Best Bullpup Shotgun Options For Compact Defense [Tested]

There’s no need to go full-sized in a defensive smoothbore with bullpup shotguns around. We give you the best to guard hearth and home.

Gun design is fairly rote. By that I mean, there is an accepted configuration to a particular style of firearm, which is generally adhered to. Sure, there are tweaks here and there—different grip rake or fore-end—but overall anomalies aren’t tolerated. Unless you’re talking about the bullpup.

In 1901, Thorneycroft Carbine turned gun design on its ear reconfiguring the standard rifle design in a bid to shorten the overall length of British military rifles. It certainly did the job, but proved unwieldy in almost every other respect. Given this, the bullpup design should have been just another footnote. Except as materials and mechanical design advanced, so did the feasibility of the shortened system. Now today we have quite a few choices when it comes to these odd-ducks, particularly bullpup shotguns.

If you’re unfamiliar with what’s available in this unique gun niche, we’ve gathered a few of the best bullpup shotgun options available today. But before we touch upon them, perhaps we should go over some bullpup basics.

What Is A Bullpup And Why Would I Want One?

Essentially, the bullpup—be it bullpup shotgun or bullpup rifle—is simply a design that moves the action from above the trigger to behind it. It’s as uncomplicated as that and has a profound effect on performance. At the same time, it shortens the overall length of the firearm, while maintaining its ballistic potential. It’s quite a feat when you consider it.

The easiest way to shorten the length of a firearm is to trim down the barrel. Just like that, the gun is shorter. But you potentially pay a price in ballistic performance given most cartridges (or shotgun shells) produce more velocity through a longer bore. Conversely, the bullpup ignores barrel length and shortens the system by kicking everything back a few inches.

There are pros and cons to this approach, which we go in-depth on in our piece about bullpup rifles. But in thumbnail the ups and downs of the design are these:

Pros

• Compact size helps it excel in close-quarters
• Support hand closer to the muzzle makes it more controllable and nimble
• Mass closer to the body makes it easier to manage for longer periods of time
• Longer barrel improves ballistic performance

Cons

• Triggers tend to be poor and squishy
• Many are not friendly to lefties, ejecting spent rounds into the face
• Some designs, particularly ones with box magazines can be difficult to reload quickly
• Design is inherently tail heavy

Like any firearm design, the bullpup shotgun has its good and bad points. Some shooters might find it the perfect tool for their particular application. Others might chalk it up as just another useless twist to proven designs. If you don’t know where you fall but are interested in a bullpup shotgun or rifle, it’s worth doing your homework.

More than reading an article, try to find a gun range or dealer that has specimens you can test fire. Only after you’re behind the business end of a bullpup will you truly know if it’s the loyal companion you’ve been searching after.

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Are Bullpups Any Good?

For the most part, when manufactured by a reputable company, bullpup shotguns are a solid and fun addition to an arsenal. There’s a rub to this: there aren’t many reputable companies making this class of gun. It’s mind boggling how many bullpups there actually are on the market, many of which are a step above fly-by-night importers with dubious QC. While there are fine guns made in Turkey, buyers do have to beware because there are more factories turning out dumpster fires than quality guns in that region. The question you might ask yourself before rushing off to buy that $200 bullpup is: Is this deal too good to be true? The answer to this is typically yes.

How We Selected The Best Bullpup Shotguns

The shotgun is as common as bluegrass in the suburbs and is a class of firearm we Gun Digest editors have spent a lot of time behind the trigger. These include seasoned hunters, sporting clays competitors and in tactical games–such as 3-Gun. Our experience runs from gun enthusiast to veteran military and law enforcement, which gives us a pretty good cross-section of potential users. Based on our combined and hands-on experience with bullpup shotguns we chose the best off a number of criteria, the chief of these being:

• Reliability–does the gun actually run, because there are a lot of trash bullpups that do not.
• Ergonomics–Does the gun have an intuitive and familiar Manual Of Arms–was the gun comfortable and were the controls laid out in a logical fashion?
• Accessory Compatibility–Given many bullpups are import trash, built and sold quickly, many components–such as rails–are not in spec. We want our guns in spec.

Weighing these criteria and many others, we agreed these were the best bullpups from our standpoint. Now, onto the good stuff.

