Many casually dismiss shotguns as no longer viable; either being smoothbore relics associated with WWI trenches or police cruiser icons that have been surpassed by the plethora of “black” rifles now on the market. The shotgun’s utility should not be doubted or held in disdain once its role is understood and applied correctly.

Whatever the label, i.e., combat/tactical/self defense, shotguns can be had in various forms ranging from double barrel, pump action, semi-automatic and, for good measure, even lever action. The Suarez Stakeout takes this a step further. Suarez labels its Stakeout as a modern “battle axe” meant to be deployed at close range by users capable of wielding its power.

The Stakeout features a textured, bird’s head pistol grip and 14-inch barrel. Do not stop reading this article by assuming it involves an exotic NFA Class 3 weapon. The Suarez Stakeout is able to be purchased with basic paperwork associated with most any other over-the-counter firearm purchase. A review of the Gun Control Act of 1968 that defines what a short-barrel shotgun consists of is the key. A shotgun that is manufactured from the start with a pistol grip and maintains an overall length greater than 26 inches is considered a firearm and not an NFA-regulated short-barrel shotgun; even with the 14-inch barrel.

The inherent flexibility of a shotgun, especially the pump action, to digest a variety of cartridge types such as birdshot, slug, buckshot, non-lethal, low recoil, breaching, etc., is its greatest attribute. The Suarez Stakeout tested herein is based on the Remington 870 pump-action 12-gauge shotgun. For sure, the Stakeout exudes an all-business air.

Research into the Stakeout concept shows its inception being a similar pattern shotgun used by the US Marshal Witness Protection teams. Other anecdotes mention various law enforcement units specializing in stake-out surveillance turning to the close-range firepower potential of the compact shotgun. High-value prisoner transport teams have also made use of shotguns similar to the Stakeout’s design.

Suarez International has taken the basic Remington 870 pistol grip shotgun and turned it into a specialized close-quarter battle weapon. No one can be all knowing in every facet of a subject as broad as personal defense. One of the places I look to for keeping me informed and grounded is Suarez International (SI). SI contains different operating entities ranging from a training division, a tactical gear store, as well as custom firearm manufacturing. No matter the personal opinion of Suarez, one can be sure that any ideas presented by Gabe Suarez and then backed up with products are well thought out and proofed during numerous training cycles and personal application in the field under the most rigorous conditions. Suarez International is offering its own take on the pistol grip shotgun with its Stakeout model. Gabe has his own LE experience deploying a shotgun similar to the Stakeout. He has taken this experience and applied improvements to his company’s offering.

The SI Stakeout is customized with features such as a ported 14-inch barrel that is also polished; this allows for both recoil reduction and increased predictability of pattern. The Stakeout’s bolt and dual operating rods are tuned, polished and coated in Aqua Terra Plus Teflon Nickel finish. The trigger group is tuned for a crisp break with new springs added. The SI Stakeout’s receiver loading port and ejection ports are de-horned, opened and polished for better ergonomics. A steel extractor is installed for increased durability/reliability. A textured forend and bird’s head pistol grip is standard; with an optional textured Magpul forend and “Stakeout Strap” available as well. A Suarez extended safety is installed to improve manipulation. Heavy duty stainless magazine tube spring is installed along with a one-plus tube magazine extension. A green fiber optic front sight is installed. A grey rust-resistant finish is applied along with a magazine tube sling mount bracket to round off the Suarez custom touches.

We depend on subject matter experts for recommendations and guidance. This approach assists in getting us up to speed as quickly as possible when it comes to increasing skill sets. My testing of the SI Stakeout was based on Suarez’s well done videos and articles discussing best practices with the pistol grip shotgun. Why not take advantage of the initial developmental experimentation?

Firing from the hip is not the best way to deploy the Stakeout effectively. Bringing the SI Stakeout eye level, while keeping it out in front away from your face, produced the best on target results. Recoil was managed by maintaining forward pressure on the forend in conjunction with pulling rearward on the bird’s head pistol grip. Gabe describes it as trying to stretch the shotgun apart. Recoil with the 12-gauge Stakeout is stout, and anyone telling you any differently should be scrutinized. Proper technique is important as well as taking advantage of the growing amount of low recoil shotgun rounds becoming available. As Gabe puts in one of his excellent Blog posts, “… this (Stakeout) is not the weapon for the frail … it takes some physical power to wield this.”

