Review For DE Tri-shot Shotgun Fullstock

This is bishop's review of the D.E. full stock shotgun. Angel will change this as he sees fit.

I picked this gun up on sale (impulse buy!) I've been curious about the tri-shots, and i need a good CQB weapon.

First impressions: the gun came in the same box they all seem to come in. so I'll skip that.

This gun looks sexy! you hold it in your hands, and there are no doubts. you are not holding a toy! plastic frame... that's not great. but this is a $40-$60 gun so we can't complain. it looks and handles like a shotgun should. this airsoft replica use shot shell shaped magazines that are fed into the gun. they hold about 30 rounds (mag springs need to be broken in a bit. the gun comes with one shell (buy more (+-$15 for 6))

a big thing that i noticed when i picked up the gun was it's ambidexterity. everything except the mag release is fully ambidextrous. the safety, sling mounts, and pump-action are just as good for a right or left handed shooter. the feel of the gun is right. the pump shotgun is a very intuitive design, but form is nothing without function. so it's time to shoot it

I loaded up a few shell mags with the included speed loader (they are hard to load by hand), hit the mag release, put in the shell, and was ready to go. i'm shooting at a big oak tree about forty feet away. the oak tree is a big target and I can see the white bbs hit it against the snowy backdrop of Michigan in the winter. I pump the first shot, it takes some oomph, but i pull the trigger and the gun goes off with a very impressive bark and three bbs hit in a four inch cluster right where i aimed them. lets break that last sentence down...

pumping takes some force. this gun does have a strength requirement. for any dungeons and Dragons players, I would call the requirement to fire it 10 (totally average) and you should be at a 12-13 (above average, but not a body builder) to fire it all day. the spring in this gun is very strong (like a standard spring shotgun times three... or something) and you will have to be strong enough to pull it back. this is my biggest problem with the gun, but it's not a problem for me, so consider it before purchase

This gun makes a distinctive sound when fired. just like the weapon it emulates. this replica makes an impressive bark, that makes for an intimidating experience. let me clarify, loud by airsoft standards, not by gun standards.

the gun has a spread pattern much like a shotgun should, that is, not nearly as big a video games have you believe. this gun will not take out three zombies standing shoulder to shoulder at five feet. it could take out clustered up opponents from about 70 feet on (another reason not to cluster up) there is a beautiful exception. slam firing (holding the trigger while pumping the gun) increases spread. i don't know why. that same tree has a +- 16 inch spread when slam fired. this can be used to your advantage at close ranges.

the guns accuracy drops off dramatically at about eighty feet at seventy five feet, you can aim at a stationary torso center of mass and expect to hit it every time. the spread goes wild shortly thereafter. the bbs do carry quite a ways 150+ feet, but it's the middle of winter, so its hard to get accurate data. this, like it's namesake, is not a distance weapon.

story time. we're organizing a new airsoft group, and i had some friends over to pitch airsoft to them. they took an immediate interest the gun, because it's cool and in the right price range. I handed it too...I'll temporally codename them the Wizard, and Kitten. anyway, I handed it to Wizard. he had never handled an airsoft replica before. he intuitively knew how to use it, and loved it so much, he's ordered one. Kitten, tried to use it, but wasn't strong enough to work the pump. I handed her one of our single shot springers... her spas 12 is now in the mail. we broke out my JG AK. they loved that as well, but thought of that as an investment down the road.

this is a great entry level gun! the price is right, it's useful, it emulates what it's supposed to be well. it's good for CQB at any skill level. for milsims, shotguns are employed by all armies on earth, so it will fit with whatever team your on.

conclusion. I have a hard on for this gun. if your strong enough to work it. add it to your collection. tri shots go on sale from time to time, so watch the sites. this makes a great starter gun, loaner for when you've got a newbie, if you're playing in a springer only game (I recommend them from time to time) your sitting pretty with this. if you're into CQB, this is a must have for somebody on the team (breach man) and is a good conversation piece. I have some doubts on it's overall durability, but you shouldn't expect it to last forever, and you only spent $50 on it. I wish they made a "full metal" version of the gun, but i think that the manufacturers view this as "just a springer".

overall
4 out of 5. the plastic frame weakens the gun. it's my only real problem with it. it does what it's supposed to do, the price is right. I can't give a point value to a strength requirement, you should know if you're borderline, and most guns can be returned if it's not for you.