes and a mind wandering the halls for the scatterguns. Scatterguns, aka repeating claymores, aka shotguns, weren’t rare. There were plenty decorating the walls of the convention and I gathered my five favorite new shotguns here.
Ronin Tactical Genesis 12 Shotgun
The Genesis 12 premiered many SHOTs ago, and the company has evolved and made its way to the main floor of the Show. This year, they partnered with Tu Lam of Ronin Tactics to produce a special edition of the Genesis PDS, or Personal Defense Shotgun. This micro-sized gun has an ultra-short five-inch barrel. The Ronin Tactics model is designed to be paired with a Ventum 12K suppressor.
The Ronin tactics model is fit with Holosun’s new Digital Reflex Sight-Thermal for a combination of red dot performance with thermal capability. The Genesis 12 Ronin model features a custom finish that looks slick. The Ronin Tactical Genesis 12 puts the short in a short barrel shotgun.
For more information, please visit GenesisArms.com.
The Benelli M4 Gen 2
Benelli has not officially declared a Gen 2 for the Benelli, but what else do you call these new guns at SHOT? They are marked LE and MIL only, and that’s a mean tease. The new M4 addresses a lot of the problems I have with the platform. This includes the enlarged controls that are no longer ultra-small and dinky. The stock also has more than two positions and deploys straight back rather than needing a twist.
Up front, the stock gets an M-LOK handguard that’s set up for a red dot. With a Steiner MPS, the red dot co-witnesses with the iron sights. The M4 Gen 2 looks to be the cure to my problems with the original M4, but it doesn’t seem like Benelli is keen to sell them to the average Joe.
For more information, please visit BenelliUSA.com.
The Bronco Spas 12
The Spas 12 is back! Kind of. It’s being produced by a Turkish company called Bronco. The Spas 12 was a famed shotgun from Franchi. It was always a piece of crap, but it looked cool enough to become famous in movies, TV, and video games. It’s cool, and I want one, and now maybe I can own one at an affordable price point.
This new Spas 12 is convertible from semi-auto to pump, it has the folding stock and arm hook and is apparently compatible with most Spas 12 parts. The gun has some slight differences from the original, and I couldn’t take it off the wall and handle it. But I have high hopes a cheap Spas 12 shotgun clone will be available so I can LARP as Muldoon from Jurassic Park.
For more information, please visit BroncoArms.com.
Mossberg 590RM
Mossberg threw a ton of shotguns on the wall at SHOT this year. I could make an article entirely about Mossberg. If I had to pick one that stood out to me, it had to be the 590RM. The new R series uses an AR-like safety mounted on the receiver. This is easier to use with the pistol grip and is easily accessible with the AR-style stock mounted to the gun. It also positions the shotgun to be more in line with your shoulder for less recoil.
The M series combines the new safety with a magazine. Magazine-fed shotguns usually suck, but the M series has proven to be very capable and reliable. Mossberg’s magazine-fed shotguns tend to be more ergonomic with pistol grips, so this is a winning combination. With magazines that hold up to 20 rounds, the 590RM provides lots of firepower in a big package.
For more information, please visit Mossberg.com.
Palmetto State Armory 570SA
Palmetto State Armory announced the 570 last year as the combination of the 870 and 500 with input from pros like Steve Fisher. This year, they’ve introduced the 570SA, the semi-auto variant. This gun will use the same receiver as the 570, making it modular. The gas-operated gun also uses the forend to press the charging handle rearward, a bit like a pump.
The gun will use 870 stocks, is optics-ready, and uses the Mossberg 500 series safety. It felt light, looked innovative, and will be produced in a manner that allows the end user to create the shotgun they want from the ground up. PSA plans to bring the “you build it” attitude to the shotgun world.
For more information, please visit PalmettoStateArmory.com.
Shotguns, Shotguns, Shotguns
I’m a big shotgun fan, and this year’s SHOT Show did not disappoint. There were plenty of repeating claymores hanging up on the walls of the convention center, and likely plenty I missed. These were my five favorites and just maybe I can get my hands on a few to test and review this year.
