One universal truth I think we can all agree on is that…shotguns are just plain fun.
Doesn’t matter the make or model. Nine times out of 10, you’re going to have a great day blasting away at the range with a shotgun.
And today, we’re taking a look at a very affordable, Turkish semi-auto model from Omega Arms.
Of course, I’m talking about the 12-gauge Omega Arms AR12.
With a street price sitting at around $399 right now, is this wallet-friendly shottie a contender?
Well, I took it for a test spin to find out. Keep reading as we dive into this platform a little more, and I give you my full range report.
If you prefer seeing things in action, check out my full video review below.
As always, hop on over to Pew Pew Tactical on YouTube to see more gun shenanigans and reviews.
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Omega AR12: Whose It For?
Before we just jump right in, let’s address the elephant in the room…
Yeah, this shotgun looks sorta mall ninja-ish. And this is by no means a serious tactical shotgun outfitted for home defense or trench warfare. It’s just not.
What it is, though, is a fun shotgun – which we’ll get into later.
But I want to be upfront about it so all you super serious shotgun guys don’t yell at me in the comments.
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So, with that out of the way, who is this gun for?
This 12-gauge semi-auto shotgun is perfect for folks who like to shoot pumpkins in the fall or blow holes in pizza boxes.
In short, anyone who just wants a Sunday fun day at the range.
Specs & Features
As far as specs, it’s sort of tough to find specifics as the Omega Arms website isn’t exactly forthcoming with data…but here’s what I know.
You get a choice of barrel lengths — 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, or 29-inches – and a 5+1 or 10+1 capacity (depending on mag).
Aside from that, it comes outfitted with plastic, lots of plastic.
Starting near the front is what I think is a fake suppressor. Or maybe a barrel shroud?
But to be honest, I don’t know what’s going on. (Which is kind of a theme with this gun…but more on that in a minute.)
Continuing down the shotgun, the rail offers plenty of space for adding lights or lasers.
So feel free to upgrade this bad boy as much as you want. Honestly, I like when I can customize, so I appreciate this feature.
The flat-top rail obviously didn’t ship with sights installed, but I dug around and found some plastic sights in the box.
Using a Fix-It Stick toolset (great to have on hand, by the way), I popped the sights on pretty easily.
The handguard sports an all-plastic design complete with…fake Keymod. Yeah, I’m as perplexed as y’all on that one.
Though I can’t really explain the fake Keymod, I can say the trigger feels pretty solid with no uptake. It breaks okay, and the reset is clear.
The AR12’s stock is huge and…you guessed it…polymer. But it does sport a cheek riser which is sort of cool.
Ergonomics are actually pretty good.
It offers a side charging handle and magazine release like you’d find on just about any semi-auto long gun profile.
Controls feel familiar and are placed where’d you expect them, so no surprises there – hassle-free on day one.
I think the grip feels all right, while the angled grip upfront feels great!
As far as aesthetics, the Omega logo comes painted or silk-screened in white, and a big AR12 is plastered on the side.
We assume the AR12 is in reference to Armalite’s AR-12 – also a shotgun. (You can read more about that here.)
It comes with a hard-shell plastic box and lots of goodies, including a cleaning kit, oil, sights, and a sling. All you gotta supply is ammo, and you’re ready to go.
MSRP right now sits at $589, but again, street price is closer to $399.
Range Time
For this test, I used Kent Number 7 target loads and the two mags that came with the AR12.
Right off the bat, the AR12 shoots really well. At 7.5-pounds, it eats up some of the recoil. But, of course, autoloaders feel a bit easier on the shoulder.
Couple hundred rounds through it, and I think fun is the right word for it.
I experienced two failures – both were double feeds. But, again, I used low brass target loads.
I’d love to see how it runs with some high brass magnums.
Accuracy-wise the Omega performed great inside the 25-yard range.
Again, this isn’t a precision shooter but something fun to take out to the range or field and just plink with.
Bottom Line
I like the overall package and all the accoutrements – cleaning kit, mags, hard-shell case, and sling. It’s a decent value if you don’t like piecing these accessories together yourself.
Also, the rail space was nice. I was able to dial in and customize it the way I wanted, which I appreciated.
And finally, yeah, that price is nice, especially when you don’t want to or can’t spend a ton on a shotgun.
As far as shortcomings, this is less on the gun and more on my choice, but I wish I would have gotten the 7+1 option instead of the 5+1.
More ammo, more boom, more fun…you get the picture.
I also would prefer if this shotgun was American-made, but it’s not.
While yes, I had two double feeds, I think we need to be realistic about this package.
It’s a super affordable shotgun. Period. It will not perform like a high-end model, so as long as you set your expectations appropriately, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
By the Numbers
Reliability: 3.5/5
Couple of double feeds but otherwise ran pretty well for me.
