Garand Thumb Test-Fires a Collector's AA-12 Automatic Shotgun

Garand Thumb got hands-on time with an actual AA-12, the 12-gauge best known from Call of Duty, and put it through live fire before an early extractor finally gave out. The gun belongs to a collector, who walked through the design and broke it down for the camera.

Key points

• Cyclic rate: The AA-12 runs around 300 rounds per minute, and that rate shifts with the load, with buckshot cycling faster than birdshot.
• Recoil system: A long-stroke gas piston paired with constant recoil, similar in concept to the Ultimax and Swedish K, keeps the bolt spring-loaded through the whole cycle for a smoother shooting impulse.
• Build and reliability: The stainless steel frame resists corrosion, but Garand Thumb says the small parts and open-bolt design are finicky, and he's skeptical it was ever ready for serious military use.
• Magazines: The 20-round drum mags worked well in testing, but they're long out of production and now essentially irreplaceable.
• Maintenance quirk: The owner found the gun ran better dirty than freshly cleaned.

Quick take

Garand Thumb's verdict is blunt: the AA-12 isn't the most reliable shotgun ever built, but he still calls it the coolest.

Watch the full video: Garand Thumb