UTAS UTS-15 Shotgun: High-Capacity (14+1) Bullpup Dual-Feed Pump-Action Tactical/Combat Shotgun (2.75″ and 3″ Magnum 12-Gauge) is Neostead Shotgun Revisited and Modernized for 21st-Century CQB/CQC Gunfighting!

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By David Crane
defrev (at) gmail (dot) com

February 23, 2012

In the latest issue of Small Arms Defense Journal (SADJ) (Volume 4, Number 1) with an infantry soldier holding a FN M249 PARA/Minimi 5.56mm NATO SAW/LMG (Squad Automatic Weapon/Light Machine Gun) on the cover, there’s a short blurb on the UTAS UTS-15 high-capacity bullpup pump-action tactical/combat shotgun (2.75″ and 3″ Magnum 12-Gauge), which is reportedly a modified and modernized/updated Neostead Shotgun with a 15-round (14+1) ammo capacity designed for CQB/CQC (Close Quarters Battle/Close Quarters Combat) gunfighting/tactical shooting environments, although the UTS-15’s pump action is rearward-pull rather than the Neostead’s forward-push pump action. DefenseReview (DR) is a fan of the South African Neostead, so it’s nice to see someone modernizing/updating it. The UTS-15’s receiver housing does appear to make the weapon a bit bulkier than the Neostead, though.

The most interesting aspect of the UTAS-15 bullpup combat shotgun is the versatility of its feeding mechanism. The operator can manually select either magazine tube (7 rounds per tube) or automatically alternate between tubes. That’s a pretty cool feature. Another cool aspect of the weapon is that you can conduct a visual loaded-round count from the top of the weapon, as evidenced by the embedded range video below.

Defense Review also finds it interesting that the UTS-15’s designers/developers integrated a tactical white light (or what the company calls a “button-operated point-&-shoot spotlight”) into the lower receiver housing. DR assumes the mounting location is the front of the lower receiver housing directly below the barrel where that big hole is in the embedded photo of the muzzle section. Having just trained in low-light/no-light CQB/CQC gunfighting TTP (Tactics, Techniques and Procedures) using Ultimate Training Munitions (UTM) force-on-force marking cartridges/training ammo, DR is impressed that a Turkish weapons development team thought to include this feature, placing it precisely where one should place it.

However, it doesn’t look like the UTS-15’s tactical white light mounting system is modular. It’s important that it be modular in such a way that it allows you to mount any SureFire Weaponlight or top-grade American-made light. A front Picatinny rail mounting system would probably be better, provided it doesn’t interfere with operating the pump-action charging handle. If the integral white light mounting system doesn’t allow you to mount the light of your choice, you can alternatively mount it (tactical white light) on the top rail in front of the front back-up iron sight (front BUIS). We’d also like to be able to mount a vertical foregrip.

UTAS is reportedly looking to have the UTS-15 bullpup tactical shotgun manufactured in the United States in order to suppy the U.S. tacical shooting market. DefenseReview sincerely hopes that happens.

DR is curious as to how the UTAS UTS-15 BullPup Shotgun stacks up agains the Kel-Tec KSG 15-round (14+1) Bullpup Pump-Action Shotgun with regard to overall (OA) size, dry weight, ergonomics/usernomics, felt-recoil, reliability, accuracy and durability, since that’s the weapon the UTS-15 most resembles both operating system and configuration-wise. It would also be interesting to see how both the Kel-Tec KSG and UTAS UTS-15 pump-action shogtuns perform in CQB/CQC gunfighting scenarios versus the RAAC Akdal MKA 1919 semi-auto tactical AR shotgun (which DR recently T&E’d at SHOT Show 2012 during Media Day, and is also manufactured in Turkey) and Kushnapup Series V Bullpup Saiga Shotgun, respectively.

Also, will the all of these shotguns be capable of utilizing the updated FRAG-12 12-gauge AP (Armor-Piercing/Armor-Penetrating) grenade rounds like the MPS Auto Assault-12 (AA-12) full-auto shotgun? We don’t know.