The receiver of the Stakeout is made of steel with the bolt locking into a steel barrel extension. The extra weight from the steel receiver is appreciated versus competitors who use aluminum receivers. There is something re-assuring about the power of a shotgun for any close-range engagement, which is what most civilians and LE personnel face. In terms of personal defense, buckshot loads predominate. Yes, other loads exist, but frankly not relative to the role envisioned with the Stakeout. There are various types of buckshot, but we will confine our discussion to #00 buckshot generally loaded with 8-9 .33 caliber pellets weighing 54 grains each. (As a side note, many advocate the use of #7.5 or #8 birdshot in a shotgun for use in a home to limit any chance of over penetration. A column of birdshot at close range such as across a room is lethal due to not having time to disperse.)

The Suarez Stakeout was tested with Hornady American Gunner Reduced Recoil #00 and Federal Premium Low Recoil FliteControl #00 buckshot (9 #00 pellets). The Federal Premium buckshot load utilizes a special wad for tighter buckshot patterns—thus longer effective range. Based on prior experiences with numerous buckshot loads over the years, specialized buckshot loads, such as the Federal Premium FliteControl, are a primary choice. However, the role of the Stakeout as a close-range blunderbuss could justify the use of “normal” patterning buckshot represented by the Hornady American Gunner loads; just make sure to stick with reduced recoil loads. The newer buckshot loads with specialized wads could maintain too tight a pattern, limiting its greatest attribute of lead dispersion at distances most associated with practical Stakeout deployment. Users will have to determine what bests suits their needs.

Supplementing the buckshot for testing with the SI Stakeout is the innovative Winchester PDX 1 12ga loading combining a 1-ounce slug and three #00 pellets. The Winchester PDX 1 load harkens back to the “buck-n-ball” loads used by our forefathers against the British in the Revolutionary War and each other during the American Civil War. The Winchester PDX 1 12ga loads stretch preconceived 12ga lethality notions even further with their combination of slug and buckshot. Range testing of the Winchester PDX 1 raised eyebrows with its performance combining the best of both worlds for the combat shotgun—single projectile performance and 10-inch buckshot pattern spread out to 20 yards with one of the holes being made by the 1-ounce slug! If only one load is possible for use in a combat shotgun, the Winchester PDX 1 may very well be it.

The Stakeout is a close-range hammer and was treated as such for this review. The Stakeout was evaluated via drills involving moving between barricades; think emerging from a bedroom into a hallway. Another niche role the pistol grip shotgun found in the law enforcement arena is as CQB force multiplier, especially in/around vehicles. Echo Valley Training Center (EVTC) range cars were utilized simulating responding to bad breath distance ambush.

The Stakeout’s 5+1 capacity could be augmented by a Mesa Tactical four-shell carrier on the receiver. Frankly, the role for which the Stakeout is envisioned will not require more than this capacity. If a user requires more rounds, discrete carry in pockets is suggested.

Initial hesitancy/concern about recoil management was allayed thanks to proper firing technique as outlined by Suarez International and low recoil buckshot rounds. A rhythm was discovered to make the most of natural recoil impulse to rack the slide ejecting spent hull, load fresh shell and bring Stakeout back up to line of sight. Suarez has done numerous videos explaining, and better yet, showing what I am talking about.

This Suarez Stakeout’s simplicity/reliability and raw power exemplify why the 12-gauge pump action continues to attract users. If range is point blank, the near ¾-inch diameter bore is devastating. Buckshot natural dispersion as it travels downrange creates a firepower “cone.” A 6-inch diameter pattern at 10 yards translates into a one square foot area of terminal ballistic destruction. Eight or nine .33 caliber pellets smashing into a target is a fight stopper. The Suarez Stakeout is a specialized weapon created for close-range firepower superiority.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Suarez International www.suarezinternational.com
Echo Valley Training Center www.echovalleytraining.com
Federal Cartridge Company www.federalpremium.com
Hornady Mfg. www.hornady.com
Winchester Ammunition www.winchester.com

The operating standard for the combat shotgun is traditionally that of pump-action, fed via a tube magazine located under the barrel; John Browning showed the way with the Model 1897. There have been lever and bolt action shotguns as well, but these did not threaten the pump action’s dominant status. This is based on the latter’s simplicity of operation, reliability and ability to handle a multitude of ammunition types. While semi-automatic shotguns have showed capability, few have demonstrated the “hell and back” reliability necessary to gain the confidence of users. Leave it to the Russians to adapt their extremely reliable AK operating system to the combat shotgun, thus challenging assumptions of what a combat shotgun should be with a scaled-up, AK-style action fed from detachable magazines.

