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Reviews
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Views
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Date of last review
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1
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19672
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Wed October 8, 2008
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Recommended By
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Average Price
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Average Rating
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100% of reviewers
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$76.00
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8.0
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Description:
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UTG Multi-Shot Combat Shotgun
Author: Booligan
Published: 5-23-2008
Discuss this review in the Forums.
Table of Contents:
Real Steel History
Ordering
First impressions
Included
Gun Specifications
Externals
Trademarks
Magazines
Performance
Internals
Modifications
Pros/Cons
Overall
Real Steel History:
The Benelli M3 is an updated version of the Benelli M1 shotgun. M3 uses the same inertia recoil semi-automatic system as the earlier Benelli M1, but with addition of another Benelli patented feature, which allows to the shooter to lock the semi-automatic action and switch to the manually operated pump-action mode and back in the matter of seconds. The action type switch is located at the forward end of the forearm, and is formed as an annular knurled ring. Rotation of this ring either engages the action rods of the pump system and locks the semi-automatic recoil system, or disengages the action bars, locks the forearm and allows the inertia recoil system to operate the action automatically. This greatly improves the versatility of the shotgun, allowing it to fire low-powered ammunition (mostly of special purpose, such as less-lethal rubber or tear-gas projectiles) in the manually operated pump action mode, and to fire full power combat loads with slugs or buckshot in rapid semi-automatic mode. Under barrel tubular magazine usually holds 8 rounds for police or military versions, or less in some civilian models.
The M3 Super 90 is available with various barrel lengths and stock options, with fixed butt and semi-pistol or pistol grips, or with top-folding butts and pistol grips. Sight options include shotgun-type open sights, rifle type open sights, ghost ring (diopter) sights and various mounts for red dot or low magnification telescope sights and tactical flashlights and laser pointers.
Ordering:
The one thing really missing from the budget shotgun market was multi shot capability, and UTG was the first company to bring one to the market. Effectively replicating the Tokyo Marui triple barreled system, the UTG Multi-Shot Combat Shotguns are the current leader in the budget shotgun market. I was lucky enough to meet with the right people with Leapers (parent company of UTG) at SHOT show, and arranged to pick up some of these beauties to review for the readers at Airsoft Retreat!
Priced at $70 for the full stock and $65 for the pistol grip at stores like Airsplat, Airsoft Atlanta, Airsoft GI, Kapowwe, and ShortyUSA , this is a little pricier than other budget shotguns, but it’s an actual multi shot shotgun, and at 1/3rd of the price of the Tokyo Marui. It comes standard with Leapers’ 30 day warranty, and replacement parts should be available through their website, www.leapers.com. It’ll be very interesting to see what they come out with next, as this really is a top notch product!
First impressions:
The shotguns arrived in their sturdily constructed, glossy boxes, complete with carry handle and images of the gun. There is also general info about the gun, as well as info about UTG. The gun and accessories are secured in foam, and wrapped in sealed plastic. The gun is held very tightly by the foam, and takes a bit of force to remove.
Included:
The package includes the gun, either the full stock or pistol grip version, depending on which one you ordered, the standard Chinese sling, pistol mag style speedloader, two shell magazines, a cleaning/unjamming rod, and a decent full color manual. The manual has component charts, info on loading and firing, as well as a basic maintenance guide.
Gun Specifications:
The specs are as follows:
Weight:
-Full stock: 4.25lbs
-Pistol grip: 3.25lbs
Length:
-Full stock: 35.25”
-Pistol grip: 25.5”
Width (At receiver): 1.6”
Height: 7”
Pump width: 2”
Length of pump travel: 3”
Outer barrel length: 13.75”
Length of pull (LOP): 14”
Sight radius: 11.25”
Pump force: Heavier than my gauge can read… About 25lbs at best guess
Trigger pull: 7-8lbs
Externals:
The externals of the UTG Multishot Shotguns are comprised mainly of plastic, with metal parts installed in key locations. The plastic is fairly strong, but there is some flex at the point where the barrel meets the receiver. This is a common problem on every budget shotgun I’ve used. Some parts are textured, others are smooth, and some parts have a rubberized coating.
