Genesis Arms GEN-12 18"

Genesis Arms, based in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, builds the GEN-12, a 12-gauge shotgun on the AR platform. It uses short recoil operation rather than a gas system, and the design is covered by US patent 10,605,553.

This is the GEN-12 with an 18 3/4-inch barrel, the full-length, non-NFA version. It chambers 2 3/4-inch and 3-inch 12-gauge shells and feeds from a detachable box magazine. A five-round magazine comes with the gun. The barrel has an external choke with an M22x0.75 thread pitch, so you can change chokes for different loads and uses.

The GEN-12 runs on a GEN1 DPMS 308 pattern lower with a mil-spec buffer tube and a 308 short carbine buffer. It has a mil-spec AR trigger, a Hogue rubberized grip and a right-side charging knob. If you know the AR-10, it will feel familiar. Many AR controls and accessories carry over, which makes the gun easy to learn and to set up the way you like.

Up front, a free-floating handguard carries M-LOK slots at 3, 6 and 9 o'clock and a full-length Picatinny rail on top. That gives you room for a red dot, a light and a grip. At the rear, an Adaptive Tactical adjustable stock lets you set the length of pull.

Black Cerakote is standard, and other Cerakote colors are available, which can add two to three weeks. A soft case and a limited warranty are included, and the gun usually ships in two to four weeks. It weighs about 7 pounds 6 ounces. The GEN-12 isn't sold to California, and sales are limited in some other states.

If you want a magazine-fed 12 gauge that handles like the AR rifles you already know, the GEN-12 18-inch is a clean, practical choice.