Unfortunately, politics has again denied access to Russian-manufactured weapons. Fortunately, Legacy Sports International has been able to access a source of Turkish-manufactured AK shotguns in the form of the Citadel RS-S1.

AK-Style Design

The Citadel RS-S1 uses a rotating bolt operated by gas-piston à la AK. For clarity’s sake, Gennady Nikonov is the Russian designer responsible for taking Kalashnikov’s AK design and adapting it into shotgun form. Thankfully, not believing in capitalism, the communists neglected to patent-protect designs. Obviously, a 12-gauge shell is much larger than a 7.62×39 rifle round. The 12-gauge’s flat hull design further compounded design adaptation issues, especially in terms of magazine design. In brief, the rear and forward trunnions needed reinforcement, along with shortening of the op-rod piston and modification of the bolt carrier to permit shell clearance during the ejection process in the firing cycle. The bolt head and top cover opening were enlarged to allow the accommodation and clearance, respectively, of the larger 12-gauge shell face.

Though modified to meet import requirements via a mono stock that connects to a pistol grip, an AK operating system is still at the heart of the RS-S1 shotgun. The Citadel RS-S1 is all business with its matte black finished receiver and its enlarged-diameter, chrome-lined, 20-inch barrel, which includes internally threaded Beretta/Benilli-compatible chokes with a Modified choke provided. The RS-S1 is compatible with Molot Vepr accessories such as magazines, buttstocks and so on. Standard AK sights are present. However, the tilt-open dust cover with an integral rail over the receiver screams out for a red dot. A SIG SAUER ROMEO4 was mounted. The overall length of the RS-S1 is 40 inches, and its weight is 8 pounds. Two five-round detachable magazines arrive in the foam-lined hard plastic case. The magazines do feature a last round hold open feature as well as not requiring to be “rocked” into place as for a typical AK—simply insert straight into the magazine well. Both features are huge improvements to the original Russian Saiga design.

Operating Action

The AK operating action is the gold standard for reliability in assault rifles, with the Legacy Sports Citadel RS-S1 following this pattern. The RS-S1 is intended as for sporting/competition purposes, with an obvious default role to play in self-defense. We should guard against being biased against the AK-based magazine-fed system because of our proclivity for tube-fed designs. The magazine-fed RS-S1 positively impacts handling by locating the ammunition at the center of the weapon, which allows faster handling. The RS-S1 forces deviation from previously instilled training with tube-fed shotguns, such as “shoot 2 reload 2” tactics. The RS-S1 is closer to an assault rifle in its manual of arms than it is to the tube-fed shotgun most are more familiar with.

Firepower

The shotgun’s utility should not be doubted or held in disdain once its role is understood. The “combat” shotgun has been around for centuries, dating well back to muzzle-loading era. The shotgun’s popularity is derived from the ability to hit targets at moderate ranges better than any other weapon with its cone of firepower. British studies of the 1960 Borneo conflict and recent Joint Service Combat Shotgun Program show that “the probability of hitting [a] man-sized target with a shotgun was superior to that of all other weapons.” This is referring to buckshot, which sends multiple projectiles downrange to inflict damage at up to 75 yards. The British study on battle statistics proved the shotgun to be the most effective short-range weapon, with a hit probability 45% greater than an SMG and 100% greater than an assault rifle. Yes, the smaller individual buckshot pellets are comparable to a small-caliber handgun in wounding potential, but firing multiple projectiles increases the likelihood of hits and therefore damage.

There is something re-assuring about the power of a shotgun for any close-range engagement, which is what most civilians and Law Enforcement face. In terms of personal defense, buckshot loads predominate. A multitude of load options do exist. There are various buckshot loads/sizes. We will confine our discussion to #00 buckshot and #4 buckshot. #00 is generally loaded with eight to nine .33-caliber pellets weighing 54 grains each. #4 buckshot utilizes .24-caliber pellets weighing 21 grains each, with up to 27 pellets on board depending on the brand. As a side note, many advocate the use of #7.5 or #8 birdshot in a shotgun for use in a home to limit any chance of overpenetration. A column of birdshot at close range, such as across a room, is lethal due to the minimal dispersion of the shot column, while penetration characteristics are simultaneously minimized due to the lightness of the individual pellets.