The metal parts include the pump tube, sling mounts, trigger, and shell door. The smooth plastic parts are the pump guide, receiver, and trigger guard. The textured parts are the stock and outer barrel, with the pistol grip, pump handle, and butt pad receiving a rubberized finish. The paint is matte black, with the rubberized parts having a very dark, charcoal grey finish.
The outer barrel is tapered, with the sights attached, as well as the pump tube mounting ring. There are two seam lines running the length of the barrel, on the horizontal axis. The federally required orange tip is in the form of an orange plastic ring glued to the muzzle. There is a front sling mount, which can be adjusted for right, left, and ambidextrous use, by unscrewing the large plastic nut at the front of the pump tube, and locking the mount in one of the three positions.
Barrel
Front assembly, sling mount shown
The pump handle is ribbed, to ensure positive grip while pumping the shotgun. These ribs, combined with the rubberized coating do a great job in keeping your hand on the pump. The pump is secured to the mechanism by two Phillips head screws, located on the bottom of the handle. The mock semi/pump action lever rotates, just like the real steel shotgun, but doesn’t serve any purpose that I can find.
The receiver is not as good as the Marui, but for the price, it is more than acceptable. You can pull the sides apart from the shell door, but it won’t come apart entirely easily. There is a seam line visible at the rear of the receiver, but it is not terribly noticeable. The shell door itself is metal, and opens by pulling back the shell release lever. The trigger assembly is a separate piece from the main receiver, and houses the trigger, push button safety, and the shell release lever. The safety is a push button type, and has a red ring visible when the weapon is off safe, or ready to shoot. There is no mock charging handle, like the Marui, and instead there is a warning label molded into the mock bolt. The mock bolt doesn't move at all, as it is molded into the receiver.
Receiver 
Trigger group 
Shell release lever 
Shell door open
The stock, on the full stock model, is the typical M3 style, and is very comfortable to use. The grip is ribbed and rubber coated, like the pump handle, and makes holding this replica very comfortable. There is a seam line running the length of the stock as well, and it is more noticeable than the receiver’s. There are sling mounts integrated into the rear of the stock, on both sides, allowing ambidextrous sling use. Lastly, the butt pad is rubber, but not textured, but it does not come off of your shoulder easily. There is an allen head screw to allow you to remove the pistol grip from the stock.
Full stock
Sling mounts
Allen screw to remove grip
Seam line
On the pistol grip model, there is only one rear sling mount, located on the left side of the gun. The grip receives the same ribbed and rubberized coating as the full stock. The seam line is even more visible on the pistol grip model than on the full stock, but the overall finish is still good.
Pistol grip version 
Closeup of sling mount 
Seam line – I added the shell holder, it is not included
The sights are a blade and notch type, and are not adjustable. They are painted white, to help with rapid target acquisition. The paint is a very nice touch, and helps set this model apart from other budget shotguns. On the pistol grip version, the base for the grip is in the way of a clear sight picture, but the sights are not really needed on the pistol grip version as you will not be going for peak precision. It's more of a point and shoot affair.
Rear sight 
Front sight
Trademarks:
There are no trademarks, save for a “Made in China” and some safety information where the bolt would be.
Magazines:
This replica uses plastic shells as magazines, each holding 30 bbs, giving you 10 shots. There are two shells included with the gun, one red and one black. The shells are TM compatible, and you can also use TSD shells in it, although you will only get 4 shots of 3 bbs, and 1 of 2. Spare shells are available at most stores that carry the gun itself, in packs of 6, and in 3 different colors, red, black, and green. The gun holds one shell at a time, and is secured by the shell door, as well as a small rod that locks in the rear of the shell. The shell is installed by pulling back the shell release lever, located near the trigger guard, and allowing the shell door to open. After that, you can insert the shell, front first, followed by rocking the back in until it locks. You can then close the shell door, locking the shell in place.