Best Bullpup Shotgun Comparison

Make/Model	Available Gauges	Overall Length (inches)	Barrel Length (inches)	Weight (pounds)	Action	Capacity	Frame	Sights	Choke	MSRP
S&W M&P 12	12	27.8	19	8.3	Pump-Action	12+1 3″ shells, 14+1 2 3/4″ shells	Polymer	Optics Rail	Rem Choke	$1,239
IWI Tavor TS12	12	28.34	18.5	9	Gas-Operated Semi-Auto	8+1 3″ shells, 10+1 2 3/4″ shells	Polymer	Optics Rail	Beretta, Benelli	$1,399
Rock Island Armory VRBP-100	12	32	20	7.94	Gas-Operated Semi-Auto	5+1	Polymer	Flip Up, Optics Rail	Beretta, Benelli	$599
Kel-Tec KSG	12, .410	26.1	18.5	6.9	Pump-Action	12+1 3″ shells, 14+1 2 3/4″ shells	Polymer	Optics Rail	Choke Tube Adaptor Sold Seperately (compatible with WinChoke)	$845
TriStar Compact Tactical	12	30	18.5	8.6	Gas-Operated Semi-Auto	10+1	Polymer	Flip Up, Optics Rail	Beretta, Benelli	$749
Escort Bultac SA	12, 20, .410	27.75	18	7	Gas-Operated Semi-Auto	5+1	Polymer	Detachable carry handle w/ fiber optic front ; Optics Rail	Fixed Cylinder	$350

Best Bullpup Shotguns

S&W M&P 12

M&P 12 Specs
Gauges Available: 12 (tested)
Overall Length: 27.8″
Barrel Length: 19″
Weight (Unloaded): 8.3 lbs.
Action: Pump-Action
Capacity: 12+1 3″ shells, 14+1 2 3/4″ shells
Frame: Polymer
Sights: Optics Rail
Choke: Rem Choke
MSRP: $1,239

What we like about Smith & Wesson is the pump-action 12-gauge boasts dual magazine tubes, providing a total capacity of 14+1 when loaded with 2 3/4-inch shells. The M&P 12 does feature a 3-inch chamber, however, so it can also be loaded with 12+1 3-inch shells–defensively, we’d go for the capacity over power. That’s us.

The M&P 12 also sports two pistol grips for better control, one rear and one forward on the pump, and both are modeled after the M&P pistol series which includes the ability to swap backstraps according to user preference. The total package is 27.8 inches long and weighs just over eight pounds unloaded, making its heft comparable to many of the other bullpup shotguns on this list. Unlike some of the other listed models, however, the M&P 12 sports fully ambidextrous, AR-15-style controls and its muzzle is compatible with Rem Chokes.

Other features on the M&P 12 include a loaded chamber indicator, Picatinny rail for optics, M-LOK for mounting accessories and a push-button assisted loading/unloading system. That being said, the complex loading process means that you will never want to top off in the middle of a defensive scenario, so hopefully the shotgun’s generous 15-round potential capacity proves large enough to get you through the fight.

In testing the M&P 12, we found the bullpup among one of the most reliable on the list with zero malfunctions in our time with it. This shouldn’t prove much of a surprise, given it is a pump-action. However, dual-tube ‘pups have been known to act wacky, particularly when jumping between the magazines. This certainly didn’t happen to us.

The gun felt good at the shoulder, though bucky on the trigger pull. We also appreciated the ambidextrous controls, as they not only made the gun lefty-friendly but truly tactical as well given how it facilitates easy operatation with either hand.

Overall, the gun ticks all the boxes to make it the overall best bullpup shotgun at present, except for price. Like all guns in this class, it’s plasticky, so the above $1,000 price tag feels steep.

M&P 12 Deals

Rock Island Armory VRBP-100

VRBP-100 Specs
Gauges Available: 12 (tested)
Overall Length: 32″
Barrel Length: 20″
Weight (Unloaded): 7.94 lbs.
Action: Gas-Operated Semi-Auto
Capacity: 5+1
Frame: Polymer
Sights: Flip Up, Optics Rail
Choke: Beretta, Benelli
MSRP: $599

Known for its economical 1911 pistols, Rock Island Armory has made a lot of noise lately on the shotgun front. While much of this has been accomplished in the AR-style shotgun realm, the gunmaker has expanded into bullpups with the VRBP-100. Shooters are lucky they have. The 12-gauge is a stout shooter, but inexpensive and effective.

The main draw of this bullpup shotgun is that it’s a gas-operated semi-automatic, quick shot-to-shot, and highly reliable. With time, when it comes to the gun’s reliability. RIA specifies a 500-round break-in period for its semi-automatics. While the gun wasn’t overly finicky in kicking shells early on, the further we pushed it the better it performed.

The VRBP-100 isn’t as tame as many semi-autos, we consider it a downright thumper, truth be told. Still, even with a kick, it remains a very nimble option and accurate at shotgun ranges.

If you’re a righty, the ergonomics are excellent. For a gun that falls in the budget category, we were surprised with how well RIA laid out the VRBP-100. The controls are right in reach and once you are familiar with the layout the gun is quick to manipulate. The only ping we give it here is the charging handle is not reversible, something lefties might not care for. And it left us scratching our collective heads because the gun boasts an ambidextrous safety and mag release.

