Tokarev USA's Affordable TX3 12HDM Pump Shotgun for Defense

Feature-packed for home-defense, this Tokarev USA TX3 pump shotgun also comes in at an unbeatable price point.

July 29, 2024 By Frank Melloni

After living on an island for my first 40 years, I can attest to the corrosive power of saltwater. I have seen amazing things happen. Examples include boats drifting out to sea because their chains rusted through and even the collapse of entire buildings because the hardware used in their supports corroded out. Contrary to common belief, metal doesn’t need to get hit with this water to rust; it merely needs to be around it. Humid seawater air will corrode metal exponentially faster than fresh water air. This is bad news for gun owners who want to keep protection aboard a vessel or even those who want to ensure they can protect a piece of waterfront property. As a result, firearms manufacturers have come up with models that ward off this corrosive matter, but they are far and few between. To that end, they are typically expensive and often unavailable. Based in the U.S., SDS imports is seeking to do something about that. Their Tokarev USA TX3 12HDM is a marine-grade shotgun with a surprisingly low MSRP.

Hailing from Turkey, the TX3 12HDM represents the growing number of quality firearms coming in from this country. Upon first grasp, you’ll notice it’s got a bit of heft to it, signaling that they weren’t cheap on the metal. Tokarev builds most of the gun from solid billet 4140 chromoly steel, avoiding the temptation to use less expensive plastics everywhere but the triggerguard and follower. Some might see this as a “gotcha” moment, but those that have dealt with corrosion know that this is an ingenious use of this material. I don’t know anybody who’s broken a follower before, but I have run into countless ones corroded into a magazine tube. As for the triggerguard, there are a lot of metallic parts that interface there. Plastic’s natural lubricity goes a long way in this area. The construction of this shotgun tells us that it is built for battle, notably the 18.5-inch, proof-tested barrel. While other manufacturers opt for lighter, less expensive launch tubes, Tokarev made it strong enough to handle just about any shell on the market, including heavy, 3-inch defensive loads. It feeds from a 4-round tubular magazine (5 if you use 2¾-inch shells), with a +1 extension available from the manufacturer. Understanding that a gunfight might include a reload, the TX3 12HDM features a barrel shroud that allows you to flip it over and rest it on your hand without suffering a nasty burn. Lastly, dual action bars link the forend to the bolt for double the durability and a counterbalanced stroke that is smooth.

Naturally, Turkish firearms manufacturers have the advantage of near-unlimited access to Turkish walnut, which is revered for its beauty and durability. Aside from being hard, this material resists warping and shrinking, both serious concerns in damp environments that can cause cracking. One fault I did find was that Tok neglected to cut any checkering into the furniture, which is surprising. As marine usually means wet, hanging onto a slick forend under 12-gauge recoil is more or less impossible. I don’t go gah-gah over pump-action shotguns, but for whatever reason, I couldn’t wait to get the TX3 12HDM to the range. I think this desire was driven by the curiosity to see if it shot as good as it looked. I wanted to love it because it checked all the boxes, and most of my previous experiences with Turkish shotguns have been favorable. In keeping true to the purpose, I loaded my range bag with two different types of defensive buckshot and took it to the harshest environment I could, a beachside range located in eastern Long Island. As it is situated less than a mile from the bay, this proving ground has eaten its fair share of finishes and has locked up countless guns over the years. This is the compounded effect of the damp, salted air and a continuous swirl of coarse sand that blows across every exposed surface. In short, it’s Mother Nature’s finest corrosion machine. The flying grit sandblasts protective finishes and exposes them to the closest thing to acid rain this side of Los Angeles.

tokarev-usa-tx3-pump-shotgun-03 — A few aftermarket additions are available for this shotgun, including a bayonet mounting kit that works in conjunction with the magazine tube extension.

Before loading up, I considered two features that would affect my pattern. These were the interchangeable choke tube system and the adjustable rear ghost ring sight. First, I was impressed that they were even present in the first place, as $340 typically gets you little more than a stack of pipes these days. Swapping out chokes allows the end-user to adjust the pattern to fit the task at hand better or work around a particular shell’s handicap. Coupling that with an adjustable rear sight yields the capability to center the pattern in lieu of adopting a “you get what you get” attitude. Tokarev takes it a step further by including a rear rail section as well, should you want to top it off with an electro-optic. Considering that a shot would likely be discharged over a vastly empty body of water, I figured there wouldn’t be much concern with running a loose choke and installed the included Skeet tube before hanging up some paper.

I began with Federal’s LE Frangible 00 Buckshot. This load is safe for steel targets and has the best chance of stopping in common building materials. It’s also not that rough on the shoulder, allowing the shooter to get back on target quickly. After centering up on a patch of brush in the berm, I printed five patterns from 15 yards that measured no more than 6.5 inches in diameter. Each was densely concentrated without so much as a single pellet astray. A piece of me would have liked to see these pellets stretch out a bit, but being that these shells are designed to mitigate collateral damage, they worked as advertised.

Smaller buckshot is known to bring the pain on a broader scale while reducing overpenetration through rapid momentum loss. With that, I stuffed the tube full of Buffalo Cartridge Company’s #4 Buck offering and reproduced the same test. Here, I found the results I sought with 27 pellets stretching across 16 inches of paper in a pattern that left no discernable gaps. Satisfied with the results, I filled up the magazine and ran through a course of fire that involved multiple targets and shooting around cover. The TX3 12HDM’s compact nature made handling a breeze and allowed me to stay close to life-saving shelter while engaging targets in various unorthodox positions. When it ran dry, I could replenish via duel and quad loads, something that is only typically possible on high-end competition shotguns.

tokarev-usa-tx3-pump-shotgun-06 — A +1 extension is sold separately that allows the TX3 12HDM to hold 5 rounds in its tubular magazine. Even at this affordable pricepoint, Tokarev includes interchangeable choke tubes in its shotgun package.

Despite hitting the sand, there wasn’t a malfunction to speak of, even though I cycled as aggressively as I could in an attempt to induce one. In short, it just worked, and I was pleased beyond its price tag. A solid range day typically concludes any of my firearm reviews; however, in this case, I didn’t want to call it quits until I pushed the finish to its limits. To that end, I removed every bit of exterior oil I could and set the gun in my basement for 22 days. Like the range, my home is also close to the sea, meaning that there is a high salt content here. Needless to say, it survived completely unscathed, demonstrating a flawless application of nickel on a shotgun that can endure rough environments just as well as it can rough handling. After my experience with it, I can give the Tokarev TX3 12HDM an earnest endorsement to any gun owner that needs a no-BS, all-business firearm for protection when the elements aren’t on your side.