Ergonomics: 4/5
Funny thing, even though it’s covered in plastic and looks like a generic video game gun…the ergos are great. That angled foregrip gets a big thumbs up. (Please don’t judge me.)
Accuracy: 4/5
This may be higher, but I didn’t fire any rifled slugs. At short distances, it did great.
Customization: 3/5
At first glance, the AR12 looks like it has lots of room for activities — but you can’t change out the grip, stock, or handrail. And that fake Keymod is fool’s gold. You’re left with some rail space up top and on the forend.
Value: 4/5
Lot of value here. Hard-shell case, iron sights, strap, and a cleaning kit. Not bad.
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Overall: 3.5/5
This affordable range gun will bring a smile to your face. Pumpkins beware.
Conclusion
As long as you go into the Omega Arms AR12 knowing it’s a $399 semi-auto shotgun, a lot of the mall ninja corniness becomes tolerable.
Again, I’m not taking this to Afghanistan or sitting it beside the bed for bad guys. But for a Sunday at the range with some watermelons or pumpkins…sign me up.
In short, the AR12 makes for a fun range shotgun at a reasonable price.
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Watch the Omega Arms AR12 in action by checking out the video below.
What do you think of the AR12? Let us know in the comments below. While the AR12 is great for pumpkins, it lacks in home defense. So, hop on over to the Best Home-Defense Tactical Shotguns to shop for your next bedside gun.
11 Leave a Reply
If it was accurate to 25 yards, why is it not good as a home defense shotgun? Why "not self-defense, not home defense, don't trust your life with this gun"? 25 yards seems to be plenty of distance to be accurate in a self-defense situation, no?
I shoot lefty. Some of the pictures and video show someone shooting lefty. Is this ambidextrous-compatible? If not, is the right-side ejection problematic for a lefty shooter? Thanks.
What's the best drum mag to get for this shotgun?
The experienced with any of the Turk made semi-auto's say they DEMAND HI-Brass during break in, correct gas rings if they give you options and about 50 wasted, expensive, quality Hi-brass rounds to approach entry level break-in. Yeah, I hate wasting the GOOD STUFF too.
The MKA 1919 Pro, V2 is actually a Turkish Army issue option depending on unit, so seems once PROPERLY broken in, should be pretty good to go, getting more reliable the more you put rounds through it. (WIKI)
These military-ish looking semi-auto's are not a toy and plenty good for more than pumpkins, as in full on zombie attacks. I did appreciate Johnny B mentioning he did NOT use Hi-Brass, but that is REQUIRED for at LEAST break-in with these. The MKA 1919 gives you TWO gas rings!! You have it set up for zombie attacks and 00 buck, ya want the correct gas ring, and again, should be good. It's NOT TRYING to make one gas ring work for BOTH hi and low brass, defense and bird shot. MOST folks are buying these for zombies, not birds. They are plenty accurate to the effective range of the gun with oo buck which is 50-75 feet UNLESS you are using the rifled slugs which are pretty accurate to 75-90 yards at minute of bad guy!
Finally, for an older person with two bad shoulders, or one bad pump arm shoulder, these are a godsend. They can NOT pump a pump shotgun very vigorously or fast. And remember, with your tube fed shell semi-auto, once you fire THAT tube empty, you're DONE. You would NOT have time to reload your tube, whereas, the mag fed can just slap another 5 or 10 rd mag in and go.
Be aware, one mag DOES NOT FIT ALL in these semi-auto Turk jobs. So, get the ones made for yours. The BP-12 bullpup 12ga, semi-auto has a slightly different mag than the MKA 1919, so best to get what's offered for your gun. Soon as Obama/Biden issues new gun decrees, you're not buying ANY mags like this again. Get the right ones.
Vulcan, would you know on the Omega AR 12 with just one collar would the high with arrow point out of the gun or back into the gun ?
Hi.... I don't have one of those so can't answer. Best to contact the mfg or search for an owners manual.
My son bought one and it states on it arrow out of gun for high opposite for low.
As someone who has limited, ok no experience with magazine fed shotguns is there an industry standard for the magazine ? Otherwise looks like a fun gun to shoot .
Some are, some are not. Good to check the fine print. I know for a fact my two do NOT use the same, though they look really close.
I sugges6 taking a look at the JTS line of semi-auto 12 Guage rifles in AR-15 and AK-47 pattern. All the rifles' parts are manufactured for serious shooting. I picked up a JTS M12AK for $399. I found it to be a reliable shooter and Gun-Tests magazine gave at an A- rating in their October 2018 edition.
This was a shotgun write up.. JW