The gun feeds off 5-, 9- and 19-round detachable box magazines, which gives it fairly ample firepower. However—as is the case with most bullpups—the mag well residing in the stock slowed down our reloads. If you’re dedicated to the system and work on it, I’m sure you’ll swap mags much faster than we did.

Finally, you can’t beat RIA’s price on this semi-auto bullpup. Sub-$600, the gun makes it well worth enduring its break-in period and we find it an overall potent choice in bullpup shotguns.

VRBP-100 Deals

Palmetto State Armory	$437
Sportsman’s Warehouse	$500

IWI Tavor TS12

TS12 Specs
Gauges Available: 12 (tested)
Overall Length: 28.34″
Barrel Length: 18.5″
Weight (Unloaded): 9 lbs.
Action: Gas-Operated Semi-Auto
Capacity: 8+1 3″ shells, 10+1 2 3/4″ shells
Frame: Polymer
Sights: Optics Rail
Choke: Beretta, Benelli
MSRP: $1,399

The elephant in the room is this is a mammoth bullpup shotgun. Not in length—it measures 28 inches (for reference, that’s 2 inches longer than a Mossberg Shockwave). But in bulk. Despite this, we found the TS12 surprisingly easy to manage, and paid us back for adapting to its size.

Much of the bullpup’s mild manners are thanks to the TS12’s gas-operated semi-automatic nature, and the 12-gauge does not want in firepower either. How about 15+1 shells on tap in a three-tube rotating magazine—a design point we like because it adds to the gun’s sci-fi good looks. Unfortunately, tube rotation is manual, but we found the procedure can be mastered through familiarity with the firearm. The only way IWI could onboard more ammo would be to go drum magazine, which by all accounts is as impractical as it is heavy.

We’d love to say IWI’s design makes for a true fighting shotgun—easy to maneuver and relatively comfortable to operate. Particularly obliging is a reversible charging handle that’s accessible and modifiable to the dominant hand or shooting style. Except, we did find the bullpup tended to malfunction.

In particular, failure to eject. Specifically, this occurred with lighter low-brass loads as it fared well with buckshot. Early on, we didn’t find setting the gas system to “L” (Light) did anything to alleviate the issues with bird shot. However, shooting the gun more did. We cleaned and lubed the gun, ran heavier loads, and then went back to birdshot. This reduced the failures to eject considerably. We believe the gun requires a break-in period before it hits its stride and—like many gas-operated shotguns–diligent cleaning and lubrication.

That out of the way, what we love about this gun is the TS12 is astonishingly light for its size, a scant 8 pounds and with an 18.5-inch barrel the bullpup is relatively nimble. The gun’s 3-inch chamber, M-Lok compatible rails, compatibility with Benelli/Beretta chokes and cross-bolt safety are also appreciated.

We wish we could suggest this gun as a defensive option but are tentative given the malfunctions. Still, we believe in a less serious role, the TS12 is out of sight and has the potential to become the most interesting gun in your safe.

Tavor TS12

Kel-Tec KSG

KSG Specs
Gauges Available: .410, 12 (tested)
Overall Length: 26.1″
Barrel Length: 18.5″
Weight (Unloaded): 6.9 lbs.
Action: Pump-Action
Capacity: 12+1 3″ shells, 14+1 2 3/4″ shells
Frame: Polymer
Sights: Optics Rail
Choke: Choke Tube Adaptor Sold Seperately (compatible with WinChoke)
MSRP: $845

The KSG, in some respects, is the granddaddy of the bullpup shotgun renaissance. I suppose that’s thanks to John Wick. Still, the Kel-Tec being long in the tooth doesn’t mean the gun is out to pasture. It’s certainly one we found cut muster in our testing and is still holding its own in this class of firearms.

Where we get excited about this gun is its compactness. At 26 inches, we flew through target transitions and found it easy to manipulate around cover. Plus, we can’t complain about the gun’s firepower. Twin-tube magazines give the shotgun impressive firepower, 15+1 2 ¾-inch shells and 12+1 3-inch shells. More than enough ammo on tap to get most jobs done.

Furthermore, the controls of the gun are comfortable and well laid out. Kel-Tec makes it easy to jump from one magazine to another via a selector switch behind the grip. The one addition we suggest is adding a hand stop to the slide—you’ll thank us later.

Convenient, the KSG loads very similarly to a traditional pump-action, through a bottom port. Conceivably, this should make it simpler to load on the fly–but trust us, it’s still a slog given it takes a lot to juice this gun. However, it makes it lefty-friendly, given that spent shells eject out of the same port downwards.