Shell labels 
Gold finish on the shell base
Performance:
This is what everyone wants to know about, how this model performs. Let me tell you, for the price, you won’t be disappointed. Chronoing in between 280 and 300 fps, using three bbs, it is a formidable weapon for CQB or mid range woodland use. The spread isn’t terribly predictable, but you can change it by using different weight bbs. The hop-up seems to be set for heavier bbs, such as .23s or .25s, as opposed to .20s.
At 40', the groupings are sub-4", and go up from there. Out at about 80', the grouping is about 14"-16", the width of the average male torso. From 80'-100', your hit probability drops drastically, as the bbs tend to start going everywhere. I would put the maximum effective range at approximately 85', as your chances of a hit with at least 1 bb are about 90%.
40' grouping using .20g bbs 
40' grouping using .28g bbs
As shown, short range groupings are similar, regardless of bb weight, but at longer ranges, the grouping stays tighter with heavier bbs. The hop-up works well enough for .25g bbs, but .28s are a little heavy for it. In order to shoot out to 80' with .28s, lobbing is required.
All in all, the performance is very good for CQB use, but a little stealth and skill, it can be used in mid-range woodland play as well. You have a 90% hit probability out to 80', which is perfect for CQB, but requires you to get close outdoors.
Internals:
The internals on this gun are made primarily of sturdy plastic. The spring guide, trigger sears, pistons, and cylinders are all plastic, and the gun uses a dual overlapped spring setup for propulsion. Like the TM, the tri-nozzle is plastic, and may be prone to breakage if you half pump the gun, and try to pump it again. Use care and ensure that you pump the gun fully when firing to prevent this.
 
Internals (Courtesy of UTG) Only one barrel is installed in the above picture
This gun is like the TM, in that it uses the same tri-nozzle, tri-barrel loading system to give it the multishot effect. Unfortunately, there is no adjustable hop-up on this, and I don't see a way to mod it to be adjustable.
Modifications:
Any mods that you can do to the TM M3, you should be able to do to this, including the G&P M1014 stock, mounting lights or lasers using barrel clamp systems, or custom molding a flashlight into the pump handle, amongst other things. Internal upgrades aren’t really that available, but it performs well enough on its own.
Pros:
Affordable – Less than $70 in most cases
3 bbs per shot
Good power - 280ish fps with 3 bbs
Decent externals
Uses realistic shells
Cons:
Heavy pump
Somewhat heavy trigger pull
Mostly plastic construction
Suffers from the same fragile loading system as the Marui
Overall:
Everyone has been asking for a true multishot affordable shotgun, and UTG has delivered. It truly is a Tokyo Marui clone, and its performance exceeds its price. The compact version is small enough to use as a backup, while the full stock version is perfect as a CQB or mid range woodland primary. Many thanks to UTG, www.caoc-a.com, and of course, www.airsoftretreat.com!
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Review Administrator
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Posts: 2,539
Registered: February 2004
Location: Wisconsin
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Author
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Red Cape Diver
2 Strikes
Registered: October 2008
Posts: 7
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Review Date: Wed October 8, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes |
Price you paid?: $76.00
| Rating: 8
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Positive aspects of the product (pros):
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Nice range and power. Good looking. Sturdy
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Cons:
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Heavy pump. Jams at times
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Very nice for close combat but not the greatest for open areas. A little bit of a wieght on that pump but you get used to it. Very nice power and a decent shotgun range. For under 100, you cant go wrong.
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![53_WinCE_.jpg](http://www.airsoftretreat.com/reviews/data/39/thumbs/53_WinCE_.jpg "UTG Mk.96 "Shadow Ops Sniper"")
;)
