Looking to get a semi-auto/detachable mag 12 Ga. for HD, and this one caught my eye.


It's a Saiga clone, even takes the Saiga mags, and gets pretty damn good reviews everywhere I found them.


Any ARFCOM-ers out there have any experience with these?


Thanks in advance!

https://www.jtsgroup.us/products/p/m12ak-t1-hzfw2

I've heard great things about it.

I bought a Lynx-12 and frankly wish I had bought this because I don't have a magwell.

I've had to file down a couple pro-mags to get them to work but alternatively I've heard that the mag-fit is better with the JTS-M12AK

I don't have them handy, but there are some good reviews of this platform floating around this site. All signs point to buy it!

Thanks for the info, GL! It definitely nudges me more towards this weapon.


I've also heard t it rumored that JTS is just Norinco re-branded, and I've got a Norinco SKS that's just a tank, so that's another vote for it.


Decisions, decisions.....

I won one at a shoot last year.  

It runs surprisingly well, and is a hoot to blast with.

Thanks for the feedback Bud, you lucky dog! I never win anything.



You guys are making this decision easier by the post, just gotta get the financial shell game to work out in my favor.

I checked the reviews on the JTS M12AK and the SDS Lynx 12.  Both get good reviews.  

Finally decided to go with the Lynx 12.  For me, the key issue was the magazines.  
- Reviews said the Lynx 12 uses standard Saiga 12 magazines, where the M12AK doesn't work with Saiga mags.  
- Factory SDS mags are cheap (less than $20), and get great reviews.
- I already had a few Saiga 12 magazines

OP,

I picked one of these up last month from Palmetto State Armory for $299.
Real happy with it, after past the 50rnd mark has run reliably. I like the fact it is gas adjustable.
It will run 1180fps #8 target loads reliably, mine runs 1145fps Fed Flite Control 00 like a top. Have put 1600fps slugs and high vel steel shot, no probs.
Picked up some 10rnd JTS mags for it, runs great and they were reasonably priced.
If I bought another, first thing I would do is tear it down and clean all the grease it is shipped in out of it, you will have less malfunctions that way.
Very easy to break down and put back together, very reliable, all for under $340 delivered, what's not to like. Get one!

SY

Go with the Lynx, its a brick shit house.

JTS seem hit or miss imo.

Dang, guys, now y'all have me second-guessing myself over the SDS.


The $299.00 price point from PSA is a tough one to overcome, but I'll do my due diligence and dig into the reviews on the SDS a bit further.


Thanks for your input, everyone!

this is what made me decide to go with the Lynx and its been solid,I had to do very minor filing on my aftermarket mags but they all lock in solid with no wobble

I think I suck because I just recently fit a promag 20rd drum and a promag 12 rd stick mag and was disappointed with the mag wobble

think I'm doing something wrong

I have the JTS M12AK-T1



I don't typically impulse buy firearms but it just so happens that I did on this one. I walked into my LGS and it was sitting on the shelf for $450. I had cash on me and just bought it. I have put hundreds of rounds through it, it had a slight break in process, (like 100 rounds) initially it preferred higher velocity bird shot on the #3 gas position. it runs buckshot and slugs just fine. It pretty much shoots anything now.

I had 2 issues with mine. 1. the little plastic dust cover that rides on the recoil spring broke off... (it still ran with it broken) but I called JTS and they sent me a new one for free. But while I waited I ordered a metal on off the Lynx shotgun and it fit and works perfectly. 2. The back of my magwell split open, again I contacted JTS and they sent me one for free. You can see me having trouble with getting mags to drop in my video, that's due the the messed up magwell... it still loaded and unloaded fine, but the release lever was bale to move at an angle and would drop the mag.

The Mag Shack had 10 round magazines for sale for $19.99 so I bought 10. I noticed that there was some rough areas from the molding process on the followers, so I took them all apart and sanded down the rough areas. They run 100% reliably now, and to be honest it appears that most of the issues that I see people having tend to be mag related issues.

Aside form that I really like the gun and shoot the heck out of it. I figured I would never get to buy another gun out of China again so I jumped at the chance to own it. You never know, they might be worth a lot of money one day like all the other banned import stuff.

Jon at Whisper Tactical does a 5000 round review on the shotgun, go check it out.



- Clint

The Bad?:

Bud's has the SDS Lynx 12 for the same price.  Either is a good choice.  