UTAS UTS-15 High-Capacity Bullpup Pump-Action Shotgun Features and Specs (from UTAS website):

Caliber: 2.75″ and 3″ 12-Gauge (12ga)
Operation: Manual Pump-Action
Feeding Mechanism: Bullpup Configuration with Dual-Feed (Two Horizontal Magazine Tubes) Mechanism that allows the user to manually select feeding tube or automatically alternate between tubes with quick-loading ports, compressible magazine springs and shell counters.
Ammo Capacity: 15 Rounds (14+1)
Accessories Mounting: Full-Length Mil-Std-1913 “Picatinny” Top Rail System for combat optics, back-up iron sights (BUIS), tactical white lights or lasers
Sights: Quick-Detach Ghost Ring Rear and Flip-Up Front Back-Up Iron Sights (BUIS)
Overall Length: 27.8″
Weight (Dry/Empty): 7.2 lbs (approx.)
Finish: Matte Black Anti-Glare Finish on all polymer parts; Matt Black Chrome Anti-Corrosion Finish on all steel parts
Field Stripping: No tools required (45 seconds).

– Carbon fiber-reinforced magazine protectors with laser-etched shell-counter numbers
– Carbon fiber-reinforced receiver with integrated spring-loaded shell-feeding device and quick-removable hammer/sear fire-control housing
– Precision-machined 4140 steel housing with spring-loaded ejector
– Carbon fiber-reinforced flip-up stock comb/shell funnel
– Carbon fiber-reinforced buttplate with 0.5″ thick, 8-durometer (A-scale) energy-absorbing synthetic recoil pad
– Carbon fiber-reinforced bolt body (bolt carrier group/BCG?) with precision-machined 4140 steel, heat treated rotary bolt head with three locking lugs
– Precision-machined 4140 steel, heat treated barrel extension with three (3) locking lug mortises
– Precision-machined 4140 steel chrome-lined barrel with muzzle threaded to accept Beretta-style chokes
– Rifled spreader choke (to throw an 18″ pattern at 15′) with flash suppressor ventilation and strike bezel
– Carbon fiber-reinforced lower receiver housing with integrated button-operated point-&-shoot spotlight (tactical white light) and laser night sights
– Forward, rear and mid-point quick-detach sling swivel mounting points

UTAS UTS-15 High-Capacity Bullpup Pump-Action Shotgun Data Sheet

UTAS UTS-15 High-Capacity Bullpup Pump-Action Shotgun Catalog

Editor’s Note: Guns.com also has a nice little piece on the UTS-15, so go check it out.

Company Contact Info:

UTAS MAKiNE iThe. iHR. SAN. ve TiC. LTD. STi. (Corporate Headquarters)
Caglayan Mah. Eski Lara Yolu
No: 351/1 07230 Antalya / Turkey
Phone: +90 242 323 37 37
Fax: +90 242 323 66 76
Email: info@utasturk.com
Website: http://utasturk.com

UTAS MAKiNE iThe. iHR. SAN. ve TiC. LTD. STi. (Factory/Manufacturing)
Hamidiye Mah. 66 Sk. No: 4
47200 Beysehir/Konya/Turkey
Phone: +90 332 511 04 54
Fax: +90 332 512 61 13
Email: info@utasturk.com
Website: http://utasturk.com

SureFire, LLC
18300 Mount Baldy Circle
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
Toll Free: 800-828-8809
Outside the US: 714-545-9444
Fax: 714-545-9537
Email: helpyou@surefire.com
Website: http://www.surefire.com

Small Arms Defense Journal (SADJ)
Chipotle Publishing LLC
Subscription Page: http://sadefensejournal.com/wp/?page_id=974
Email: office@sadefensejournal.com
Website: http://sadefensejournal.com

© Copyright 2012 DefenseReview.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without receiving permission and providing proper credit and appropriate links.

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UTAS UTS-15 Shotgun: High-Capacity (14+1) Bullpup Dual-Feed Pump-Action Tactical/Combat Shotgun (2.75″ and 3″ Magnum 12-Gauge) is Neostead Shotgun Revisited and Modernized for 21st-Century CQB/CQC Gunfighting! by

About David Crane

David Crane started publishing online in 2001. Since that time, governments, military organizations, Special Operators (i.e. professional trigger pullers), agencies, and civilian tactical shooters the world over have come to depend on Defense Review as the authoritative source of news and information on "the latest and greatest" in the field of military defense and tactical technology and hardware, including tactical firearms, ammunition, equipment, gear, and training.

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