Immediately after an unspeakably evil shooter murdered innocent children and adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School with an AR-15, former Vice President Joe Biden provided some sage advice to people interested in using firearms for self-defense. He said the following in an interview with Parents magazine: “If you want to protect yourself, get a double-barrel shotgun. You don’t need an AR-15. It’s harder to aim, it’s harder to use, and in fact, you don’t need 30 rounds to protect yourself. Buy a shotgun. Buy a shotgun.”
Well, if Joe Biden in his expertise made the pronouncement, I apparently have been a slacker for not acting on his advice and writing enough about double-barrel shotguns, so I thought it was about high time that I rectified that oversight.
Before you start firing off email complaints to my editor, let me declare that Joe Biden was not really the cause of this review. What caught my attention was the Mossberg Maverick HS12 Thunder Ranch Over/Under shotgun.
A 21st Century Over/Under Shotgun
Mossberg decided to bring the over/under two-shooter into the 21st century and sought the advice of Thunder Ranch’s Clint Smith — a renowned firearms instructor and real firearms authority — in updating the double-barrel’s effectiveness as a tactical weapon. I would say after testing that the Maverick HS12 is truly worthy of the Thunder Ranch emblem found on the right side of the receiver.
The HS12 has matte blue, 18.5-inch Cylinder Bore barrels with 3-inch chambers. Cylinder Bore was a good choice since it will easily handle shotshells as well as rifled slugs. And since this is a close-range defensive firearm, there is no need for the kind of tight shot patterns used for shooting at small game or clay pigeons.
So, what did Mossberg and Thunder Ranch do to make the HS12 Thunder Ranch a 21st-century defensive tool? Several things actually. None of them are earth-shattering changes to the original design, but they do give this two-shot weapon a greater tactical advantage over a basic over/under, coach-type double-barrel shotgun.
Tactical Shotgun Update 1: Properly Sized Stock
The first tactical update is the addition of a properly sized synthetic stock. Because of my shoulder deterioration, I have to carefully consider the length of pull, especially with pump shotguns. No worries with the HS12. The buttstock fits me perfectly and allows me to get a comfortable hold on the forend while firing. The buttstock is also nicely padded and is a welcomed feature that makes practice sessions more enjoyable.
Tactical Shotgun Update 2: Picantinny Rail
No gun can be called a tactical arm without a Picatinny rail for mounting optics and lights. The HS12 has that covered. Two segments of railing are mounted on the sides of the barrels close to the forend. The segments are farther forward than what most people are accustomed to. If I decided to mount a light on the HS12’s forend, I would need one with a remote switching system to operate it effectively.
Tactical Shotgun Update 3: Railing Rear Sight
On top on the receiver is a slightly elevated segment of railing that also doubles as the rear sight. Running down the center is a U-shaped trough that serves as the rear sight. At the rear base of the trough is a white post that aligns the rear sight with the red fiber-optic front sight. The rear sight gives a nice, open field of view and is fast to align. Its design supports keeping both eyes open, which helps locate any other threats that may not have been noticed initially. It is a rock-solid setup. Of course, you can mount an optic in addition to the fixed sights if you wish, but I do not see a real need for it on a close-range gun of this sort. Besides, the factory sighting arrangement is really very good.
Other Tactical Features
According to the Mossberg website, other features of the HS12 Thunder Ranch include corrosion-resistant, chrome-plated chambers and bores, robust dual locking lugs, and a tang-mounted ambidextrous safety with integrated barrel selector.
Testing this Mossberg Shotgun at the Gun Range
Shooting the HS12 Thunder Ranch revealed no surprises, but it did reinforce my initial impression that this is a solid performer that is the best of any defensive, tactical double-barrel shotgun currently available.
The Thunder Ranch functioned flawlessly. I tested it with some discontinued Remington Home Defense 2¾-inch 12-gauge shotshells loaded with BB shot. When I wrote my Tactical Shotgun book for Gun Digest, I found these loads to be one of the best performers of the Remington Home Defense loads that were available. The rapid-fire single trigger delivers the two shots on board just as fast as, if not faster than, a semi-automatic or pump shotgun. The tang-mounted safety also serves as a barrel selector and is easily reached and operated by either hand. Initially, the action was a bit stiff and slow to open, but that was easily remedied by a light application of oil. There are no ejectors on the HS12, only extractors, which slows reloading a bit since you have to clear fired shells manually before you can reload.
Both barrels shot directly to the point of aim at 21 feet. The Remington BB shot loads delivered a tight “all-pellets-in-the-silhouette” pattern. Any 2¾-inch, 12-gauge BB shot load would be good for interior or exterior home defense, thus eliminating the need to have different shot loads available for different purposes. Recoil was noticeable, but certainly not unbearable, and would be lessened by using trap and skeet loads for interior defense. The Remington Ultimate Defense 8 Pellet Managed Recoil load would be excellent for defensive use outdoors. A 20-gauge version of the HS12 would be an excellent variation of an already fine weapon because it is handier, quicker-pointing and has less recoil.
Conclusion on the Mossberg Maverick HS12 Thunder Ranch Over/Under
The Mossberg Maverick HS12 Thunder Ranch Over/Under is a real attention-getter. A 12-gauge double-barrel shotgun is a formidable close-range defensive tool when facing a single opponent or when secondarily armed with a handgun and facing more than one opponent. If backed up by a handgun, it would help eliminate the ammunition deficit. Of course, the HS12 makes a handy survival arm as well. The MSRP is $594.
More info at: www.mossberg.com