I know a guy that went to one of those "pallet warehouse" places that sells a whole pallet of damaged/returned/overstock/discontinued stuff for a low price. He grabbed a pallet bc his wife wanted the piece of furniture on top and he found a JTS M12AK-T1 in the bottom. The pallet was advertised as a mixed Lowes pallet but to have that on it, it would have to be a 3rd party shipper's "lost/damaged pallet" or something and somebody tossed it on by mistake...

The one I handled seemed to be pretty nicely finished. It felt bigger and heavier than I was expecting.

I like both of mine. I made an adapter to run a folding ace stock and bought the 3D printed Magwell adapter from a video I saw on YouTube.

I take it out hunting armadillos and haven't had an issue since I got the mag adapter. Prior to that, off brand Saiga mags would drop out after a shot.

At the same price, the Lynx it's a no brainer. Runs like a raped ape and never chokes, even on the cheapest, low power, crap 12ga I can find.

A multitude is good mags and drums available, as well as a metric ton of accessories and available upgrades.

Even at a higher price, get the Lynx.

I don't have a lynx yet probably going to buy another. Good guns. long story short I need the money.

Honestly that handguard is really ugly,; but for $40 you can't really beat it I just ordered one.

Yeah, it's hideous, but it works until I can get it replaced with something easier on the eyes.

Honestly, that might be a while, because I really don't care how ugly it is, so long as it works.

Probably going to eventually replace it with a side mount optic mount and either the stock handguard or an handguard replacement rail.

i like the long receiver of the jts... i feel you could do a aa-12 type recoil mitigating systtem in something like that. an aa-12 is kind of an upsidedown ak with 8' long springs?

Attached File




- Clint

I have the MK12 T1 and so far I'm pleased with it.

After 500 rounds of assorted commercial 00/000/#4 buckshot and slugs in 2 3/4" and 3" the action has smoothed out. I only ran it on gas setting 3 to break it in. Me and my 14 year old son have a blast shooting it. It just begs to be shot fast. 5 rounds can easily be dumped.

I can now reliably run any buckshot even low recoil on gas setting 2. Slugs I run on gas setting 1 since they are usually pretty spicy and they run 100%. I haven't tried bird shot yet but when I do I will try it on 3 and see if it can run assorted commercial ammo I have on hand.

Only things I've done to it so far is put a Holosun hs403c, magpul foregrip, vtac sling and improved cylinder choke. At 15-20 yds buckshot groups are within a man sized target. Slugs at 25 yds are just a big ragged hole.

The rear sight on mine was canted to the right. No biggie because I was always going to put a dot on it. Just something to consider for those that use iron sights. I believe this is typical of AK clones anyway. Either rear or front sight being canted.

Now I just need to get the 10 round magazines from JTS, new grip and a AK to AR adapter to change out the stock. Maybe I'll put a tac light on it and it could serve as a HD shotgun.

Love mine. It is large and heavy. Not an issue for me at 6'4 but it is hard for my petite wife to hold.

Make sure you put a little lock tight on the screw that holds the gas adjustment knob.

The biggest plus to the JTS are how affordable the Mags are. Lanbos had them for like $15 each and seem to run ok.


The 10 Round Gen 2 SDS mags are decent, but Im not a fan of 10 rounders.

The Lynx is costly in regards to CSspecs mags being $60 a pop IMO.

I hear the JTS can run Saiga Mags, but can a Saiga Run JTS mags? When I get my new Lynx I'll order a JTS to see if it works.

I bought 10 of the 10 round JTS mags from The Mag Shack when they were on sale for $19.99. When I received them the seemed "sticky" when fully loaded. I took each one apart and found some areas on the followers that were dragging inside the mag body so I cleaned all the followers up with sand paper and now they run fine.

Mine runs Winchester AA and Remington Nitro bird shot with no issues. I've run the cheap federal bulk packs from walmart and out of 100 rounds I probably had maybe 5-10 stovepipes from under powered shot shells not being able to clear the ejection port before the bolt slams home. But I wasn't expecting great results from walmart ammo so.... YMMV

- Clint

It's lighter than I thought it was. Just remind me not to pay full price for any Black Ace's stuff. Because honestly the finish is so thin it's a sin lmao. But for $30 it seems really hard to beat imo.

Picked one up and it was so much fun I decided to buy a second.

Both run very well from buck, to slugs to dive loads. I plan SBS  one soon and start that adventure

Bump, thinking about buying the standard handguard Model since i have the T1.