The video opens with Ryan and Jason from Classic Firearms introducing an original Italian SPAS-12 alongside a Turkish SPAS-12-style shotgun built on an M4-style receiver. The Turkish gun is marketed as a more affordable way to get the SPAS look and dual-mode concept. On the range, they start testing the Turkish gun in pump mode using buckshot and birdshot. After only about four rounds of buckshot and four rounds of birdshot, the polymer stock catastrophically fails. The stock begins to warp, a spring-loaded pin and a section of the stock launch out and disappear, and the hinge area effectively comes apart. With the stock compromised, the handguard no longer properly interfaces with the action and becomes almost free-floating, causing malfunctions after every shot. Concerned that this might be a systemic design or materials problem rather than a one-off defect, they decide to test a second, untouched Turkish SPAS-style shotgun later, first with its original configuration and then with the problematic stock swapped over.
The hosts move to a fresh Turkish SPAS-12-style shotgun, unboxing it on camera to show exactly how it arrives from the factory. This version comes fitted with an M4-style stock instead of the classic SPAS folding stock, giving it a more modern tactical appearance but sacrificing the iconic silhouette. They emphasize that the gun is essentially straight out of the box, receiving only a light application of lubricant before firing. The shotgun is built around an M4-type receiver but incorporates the SPAS-style dual-mode system that allows switching between pump-action and semi-automatic operation. Ryan and Jason explain that this second sample is intended to determine whether the earlier catastrophic stock and handguard failures were isolated to one gun or indicative of broader quality and design issues with these Turkish SPAS-style shotguns.
With the new Turkish SPAS-style shotgun prepped, the hosts demonstrate how to place it into pump-action mode using the selector under the handguard. They choose a variety of 12-gauge loads, including standard double-aught buck and Black Aces double-aught buck, to see how the gun behaves with different pressures. The tubular magazine is loaded to five rounds, and they discuss the possibility of ghost-loading an additional shell to increase capacity, attempting to stage one extra round on the lifter or in the chamber. While they confirm that the gun will operate in pump mode, there is clear apprehension based on the previous sample that failed after only eight rounds. They reference the earlier shotgun’s stock hinge stop hole that became oversized and the resulting handguard failure, explaining that they have paid extra attention to lubrication and setup on this new gun in hopes of avoiding a repeat of those mechanical problems.
Attention returns to the earlier Turkish SPAS-style shotgun that suffered a stock failure. The hosts detail how the stock hinge stop area deformed, allowing the hinge pin to walk out and ultimately eject, which compromised the entire folding stock assembly. With the hinge no longer controlling movement, the handguard lost its proper engagement with the action bars, effectively becoming loose and unreliable. This malfunction made it difficult or impossible to cycle the gun consistently, especially in semi-auto mode. To continue testing the platform concept, they abandon that compromised setup and focus on a different Turkish SPAS-style gun configured in pump mode. Immediately, they notice a major improvement in basic function and comment that recoil is relatively manageable for a 12-gauge. However, they also point out that the fore-end is slick and lacks texture, making it harder to maintain a solid grip while cycling the action under recoil.
The hosts begin testing the Turkish SPAS-style shotgun in semi-auto mode using a mix of ammunition types: slugs, buckshot, and several brands of birdshot. They quickly discover that some three-gun style slugs are underpowered for this system and fail to cycle the action reliably. Even with other loads, they repeatedly see shells leaving the magazine tube and riding up the lifter only to barely miss the chamber mouth, hanging up at the lip instead of feeding cleanly. This leads them to closely examine the behavior of the lift gate and how it presents rounds toward the chamber. At one point, they encounter an unusual shotgun double-feed scenario, where two shells attempt to occupy the feeding path at once. To isolate the problem, they run sequences mixing birdshot and buckshot and experiment with different loading conditions, such as starting with a round in the chamber versus staged on the lifter, trying to pinpoint exactly when and why the feeding geometry fails.
Feeding problems become a central theme as the Turkish SPAS-style shotgun continues to struggle, particularly with yellow Panzer low-recoil ammunition. The hosts note that many malfunctions seem tied to the absence of a proper feed ramp and the steep angle at which the lift gate presents shells to the chamber. Even in pump mode, they can feel resistance as rounds attempt to feed, suggesting that the geometry is marginal regardless of cycling method. They encounter double feeds, instances where the hammer falls on an empty chamber, and odd last-round malfunctions that sometimes clear only after switching between pump and semi-auto modes. The gun occasionally tries to feed the next round without fully cycling, leading to jokes about needing a dedicated person to hand-feed shells into the loading gate. Toward the end of this section, they discuss swapping to the correct SPAS-style folding stock, criticizing the non-original stock for lacking the classic look, and explain that carefully re-positioning the handguard restored proper pump function after earlier placement-related issues.
The focus shifts to diagnosing the mechanism that switches the Turkish SPAS-style shotgun between pump and semi-auto modes. Under the handguard, there is a selector tab that rides in grooves molded into the handguard itself. The hosts show that these grooves have been chewed out and rounded over by use, allowing the selector tab to slip out of its intended track and come out of battery. This wear makes the entire dual-mode system unreliable, as the gun can drift between modes or fail to lock properly into pump or semi-auto. By manipulating the handguard and selector, they temporarily coax the system back into working order, but it is clear that the design and materials need refinement. This mechanical diagnosis reinforces their earlier concerns that the Turkish implementation of the SPAS concept may not be robust enough for sustained use, especially compared to more mature shotgun designs.
Back on the range, the hosts run the Turkish SPAS-style shotgun in semi-auto to see how it behaves after their adjustments. The gun exhibits stoppages that resemble double-feeds, where the magazine tube appears to release an extra shell under recoil just as the lifter is trying to raise a round. Instead of chambering smoothly, shells stack or get spit back out of the loading port. As testing continues, the gun increasingly fails to feed correctly in semi-auto, sometimes simply ejecting shells without chambering them. When they switch to pump mode, reliability improves noticeably, with far fewer malfunctions and more consistent cycling, though the underlying feed geometry issues can still be felt. This contrast leads them to conclude that, at least on this sample, the semi-auto function is not trustworthy, while pump operation is serviceable but unremarkable. They suggest that the design needs significant refinement before it could be considered dependable.
As testing winds down, the hosts offer an overall verdict on the Turkish SPAS-12-style shotgun. They acknowledge that the gun captures some of the visual appeal and novelty of the original SPAS-12, especially when equipped with the correct folding stock and configured in pump mode. However, the repeated stock hinge failures, chewed-out handguard grooves, unreliable pump/semi selector, and chronic feeding issues severely undermine confidence in the platform. Compared to modern shotguns, the Turkish SPAS-style clone feels more like a range toy or nostalgic collectible than a serious defensive or competition tool. The hosts emphasize that while the concept of a dual-mode shotgun is interesting, the execution here falls short, and they would hesitate to recommend it for any role where reliability is critical.
In closing, the discussion broadens to whether the SPAS concept itself remains relevant in a market filled with fast, reliable semi-auto shotguns like the Beretta 1301, Beretta A300, and Benelli M4. The hosts concede that the SPAS-12 has strong nostalgia value and pop-culture appeal, but question its practical role today, especially when modern designs offer lighter weight, simpler operation, and proven reliability. Personal preference leans toward owning a straightforward pump shotgun and a separate semi-auto rather than relying on a complex hybrid system that attempts to do both. They stress the importance of choosing the right tool for the job instead of chasing novelty for its own sake. The video ends with appreciation for viewers and customers, reinforcing that while the SPAS look is cool, performance and dependability ultimately matter more than aesthetics or nostalgia.
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