Gun Review – Revo Tactical FAC Shotgun

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After 6 months of heavy use I figured it would be a good time to post my thoughts on the Revo Tactical 12g. This shotgun has some pretty bad press on the shooting forums. The main criticisms are “its cheap” and “its Turkish”. I agree with both statements, it is cheap at £275 and it is indeed Turkish. None of the comments seemed to be from owners, it was all “my friends, brothers uncle had one and it sucked”. Not particularly constructive for the reader… I will be completely honest with all gear reviews. I’m not paid by anyone. If something is crap I will tell you guys as loudly as possible…

Using the Revo last Sunday for a target shotgun comp

Reasons for buying an FAC shotgun

I should first mention that I shoot in England. Shotguns are split into two defined legal groups. 1. Shotguns with a 3 shot or less capacity (which can be held on a shotgun certificate, SGC). 2. Shotguns that can hold more than three cartridges which require you to have a firearms certificate (FAC).
I have used side by sides, over and unders, 3 shot pumps and semi autos in the past. Mainly for clays or rough shooting. What I really fancied doing was some timed, target events with a shotgun. I have been brushing up on timed practical rifle and I fancy a go at some three gun comps in future (timed comps with three different guns in one stage). To be competitive I would be needing more than 3 shots as it is the reloading which ends up costing you time wise. I didn’t want to spend a fortune first off, I just wanted a basic starter gun that would be easy to operate and maintain and would be RELIABLE!

Choices..

I had a good look around at what was available. Benellis and other high end guns were out straight away. I just didn’t want to drop 1k+ on a shotgun. After all they are just big tubes!! This left me with the second hand market or a few new guns from cheaper manufacturers.
In the end the choice was made for me. My local RFD (www.acpshooting.co.uk) let me know he had some shotguns in from Armasan, a Turkish firm. They produce a line of Shotguns known as Revo in the UK and I believe, Khan in the States. The RFD told me he was very impressed with build quality considering the price.. £275 new. I told him I’d be by the next day..

When I got to the store, the RFD showed me the REVO tactical in 8 shot variant. He also showed me another more expensive 8 shot pump from Mossberg. After a few minutes of comparison I had to agree the Revo was the better of the two in terms of finish. The Mossberg had several rough, burred areas, particularly on the stock. Both guns seemed to be reasonably smooth when actioned and trigger pull was about the same. Not the light crisp trigger I’m used to but they were OK.
I took the Revo. It was cheaper, and my RFD told me he would stand by it warranty wise. Deal.

First Impressions

I took the Revo tactical straight down to my local target shotgun club at the next opportunity. As stated I was a total beginner to target shotgun at this point. The club has courses laid out which include steel knock down targets and red “no shoot” targets. The courses offer varying environments which are designed to make it tougher than just shooting steels. You may be required to shoot around, under or over a barricade or to shoot from your weak shoulder. Most courses require one or more reloads on the move. Given my skill level the gun was great. It proved easy to use, ejected all cartridges without an issue and hit what I pointed it at. My reloading was slow due to lack of ability on my part! A few others had jams (mainly semi autos, box mags) which cost them dearly. Your on the clock while clearing the jam. Frustrating. No such problems with the Revo. In fact a couple of guys noticed its reliable performance and asked about it. They couldn’t believe the price!!

A few months on

I made a couple of changes as I used the gun. I found the spring in the pump was a pain. When you have to show the RO a clear gun you had to hold the thing open against the spring. Taking it out was simple and solved the problem. It also allows me easier loading via the ejection port (when the pumps back just drop a shell in and rack forward to load). The only other change was a good coating of my favourite stuff.. Froglube! Gives everything a nice slick protective coating which aided smooth reloading.

After over 1000 shells I haven’t had one stoppage. No problems whatsoever. Last Sunday I managed 2nd in my group and possibly 2nd overall in pump class. Not bad considering some of the expensive hardware on the range..

So far I’m pleased as punch with this shotgun. Reliable, cheap and capable of keeping up with the others if you put the hard work in. I would not hesitate to recommend it. I will update in a few months with more feedback. Now I’m off to bed. Good shooting everyone!