Did not know where to put this question. Thought AR Variants might be the place. I am thinking of buying an AR style 12 gauge shotgun. Can any one recommend a brand that is reliable?

I'm liking my RIA VR-60. Added a Carlson Breacher Choke and 9 round magazines.

VR 80 is the shotgun to buy. There is more and more aftermarket support for the VR80 over just about any other semi auto shotgun.

Try with Genesis 12, amazing shotgun.....
https://www.genesisarms.com/

A bit late finding this thread, but I will reply in the event others find it in the search as I did...

I have two of the Turkish AR "looking" shotguns.  I have a Panzer (gen 3) and an MKA 1919 Match.  I have a lot to say about these shotguns, but I will refrain unless someone request the book I can type on what I have done with and to mine.  I have tested more than a dozen different loadings in my auto-loading shotguns for function.

The Panzer Gen 3 AR-Twelve is the most versatile in that it is inherently more reliable with a wider range of loadings.  I am a tinkerer, and did a Bench Break-in on it as a machinist would do.  Having force do all your break-in in an aluminum receiver firearm I think is just unwise, but that is my opinion and is based on my knowledge and experiences.  That said, mine will run 1200 fps Estate white-box bird-shot reliably.  This is not common in auto-loaders.  It has an auto-adjusting gas system, no settings or any parts to change. (basically a progressive vent system)  I have run some fairly heavy magnum loadings in it also, but not by the hundred, unlike S&B Buckshot, its primary use.

The MKA 1919 has two changeable gas rings for "heavy" or "light" loadings.  Takes a bit of effort to change these out.  This gun has also been worked by myself, so out of the box function, I can't really comment too much on.  It won't run anything int he 1200 fps range unless over 1 ounce, but loves the S&B Buckshot (the cheap stuff, not Perfecta) and Winchester Silver box steel bird-shot, which is all plinking cheap.

I chose these two because they share magazines, have very readily available steel magazines and accept drums.  These are test guns for me and have seen thousands of shells each with no parts failures.


Panzer AR-Twelve



MKA 1919



Keep in mind that neither of these is much more than the feel of an AR type rifle... they do not function anything like an AR.  These do not share triggers or really any other parts with AR type rifles.  No buffer tubes etc.  They are also large, as you can see from the image of the MKA 1919.

With all of this said, I have enjoyed mine a great deal.  Out of the box can be hit any miss with these guns from what I read for years before I bought these two.  It seems the current gen Panzers addressed issues of the earlier models.  The MKA have always been relatively reliable, but with a little higher requirement for ammo quality/pressure.

If you have any questions about these two shotguns, I will do my best to answer.  While I am not an "AR guy" or a "auto-loader shotgun guy", I do know these particular guns well as I have been through them and done 922r compliance work with them.  A quick look on the internet shows these are not just "everywhere" as they were in last couple of years.

Stopping here...

MrBlackCat

MrBlackCat, you should do quite a thread on those two shotguns.

I have had my mk1919 for 5 or 6 years  and it has been no trouble at all I normally keep it loaded with double ought buck  for predators that occasionally try to raid my barnyard . I have got stupid and loaded up number 6 shot and hunted squirrels in the fall when they are on the ground running around  . I hav also used it with slugs and it shoots them real well  good enough for deer or a hog at 50 yds . other than getting the 922r parts I have added a tooth and tail armory hand guard , primary arms weapon light , and a vortex strike fire II .

Panzer had some bullpup designs, IIRC, that looked very interesting...

I do not own one, but I have shot one several times... the one I shot was as reliable as my worked gun.  The Panzer Bullpup can be made to take drums with a bit of effort, but I didn't want to sand on one of my drums for a gun that isn't mine and might not be 922r compliant.

If you look at the on line reviews and purchaser feedback as a whole with the Panzer and other early Turkish imports that started coming in nearly a decade ago, there were operational/function issues... but not much about mechanical failures.  But if you go back now on the import lines that survived (like Panzer, and MKA under a couple of importers and versions, and the current Charles Daly versions) their functionality is a great deal higher.
Every time a see a new version/importer of these Turkish guns, I have to wonder if they are current gen or did they get a good deal on guns made from early design parts and systems.

There are around a dozen versions of these Turkish guns, and without a great deal of research, I believe you can end up with a problematic gun if you aren't careful... this is the same with the AK-12 stuff, but to a greater degree.  I am not going to get started on all the crap that went on with Saiga shotgun lines.  Less versions and more problems.  There are every a couple of companies that formed about re-working these, not just for 922 compliance, but for functionality/reliability in competition use.

Again, I have and enjoy both AR and AK style shotguns, and I am not discounting people who have had very real reliability issues that are miles beyond grease, oil, or loadings as solutions.

If you watch online video, you will often find people using heavy loads to overcome tuning issues, which beats you and your gun up unnecessarily.  This is especially true the older the videos get.

Having said all of this, I wish I had time to help people get these guns running fun, because it can be done as there is nothing wrong with design of most of these... just fit and finish issues that are occasionally beyond the recommended "100 rounds of buckshot" break-in.

MrBlackCat

+1

If you have the time and desire to do an in depth review on one or both I'd gladly read them. Could be especially useful to go over your break-in procedures as well so others might avoid some pitfalls and/or be able to more accurately diagnose and fix any issues they are encountering.

I don't currently own an AR 12 gauge, but have been dealing with Saiga 12s since ~08 and the Vepr 12s since they were first imported. There were certainly issues with each early on and folks taking the time to figure it out and share their findings was a world of help to myself and others.

Either way, thanks for your contribution.