Photos: Trigger Time with the New DP-12 Shotgun

   01.20.15

Photos: Trigger Time with the New DP-12 Shotgun

Buzz about a new double-barreled, bullpup, pump-action shotgun dubbed the DP-12 began to spread late last year. At yesterday’s Industry Day at the Range, samples of the unique gun were finally available to shoot.

Built by Standard Manufacturing Company and distributed exclusively through CheaperThanDirt, the 12 gauge DP-12 is a compact and capable shotgun. The firearm’s two barrels feed from separate tubes that hold seven shells (plus one in each chamber, yielding an overall capacity of 16 shells). Shells are loaded and ejected downward behind the trigger.

The DP-12 packs 16 12 gauge shells in a compact package. Image by Matt Korovesis.
The DP-12 packs 16 12 gauge shells in a compact package. Image by Matt Korovesis.

Both of the DP-12’s barrels are fired using a single trigger. The first pull fires the shell chambered in the right barrel, the second fires the left. Racking the action ejects spent casings and chambers a new shell in each chamber. The trigger mechanism allows for ultra-fast follow up shots, and the pump action is very smooth.

The DP-12 uses a unique trigger mechanism that fires both barrels one at a time. The first pull lets out a shell from the right, the second from the left.
The DP-12 uses a unique trigger mechanism that fires both barrels one at a time. The first pull lets out a shell from the right, the second from the left. Image by Colin Anthony.

The DP-12 had a solid kick to it, but nothing outside the realm of controllable. The magazine tubes are visible on the right and left sides of the receiver, and the remaining number of shells in each can quickly be discerned with a glance. Its ambidextrous fire controls are a boon, and its downward ejection mechanism did not result in any “hot casings down the pants” situations.

A full-length Picatinny rail divides the DP-12's two barrels. Image by Matt Korovesis.
A full-length Picatinny rail divides the DP-12’s two barrels. Image by Matt Korovesis.

The firearm is machined from a solid billet of 7075 aluminum and encased in polymer furniture. A full-length Picatinny rail runs between the two barrels. The DP-12 can utilize 2 ¾-inch and three-inch shells. Both barrels are threaded to accept a variety of chokes and muzzle accessories. Its MSRP is $1,395, and the shotgun should be available at CheaperThanDirt shortly.

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I've been a history and gun enthusiast since I was a kid. I love to shoot just about anything, from silenced bolt-action .22s to fully automatic heavy machine guns, and I love even more when I get to write about them. My main interests are modern small arms and the military small arms of World War II and prior conflicts, with a particular focus on Russian and Finnish firearms. Reading about guns like the Mosin-Nagant rifle in books and on the internet got me interested in collecting, shooting, and writing about them, and I hope to do the same for others through my work.

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