The National Firearms Act (NFA) is a big burden for freedom-loving Americans. Some of us want a hearing-safe gun, a stock-on the pistol, or a shotgun with a barrel a little shorter than average. Most of the fun stuff in the gun world is heavily regulated under the NFA. This has led to an entire industry of people finding legal ways around the NFA. This produced the SIG brace, binary triggers, and firearms like the Remington Tac 14.

These 12 gauge firearms are not considered shotguns in the United States because shotgun is a legal term. For a shotgun to be a shotgun, it must have or have had or be redesigned to have a stock. A 12-gauge, pump-action gun does not have to be a shotgun; it doesn’t have to be anything technically.
The Remington Tac 14 is a firearm. It can’t be a short-barreled shotgun if it’s not a shotgun. This allows the Tac 14 to be NFA-free while rocking a 14-inch barrel. These guns could have as short a barrel as you want as long as they are at least 26 inches long. If shorter than 26 inches, it would become an AOW, another weapon regulated under the NFA.
Remington
Check out our video review here: https://youtu.be/4lxGd8blyes

The Shockwave Raptor Grip

The Shockwave Raptor grip allows the Remington Tac 14 to be over 26 inches with a 14-inch barrel. This design is a bird’s head grip orientated horizontally and not vertically. Combined with a 14-inch barrel, it creates a 26-inch overall length. The Tac 14 is the baby of the old-school Witness protection guns. Marshal’s Service issued the WitPro shotguns in the 1980s and ’90s. However, the grips are made from polymer instead of wood.

The Rundown on The Remington Tac 14

The Tac 14 is one of the Remington Express models, so it’s one of the cheaper 870s. MSRP sits at $443.05, but they sell for closer to 350ish street price. The gun does feature the excellent Magpul MLOK Forend. This allows you to add accessories right out of the box.

Notice the Hexmag Grip inserts.

Due to its steel billet receiver, this little “not a shotgun” weighs a hefty 5.65 pounds. For such a small gun, it has some heft to it. It has a 4+1 capacity with two and 3/4-inch shells. You are left with a simple bead sight. I was disappointed that Remington didn’t drill and tap for a scope base. A miniature red dot is perfect on these little guns.
I want to point out how smooth the action of pumping the gun is. The pump feels like it’s on ball bearings as it glides backward. There is no grit or stumble as the pump is actuated. It’s so smooth that it’s possible to pump the gun via inertia. It feels nice in hand. I appreciate little details like this with my ‘technically not a shotgun’ firearms.

Finish

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Remington having a few quality control pains regarding their finishes. Luckily, the Tac 14 has a solid finish. I’m not gentle on guns, and I live in a humid environment. This is the perfect combination for creating rust buckets.
Fortunately, I can say this isn’t an issue. I haven’t seen hide nor hair of surface rust on my Tac 14. The finish is evenly applied and hasn’t scratched or rubbed off after a few months of hard use.

Range Hot

If you’ve ever handled a pistol grip-only shotgun, you are likely familiar with a biting sting in your hand. We all know how painful the recoil is to your wrist. Immediately, most people will be turned off from the Remington Tac 14 because of that pain. Well, I have good news, that’s not a problem.
The bird’s head Shockwave Raptor grip is much more comfortable than a 90-degree pistol grip. The recoil is displaced much better than a standard pistol grip. Because of the horizontal nature of the grip, the recoil goes more upwards than rearwards. I’ve fired bird, buck, 3-inch slugs, and some Winchester PDX slugs. Never would I describe the recoil as painful.

A Party in the Hand

If you want a fun gun, this is the way to go. It’s a literal and figurative blast. The heavy recoil is part of the fun factor. Trying to aim, shoot, and cycle the gun is a challenge, and the challenge is what makes this gun so much fun. Aimed fire is possible and safe, but you’re limited to about 25 yards for effective fire.
The Tac 14 is not made for rapid fire. The smooth MLOK forend, combined with a lot of upward recoil, makes this an angry bull. Trying to rapid-fire this gun isn’t safe or even possible because it’s trying to buck out of your hand with every shot. Mossberg’s corn cob with strap forend is likely the safer rapid-fire option. The Magpul forend makes it easy to add a vertical grip that will aid in control.
I haven’t had any reliability issues with a few hundred rounds of birdshot and at least a hundred rounds of cheapo buckshot. The gun cycles easily and tosses the shells consistently. The controls are intuitive for right-handed shooters. My left-handed friends will have some troubles with the safety and pump release. The Mossberg Shockwave seems to be friendlier for left-handers.

Customization

Shockwave and Tac 14 – Courtesy Author and Kommando Blog
Since it’s still an 870, you can customize the gun. Remember, you can’t add a stock without changing the classification of the weapon. You can swap the forend at your heart’s content, swap the bead for a more proper sight, or tack on a side saddle to haul some extra ammo. As a Remington 870, the sky is pretty much the limit.

Final Thoughts

The important thing to realize about the Remington Tac 14 is that a proper shotgun with a stock is the better weapon. If you are looking for a home defense weapon, consider the standard Remington 870. If you want a fun gun, the Remington Tac 14 is perfect. It brings a smile to my face every time I pull the trigger. You bring This gun to the range to turn money into noise.