If I say IWI, what do you picture? Most of us probably picture the Tavor or maybe the affordable and outstanding Zion 15. If you’re a classy type, it’s all about the Jericho. IWI makes a shotgun, the TS-12, but that’s not what they are known for. When I heard that IWI was producing a 12-gauge, semi-auto firearm in the same vein as the Shockwave and TAC-14, I was utterly shocked. It’s called the Mafteah.
As Hector and Jeremy of IWI explained during our recent Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous, Mafteah means Key in Hebrew. I appreciate the cleverness. It’s often a joke that shotguns are master keys, so Mafteah makes sense for a micro-sized semi-auto 12-gauge firearm. The IWI Mafteah isn’t just a firearm; IWI plans to create an entire series of shotguns, including tactical guns, bird guns, and beyond. The Mafteah is just kicking the whole thing off.
The Mafteah is an inertia-driven shotgun, the first inertia-driven 12-gauge firearm. The benefits of an inertia gun include being a lighter gun with a much thinner forend. When you’re aiming to make a weapon small, you’re usually aiming to make it lightweight as well. The Mafteah provides a light and ergonomic platform.
Like other 12-gauge firearms, this gun features a shorter-than-average barrel. I couldn’t get an exact measurement on the range, but it’s in the 14-inch realm. The rear of the gun features a longer, more horizontal grip to get it over the magical, non-concealable 26-inch overall length measurement.
Inside the Mafteah
The Mafteah uses a unique rear grip. It’s a fair bit straighter and thinner than other designs, but quite comfortable in hand. When firing, there is no recoil hitting your wrist. It’s all going upward rather than rearward. This makes it quite comfortable to fire and easy to control. It’s pain-free.
The challenge comes in controlling the upward recoil. That’s the same challenge all of these shorties have. The Mafteah has the benefit of a slim-forward grip that’s surprisingly long. You get a ton of grip texture and a retaining strap to ensure your hand stays put. It forms a very ergonomic front end that makes it easy to lock your hand down on the gun.
What blew my mind is that the Mafteah has a feature I’ve always wanted but never seen on a semi-automatic shotgun. The charging handle can be swapped from the standard right-hand side to the left-hand side. For right-handed shooters, placing the charging handle on the left makes it easy to access without shifting your firing grip. This makes it easier to reload, deal with potential malfunctions, and more.
Additionally, the Mafteah is optics-ready, but in a way you wouldn’t expect. The removable slot features a mounting system compatible with the Glock MOS plates. This also makes it compatible with Holosun and C&H Precision optics that fit directly into the slot. The use of Glock MOS plates allows you to use a ton of different optics.
Shooting the Key
The Mafteah handles quite well. Its big forearm makes it easy to grab, and the rear grip is nice and long, which allows for a good grip. The gun cycles reliably and smoothly. It throws empty hulls like they insulted its mother. The Mafteah has excellent controls and solid ergonomics. You can aim and shoot the gun like a traditional shotgun, but you have to be a man about it.
Any pistol-grip-only 12-gauge can be a blast to shoot, literally and figuratively. It’s fast cycling, and the guys at the IWI station kept allowing me to shoot. While it’s no poodle shooter, the Mafteah’s semi-auto action makes shooting much softer than pump-action alternatives.
The Mafteah is a ton of fun to shoot rapidly, and the five-round tube makes it easy to shoot. The gun works like a charm, and I can’t wait for it to hit the market. Semi-auto pistol grip-only firearms have a ton of self-defense potential for fights. The softer recoil and faster firing action make them quite the defensive weapon.
The Mafteah should be out before summer starts, so prepare for that sweet semi-auto action.