The Legacy Sports Citadel RS-S1 was tested with Hornady American Gunner Reduced Recoil #00 and Federal Premium Low Recoil FLITECONTROL #00 buckshot (9 #00 pellets). While both of these reduced recoil loads functioned/cycled the RS-S1 fine, other reduced recoil loads did not. This is not the fault of either shotgun or ammunition; just the way it is when it comes to running reduced recoil shotshells in any semi-automatic shotgun. RS-S1 owners, or anybody else with other brands of semi automatic shotguns are urged to proof all loads before considering serious use.

The Federal Premium buckshot load utilizes a special wad for tighter buckshot patterns—thus longer effective range. However, the role of the RS-S1 as a close-range blunderbuss could justify the use of “normal” patterning buckshot represented by the Hornady American Gunner load. The newer buckshot loads with specialized wads could maintain too tight a pattern limiting its greatest attribute of lead dispersion at distances most associated with shotgun deployment. For example, the Federal FLITECONTROL at 20 yards produced patterns in the 6-inch range. The standard buckshot generated a 5-inch pattern at 10 yards. Users will have to determine what bests suits their needs.

Supplementing the buckshot for testing was the Winchester PDX 1 12-gauge loading combining a 1-ounce slug and three-#00 pellets. The Winchester PDX 1 load harkens back to the “buck-n-ball” loads used by our forefathers against the British in the Revolutionary War and each other during the Civil War. The Winchester PDX 1 loads stretch preconceived 12-gauge lethality notions even further with its combination of slug and buckshot. Range testing of the Winchester PDX 1 raised eyebrows with its performance combining the best of both worlds for the combat shotgun—single projectile performance and 10-inch buckshot pattern spread out to 20 yards with one of the holes being made by the 1-ounce slug! If only one load is possible for use in a tactical shotgun, the Winchester PDX 1 may very well be it.

The Citadel RS-S1 is a close range hammer and was treated as such for this review. The shotgun was evaluated via drills involving moving between barricades; think emerging from a bedroom into a hallway or running and gunning in a 3-Gun match. Echo Valley Training Center (EVTC) range cars were utilized simulating responding to bad breath distance ambush. A couple hundred rounds comprising of buckshot, birdshot, and even slugs were fired from the RS-S1. No issues were encountered once certain low recoil rounds were removed from consideration. The RS-S1’s long stroke gas-operated action is simple, effective, and reliable as expected considering it is derived from the AK operating system. Disassembly for maintenance is simple and allows for effective cleaning in minimal time. Anyone that is familiar with the AK rifle will be right at home on the Legacy Citadel RS-S1 shotgun.

Smooth Simplicity

The Legacy Sports International Citadel RS-S1’s simplicity/reliability and raw power exemplify why the 12-gauge continues to attract users. Eight or nine .33 caliber pellets smashing into a target is a fight stopper. Use in a competition setting is just as viable. The AK-type semiautomatic operating system is renowned for fast cycling and taming recoil, which is perfect for running through a 3-Gun course of fire. The ability to change magazines for reload versus shoving shells into a tube is a plus. The AK-like RS-S1 has its own unique characteristics that need to be accepted for the most efficient use of the platform. An oversized safety lever tab aids in safety lever manipulation. Unlike some other AK shotgun variants, the RS-S1 had no issue with locking in place a loaded magazine on a closed bolt. The bolt hold open feature was another advantage.

The SIG SAUER ROMEO4 sight proved an enhancement to the RS-S1. It is important to remember to mount a red dot as close as possible to the rail; that is, do not use an elevated setup more typical of an AR rifle. This will take advantage of the natural cheek weld present on the RS-S1. The ROMEO4 gave nothing up in terms of CQB ranges, especially with the “circle with dot” reticle chosen. A great handling test for any shotgun, especially one to be used in a quick reacting scenario, is shooting clay targets. This also verifies reliability with ammunition with less recoil impulse than slugs or buckshot and helps get more rounds fired to verify operating soundness. Winchester #7.5 shot was used with no issue. The ROMEO4 red dot had no problem at all while the eye focused on the flying clay target and the red dot sight led it.

Worthy Alternative

The Legacy Sports International Citadel RS-S1 is a significant upgrade over other standard AK-style shotguns arriving in the U.S. Vepr-type magazines that insert directly into the magazine well and are not reliant on the bolt being back for loading are a nice touch. Finishing this sentiment is the integral rail on the tilt-up dust cover ready made to mount an optic. The magazine-fed RS-S1 is a different beast entirely to an eight-round tube-fed shotgun. Time with the Legacy Sports International RS-S1 will convince you that the AK-style shotgun is worthy of consideration as an alternative to the tube-fed shotgun.

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