During the Summer of 2023 I had the opportunity to share the range with a couple of guys from SDS Imports. They brought some of their guns to the Rangemaster Shotgun Instructor Development Course to test them out, while also learning a thing or two. For those unaware, seeing manufacturers or distributors in classes with their own products is highly unusual.
Since then I’ve seen the folks at SDS send their guns to people I trust, taking feedback along the way and tweaking product lines. This uncommon effort has given me an interest in their gear, and I was happy to stop by their booth during Range Day of SHOT Show 2024.
While waiting in line for my turn at the booth, I chatted up the guys from my Rangemaster class, asking about some new products I’d heard whispers of. I was a little surprised by the results. New for 2024 are the Hammer pump-action and Titan semiautomatic shotguns.
These are 12-gauge shotguns, both featuring 3-inch chambers compatible with magnum loads. Barrels are proprietary, with fixed cylinder bore chokes, focused on defensive use. The Hammer is compatible with stocks and forends for the Mossberg 590, while the Titan accepts 590 stocks. I cannot confirm this, but the Titan’s forend looks suspiciously similar to the Beretta A300UP, featuring MLOK slots at the 3/6/9 o’clock positions.
I fired a few rounds from each, and was impressed. Everything felt fairly smooth, especially on the Titan, and they both cycled cheap birdshot with ease. Safeties click on and off with tactile feedback. The shell and bolt release buttons are positive, and slightly enlarged on the Titan for easy access without being obtrusive.
Both of these guns are slated to come in under $200, with an estimated $179 and $199 for the Hammer and Titan respectively. This pricing tier has been pretty vacant since the pandemic, and I’m excited to see a revival. I’ll be looking forward to seeing how these two shake out over the coming year.
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