Gun Of The Week: Davidson’s Exclusive KelTec KS7

Welcome to another American Rifleman Gun Of The Week video, we’re on the range today with KelTec’s KS7 bullpup shotgun. However, this particular shotgun isn’t like the other KS7s we’ve seen, and that’s because Davidson’s has added a convenient upgrade for its network of dealers. Watch the video above to see this exclusive bullpup shotgun in action.

With Davidson’s being one of the largest firearm distributors in the country, the company can work with manufacturers to craft unique models and product combinations for their buyers. The resulting configurations from the Davidson’s network of dealers are designs you just can’t find anywhere else. With this KS7, what Davidson’s has done is include a really convenient feature that is normally an optional extra through KelTec. This Picatinny railed KS7 makes it easy to mount a red-dot sight, and it’s a handy upgrade that comes without any additional cost.

We’ve shot the KelTec KS7 before on “Gun of the Week,” and we’re big fans of the platform. So much so that, for 2020, we named it as our “Shotgun of the Year.” We noted that “the KS7 retains the bullpup design from the KSG, providing owners with a short, handy defensive tool loaded with potent 12-gauge shotshells.” Several years later, that’s still true, and the built-in Davidson’s upgrade makes it even handier. The factory version of the KS7 comes with an enlarged carry handle featuring a built-in sighting system with a bright, fiber-optic bead for easy aiming. The design definitely makes it easy to carry, but it isn’t so easy to mount an optic. If you’re looking to top the gun with a red dot, well, KelTec offers an optional upgrade that replaces the carry handle with a 30-slot Picatinny optics rail. However, this rail costs extra, and then you have to do the install yourself. With this Davidson’s Exclusive, all the work has been done for you, and the price is the same as the standard KS7!

With the addition of the optics rail, this fast-handling bullpup shotgun becomes even more versatile. Due to its compact size measuring just over 26” long, it’s ideal for use in tight quarters and makes for a great home-defense option. Mounting a red-dot sight makes it even easier to get on target in low light. Thanks to its bullpup design, there’s plenty of room for shotshells in its single tube magazine, which holds up to seven 2 ¾ 12-ga. shotshells. The cylinder bore barrel measures 18.5” long, the minimum length for a non-NFA shotgun, so it’s as compact as it gets without ATF paperwork.

Unloaded, the KelTec KS7 weighs in at just under 6 lbs., which is pretty light for a 12-ga. shotgun. Thankfully, KelTec includes a generously sized rubber recoil pad at the rear that softens the blow from fired shells. We found the pump-action mechanism worked smoothly, and we appreciated the addition of the hand stop on the forearm that kept our support hand behind the muzzle. The cross-bolt safety located just behind the trigger guard was intuitive to use, and we also appreciated the downward ejection at the rear, which makes this design accessible to both left- and right-handed shooters. KelTec is known for thinking outside the box when it comes to firearm designs, and the KS7 with this built-in upgrade from Davidson’s is one of the most practical packages to date from the Florida firearm company.

Davidson's Exclusive KelTec KS7 Specifications
Distributor: GalleryOfGuns.com
Action Type: pump-action, bullpup shotgun
Gauge: 12; 3" chamber
Receiver: matte-black steel
Barrel: 18.5"
Sights: none; Picatinny rail
Magazine: tubular with view ports; seven-round capacity
Stock: textured black polymer, rubber recoil pad
Overall Length: 26.1"
Weight: 5 lbs., 14.4 ozs.

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