MAC1014

OH, LORD!…. ANOTHER TURKISH SHOTGUN….. OR IS IT?!

So what is this MAC1014? I had no clue what this clunk of metal wrapped in beautiful wood even was. Let me explain!

In August 2023, Tim and I assisted Tom Givens with Rangemaster’s Shotgun Instructor Course in Oklahoma. We also met many good people and some really good “shotgun slingers”! During the class, something caught our eye. It even caught the eye of Reverend Tom! ( I assume that’s what everyone calls him, due to his teaching “The Gospel of the Gauge.”) 

Back and forth, we passed by this interesting-looking shotgun on the line. Glancing and wondering what it was. I had asked Tim, and he said he thought it was a Benelli M4 or something like that, but we needed to check. During a break, I wondered what in the world it was. That is when I got to know Adam and Geoff from SDS Imports, and I am sure glad I did! Great guys and company, but I’ll let you decide for yourself. 

So, after speaking with them, I discovered it was a Turkish clone of the Benelli M4…. My thoughts were as follows:

Boy, was I wrong! It made it through! It made it through with flying colors. After the class was about to finish, the SDS fellas brought in a bunch of their shotguns for people to handle and play with. I couldn’t get enough of the MAC1014! Tim and I still needed to figure it out, though. We were not sold on it just yet. So, of course, we decided to give it a whirl!

Fast forward a few weeks, Tim and I received the MAC1014’s from SDS Imports (Military Armament Corporation). 

Initial Thoughts: 

I was happy yet still skeptical when opening it out of the package. It was packaged well and neatly secured in plastic, foam, and cardboard. It felt good in my hands, a little heavy, though. The wood and metal felt like quality material, and I liked the checkering on the grip a lot. The action and manipulations of the shotgun felt smooth and natural. One of my biggest concerns was the tiny bolt release button. Also, the stock and length of pull were a bit long for me; however, I have gotten so used to an extended length of pull due to duck hunting that it wasn’t a deal breaker. I will add that I was worried about the length of pull for a self-defense shotgun. After opening the gun up, I went to test it out and “break it in.” In the first shots, I was intrigued by the recoil. It had more of a push backward into the shoulder, similar to shooting a rifle with a silencer on it. It didn’t have much muzzle rise, and with the excellent push-pull technique, the entire recoil was mitigated, and it was very manageable and comfortable to shoot. So far, so good! The small bolt release button became a problem and was annoying to press when doing emergency reloads or administrative loading. My first thoughts of shooting the shotgun were good, though. I still didn’t trust it just yet.

Let’s fast forward again. After about 300 rounds with only one malfunction, I wanted to bring it to one of my shotgun classes and let my students try it out. Oh, and that one malfunction was due to a light load birdshot shell and could have been user-induced, or it just needed to be broken in. Haven’t had one malfunction since, but I will get to that in my final thoughts. During and after the class, I asked my students their thoughts. Everyone seemed to enjoy it except for just a couple of issues. The ones I have already mentioned. After testing it more and bringing it to several classes for students to try, I figured it out! With just a little tweaking and additions, I could make this MAC1014 sing! So I went to my shop. I tore the shotgun apart and figured out what I would want for a reliable home defense shotgun. I am absolutely sold on the Beretta 1301 and A300 series; while fabulous out of the box, those take time and money to make it the shotgun I love (but I am bougie in that way – haha). 

It didn’t take much time or money to make the MAC1014 shotgun rotate into my home defense shotgun collection. While in my shop, I ordered a new and straightforward paddle for the bolt release, a magazine extension tube, and a more oversized charging handle for the bolt and took the stock to a bandsaw! I cut it down to about 12 ½ “length of pull for me, and it worked perfectly! Tim did the same but took his to be cut down by our incredible gunsmith, and it turned out perfect! Let’s wrap this up. At the end of it all, and to simplify everything, I RECOMMEND THIS SHOTGUN!

Pros:

• Budget-friendly
• Semi-Automatic
• Recoil Impulse feels good (more of a push instead of muzzle rise)
• Interchangeable chokes
• Heavy and helps with recoil
• Cheap accessories that match/fit the Benelli M4
• Accurate/Patterns well
• Soft recoil

Cons:

• The bolt release is small and hard to push. (I hear that SDS plans to change that soon)
• A little heavy
• Small charging handle
• Length of pull is too long out of the box (I hear that SDS intends to change that soon)

Final Thoughts:

There has been a negative stigma revolving around Turkish shotguns for some time now, but this firearm changed that for me! The MAC1014 is good out of the box, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a reliable, budget-friendly, user-friendly, semi-automatic shotgun. I put this shotgun through a great deal of testing, and I am pleased. It does need a couple of tweaks and additions, but for the price point and reliability, it is an excellent option for an addition to your home defense shotgun selection!

Thanks for your time,