To the bad, the all-things-in-one-port design makes clearing malfunctions lengthy. We had to invert the gun in most cases to clear failures to eject—not optimal. Then there’s the factor of malfunctions in general.

This has always been the knock against the KSG and mainly had to do with feed issues early in its life. Much of this has been ironed out by Kel-Tec redesigning the troublesome parts. Now if it occurs, it’s generally an operator error. In our case, the failures all occurred when short-stoking the slide.

One last point, the gun is a kicker and not exactly something you want to take out for a couple rounds of skeet. Then again, the gun wasn’t designed for clay. It’s a fighter and if run properly fills that role.

KSG Deals

Scheels	$530
Palmetto State Armory	$727

TriStar Compact Tactical

Compact Tactical Specs
Gauges Available: 12 (tested)
Overall Length: 30″
Barrel Length: 18.5″
Weight (Unloaded): 8.6 lbs.
Action: Gas-Operated Semi-Auto
Capacity: 10+1
Frame: Polymer
Sights: Flip Up, Optics Rail
Choke: Beretta, Benelli
MSRP: $749

Better known for its classy and economical field and range shotguns, TriStar has also tried its hand in the tactical end of the market. The Compact Tactical is the result and offers shooters a fairly tidy package with one of the most affordable price tags on the market.

As things go, we like the Compact Tactical given it’s essentially an AK shotgun, though looks nothing like one at first blush. But from it’s lever safety, paddle release, side charging, and rock-and-lock mags—it’s all there. For our editors who live and breathe Russian guns, running this was like slipping into an old pair of shoes.

The other surprising point, the trigger is not a hot mess—as is the case with many bullpups. The break is very acceptable, though the reset is a little craggy. And the gun’s recoil is very acceptable, even boarding on superb.

A few of the down points, the gun has an adjustable gas block so it can run a load of different shells. However, we found when set for heavier loads, it most certainly wouldn’t kick birdshot. Then there’s the issue of adjusting the gas block, which we despised, given you’ve got to take the Compact Tactical upper body off, which involves screws. Eesh.

Then there’s the elephant in the room—the bullpup’s looks. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, particularly with bullpups. But for many on the Gun Digest editorial team, Tri-Star’s offering pushes the limit on acceptable aesthetics. Finally, it’s the least compact offering of our choices—a full 30 inches long. At this point, it is almost a deal breaker, given the whole appeal of bullpups is their compact size.

All that said, we can’t help but like the Compact Tactical. It runs well and offers you Saiga familiarity. There is a lot to appreciate in that.

Compact Tactical Deals

Escort BullTac SA

Escort BullTac SA Specs
Gauges Available: .410, 20, 12 (tested)
Overall Length: 27.75″
Barrel Length: 18″
Weight (Unloaded): 7 lbs.
Action: Gas-Operated Semi-Auto
Capacity: 5+1
Frame: Polymer
Sights: Detachable carry handle w/ fiber optic front , optics rail
Choke: Fixed cylinder
MSRP: $350

Save Smith & Wesson jumping into the bullpup game there have been few new entries of note lately in this class of gun. The BullTac SA is the exception.

Manufactured by Hatsan (yes, of airgun fame), the gun is not a bad option for those who want to add a bullpup to their collection but not break the bank doing so. In short, it’s a fun gun that could push into the defensive realm and is worth its sub-$400 price tag.

The gun to us is straightforward, simply a single-tube pump-action. While the capacity game has driven bullpups in recent years, there is something to be said about sticking to the tried and true. And in the case of the BullTac, this equates to a highly reliable shotgun. We tested the 12-gauge version and didn’t come up with a single malfunction, aided by a very workable slide.

The gun is comfortable too. The editors found the gun fit at the shoulder and the controls were intuitive and in reach, with a shotgun mainstay cross-bolt safety and a loading port typical to most pumps—though further back. Also, we like the side ejection port, which should cut down on clearing malfunctions—we can’t say, we didn’t have one.

To the pros, we also liked the carrying handle with the pic rail, which gives the gun a unique look and the stop at the end of the pump, which improved cycling the gun. Finally—though we only tested the 12—we love Escort/Hatsan offers this gun in multiple gauges and we’d love to give the 20 a day in court.

On to the bad. It’s a 5+1 capacity shotgun, given it’s imported from Turkey. Honestly, this is a minor ding, given that 6 rounds are ample for a lot of situations, plus the BullTac loads quickly. But we agree that it might not suit some folks’ needs.

All that said, we like this gun and think it’s a worthy addition to our list. Given its price, the BullTac punches above its weight.

Bulltac SA

Bullpup Shotgun FAQ

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Updates: February 2025: Removed UTAS UTS-15, added Escort Bultac SA.

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Adam Borisenko contributed to this article.