FedArm SS12 Model MBP1218 12 Gauge

GUN TESTS GRADE: F

$134

The FedArm SS12 is designed for compact storage as the shotgun nearly folds in half. Our sample sported a matte-black barrel with a bright aluminum receiver. The barrel had a brass-bead front sight. It wasn’t roll marked nor stamped with the choke constriction, but we measured it and determined it was Full. The stock and fore end are black polymer with checkered gripping areas. The recoil pad was hard rubber with a fine texture that did all it could to completely transfer recoil directly to your shoulder pocket. At 4.8 pounds, the lightest of all the shotguns, the FedArm kicked like the proverbial mule. We didn’t know whether to whinny or hee-haw, so we did both. Sling swivels were installed and we like that feature. A cut out in the fore end allows the barrel to fold over the trigger guard.

To open the action, the shooter pulls the black polymer trigger guard to the rear. The barrel rotated open by just pulling back on the trigger guard. We did notice upon closing the action the trigger guard snaps back into place, and it can pinch your middle finger if you were gripping the pistol grip close to the trigger guard.

Until we went to the range, all looked okay with the FedArm. Starting with birdshot, we found the firing pin was not hitting the primer hard enough. We dry-fired the trigger a few times and felt the firing pin protrude a bit more, but we couldn’t get the game loads to fire. The trigger pull was more than 11 pounds, which was gosh awful. We moved on to the S&B 00 buck, and that fired, giving us a 4-inch pattern, but when we tried to eject the empty shell, the extractor slid pass the brass rim. We used a cleaning rod to tap out the stuck shell. We moved to the Hornady 00 buck and patterned it at 5 inches, and again, the extractor tore through the brass rim of the empty shell. Two rounds fired, and we had two failures to extract. We stopped at that point because the gun was not operating and caused us fits of frustration.

Our Team Said: We think the FedArm is a good idea poorly executed and supported. We have had bad experiences with guns in the past and in most — if not all — cases the manufacturer/importer made good. Not the case with FedArm. We repeatedly contacted them and they told us they did not warranty nor provide service support for guns sold through certain dealers. Their website states: “100% Satisfaction Guarantee on all FedArm products: If you have any issues with the quality/fit/function of your shotgun upon purchase, FedArm will resolve any issues immediately through free repair or replacement. If you are not happy with the product, FedArm will pay to have it shipped back. FedArm strives for 100% customer satisfaction and will go out of its way to ensure only the top service for its dealers and customers.” Then the fine print in Terms And Conditions states: “Warranty Disclaimer: This site and the materials and products on this site are provided ‘as is’ and without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied.” We even offered to pay for shipping and repairs, but FedArm refused to repair the gun, even on our dime. FedArm did not respond to email inquiries asking for a comment on the gun’s malfunctioning or on the lack of service. We would not buy this gun.

12 Gauge Range Data