Several classes of weapons became famous in the First World War, and these were not only machine guns. US soldiers quickly noticed that the Winchester Model 1897 pump-action shotgun was more than effective in trenches. Regardless of the ammunition used - shot or bullet - the stopping effect of this weapon was beyond praise. True, this very action looked very, very inhumane, although effective. With the advent of submachine guns, and then machine guns, the use of pump-action guns in the armies almost disappeared, and they finally established themselves in the status of a hunting and police weapon.
The special forces were especially fond of the "pump guns": for example, during the assault on a building (conditions, to a certain extent, close to those of the trenches), one shot was enough to incapacitate a criminal. But all pump-action shotguns had several disadvantages characteristic of this class. Firstly, these are the dimensions and weight - with a long gun, you don't really run along narrow corridors. The second problem is the lack of automatic fire. The first drawback was solved by installing a folding stock on already existing models, or abandoning it altogether. With the second fighters had to put up.
In 1995, the new MAG-7 gun was released. It was developed by the South African firm Techno Arms (PTY) Ltd. commissioned by the South African police. Like other police, the South African required special weapons to work in confined spaces, with all its inherent features.
The size issue was solved in a very original way: instead of the tube magazine, which is traditional for pump-action weapons, the MAG-7 gun received a box-type shotgun. Moreover, it is not located anywhere, but in the pistol grip, as in submachine guns like the Israeli Uzi or the English Ingram MAC-10. Perhaps this is the main reason why the MAG-7 has an unusual appearance for a "pump". However, rifle cartridges tend to be large and the grip must be sized for use. The Techno Arms designers conducted a number of studies and came to the conclusion that for use in this weapon, it is possible to shorten the sleeve of the 12-gauge cartridge to 60 mm and slightly reduce the powder charge. In their opinion, such an alteration, coupled with a barrel of only 320 mm, should not have seriously worsened the shooting performance of the weapon, at least at "assault" distances - up to 20-25 meters. In the situation where you want to shoot further, you can usually use other guns, with a "long" cartridge. The magazine, placed in the handle, has a capacity of five rounds, while it does not protrude much beyond the lower part of the handle. The developers also considered more capacious versions of the store, but after consultation with the police special forces and comparative tests, it was decided to stop at five cartridges. The "shortage" of ammunition was compensated for by the rapidity of its replacement, which is characteristic of such a location of the store. However, due to the six-centimeter cartridge, the handle has an appropriate width, and does not fit in every hand. On this occasion, there is even a joke, they say, the MAG-7 was created not only under the requirements of the police, but also under the hands of fellows from the special forces.
Due to the short sleeve and a few know-how in mechanics, the designers managed to reduce the forearm travel required to eject the spent cartridge case and send a new cartridge. The plastic forend has received an anatomical shape, which provides a hold of the weapon and ease of reloading. The forend, as well as the pistol grip side grips, are the only plastic parts in the MAG-7 design. Everything else is made of metal, in particular the receiver is stamped steel.
Loading and reloading MAG-7, like other "pump", occurs by moving the forend. The latter is connected to the shutter by a flat rod and has a special button that blocks its movement. The barrel of the gun is locked with a massive bolt with a swinging larva. The firing mechanism is hammer and has a fuse, the flag of which is displayed on the left side of the gun. The MAG-7 barrel is threaded and has a slotted muzzle compensator. According to the manufacturer, the latter made it possible to improve the accuracy of the battle by almost one and a half times, although it is not very “friendly” with the shot.
The rifle's sights are somewhat original: the rear sight is closer to the eye than other types of weapons. Due to this and a relatively large front sight, the effect of a diopter sight with all its advantages is created. However, even with such a sight, you have to shoot without resting on the shoulder - in the basic configuration, the gun has no butt. But at the request of the customer, the MAG-7 can be fitted with an upward-folding frame stock.
Let's go back to the ammunition. The designers from Techno Arms understood that the use of a non-standard cartridge could cause some inconvenience, primarily related to the purchase. Therefore, the MAG-7 chamber allows you to use not only standard 12/60, but also cartridges with a sleeve length of 70 mm. However, in this case, they will have to be charged one by one manually through the extraction window. Either really caring about the users, or quietly mocking, the developers advise, after firing, to collect 70-mm cases, cut them to six centimeters, refill with gunpowder (up to 2 g), bullet or shot (up to 35 g) and use again. Honestly, a controversial solution to the problem of ammunition shortage, although someone, probably, these tips came in handy.
In the life of MAG-7, the same thing happened once that sometimes happens with other types of weapons, regardless of their perfection and characteristics. The warehouses of the customer - the South African police - were filled with the right amount of guns. Techno Arms were not going to stop production of the MAG-7 and for this they decided to enter the civilian market. However, the original version of the gun could not pass certification in many countries, for example, in the United States, the barrel of a civilian smooth-bore weapon by law must be at least 16 inches (408 mm). The problem was solved simply and tastefully: the barrel was extended to 500 mm and a fixed fixed stock made of wood was installed on the gun. The total length of the gun was now 945 mm, and the weight without a magazine increased to 4.7 kilograms against four for the original version. The civilian version of the gun was named MAG-7A1 and successfully entered the market in several countries.
Later, a modification of the MAG-7 Dual Riot was developed. The mechanics of the original model on this gun did not change, but a fixed metal stock and a 37mm underbarrel grenade launcher, based on the Milkor Stopper, were added.
The design of the MAG-7, especially the part that provides ammunition for the gun, can be called bold, if not revolutionary. However, this sample never received a long combat life - by the mid-2000s, almost all copies of the South African police were sent to warehouses. Their place was taken by submachine guns. The MAG-7A1 civilian shotgun is more fortunate: it is still in production and used by amateur shooters around the world. Even in spite of the fact that the small firing range forces it to be used only for self-defense and recreational shooting. And in this case, combat characteristics are not as decisive in buying as an interesting "ultrasound" appearance.
