With law enforcement budget cuts hanging like a black cloud, the budget-conscious Iver Johnson PAS-12 pump might give some relief when looking for a duty shotgun.
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“Sequestration.” “Budget Crisis.” Unless you’ve been under a rock for the past year or two you are well aware that the federal government is on the financial skids. Things tend to be not much better on the state and local level either.
The budget crisis created problems for all those who rely on a government paycheck. Look around and you will see people who work for companies outside of government have witnessed employers that have eliminated benefits and trimmed other costs. For the self-employed, a reevaluation of how they do business is painfully evident.
If the overall budgetary climate isn’t bad enough, take a look at what small rural counties’ law enforcement is facing in regards to Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT); as of the time this article was written in late November 2013, for the first time since its inception in 1976, PILT funds have not been specifically earmarked for distribution to counties for the fiscal year 2014.
The PILT program provides payments to counties and other local government to offset losses in property tax revenues due to the presence of tax-exempt federal land in their jurisdictions. The federal funding helps to pay for local services from law enforcement and social services to education and infrastructure.
This isn’t just a short-fall that’s potentially going to hit vast western states with huge federal land holdings. This writer has witnessed the impact of PILT payment from the small communities in Southern Illinois, to several Appalachian states with millions of acres of national forest.
All of this financial gloom and doom has a trickle-down effect to many law enforcement agencies. Not only is training impacted, but equipment acquisition, too. One way to battle tight budgets is to seek low-cost alternatives. One such budget-conscious choice could potentially be the Iver Johnson PAS-12 pump shotgun.
Some readers may recognize the name, Iver Johnson, as a former U.S. firearms, bicycle, and motorcycle manufacturer started in 1871. The company retained the name of the founder, Norwegian-born Iver Johnson. The company saw its end in 1993. The name was resold, and in 2006 as Iver Johnson Arms. When asked about the background of the company, company president Chad Holwerda shared, “Iver Johnson Arms had been out of business for a little while before we picked it up, about 10 years ago. We have gone in a completely different direction with the company as far as products go, focusing so far on 1911s and self defense style shotguns. At this time we are not carrying any of the older Iver Johnson products.” The PAS 12 line is manufactured in Turkey by Armed Guns and imported to the United States. Today, the Iver Johnson headquarters is located in Rockledge, Florida.
PAS-12 GUN DETAILS
Two models of the Iver Johnson PAS-12 Pump are available from Iver Johnson. The PAS 12 PG-R/C comes with a fiber optic front sight and Picatinny rail mounted on the receiver. The PG-R/C version also comes standard with an external open choke that acts as a muzzle break. The PAS 12 PG version is essentially the same with a basic metal blade front sight instead of the fiber optic version and no Picatinny rail or muzzle break. The basic operating function is similar to the famous Remington Model 870. However, their unique design qualities make for a great functioning and lightweight tactical shotgun.
The PAS 12 features plastic polymer furniture and the butt stock are fashioned with a pistol grip. The rear portion of the butt stock is removable with the simple push of a button making transport easier. Federal laws forbid the import of pistol grip-only shotguns. When asked about stock design, Holwerda shared, “the big benefit of this gun is the two-piece pistol grip stock. A pistol grip by itself is not allowed on imported guns. But since the gun comes with a full stock, it is legal to import, even though it can be removed to leave only the pistol grip. This is a solid, proven design, made at an affordable price.” Their price list for all models can be seen online, and are comparable to many shotguns of similar quality. “This is truly a great, economic weapon with no compromise,” he added.
The PAS 12, with its convertible stock features, can serve multiple roles for law enforcement. In addition to service as a duty long arm, it can make quick work of a door hinge or lock as a breacher. By removing the butt stock, the PAS 12 can be loaded with breaching loads and slung out of the way behind an officer’s back while he has his hands full of his primary entry weapon.
The PAS 12’s slide/pump release is located forward of the trigger guard, with an enlarged pad easily accessible from nearly any position. When tensions and adrenaline are at a heightened state during a tactical or home defense situation, a degree of fine motor skills is lost. The enlarged slide release and other design aspects are to make naturally difficult situations easier, lending forgiveness when needed. The button safety is located just rear of the trigger within easy reach of the index finger and the transition between the safety and trigger is minimal.
The pistol grip is made of high-impact plastic and lends additional control in comparison to traditional stock designs. The ridges running horizontally on the pistol grip help prevent slipping when in wet or sweaty conditions.
The junction between the stock and pistol grip assembly fit tightly, unlike many collapsible and removable stock designs. You may even overlook this feature because of the close tolerances. The quick adaptation of the PAS 12 makes it ideal for tactical situations. It can serve as a main weapon in close quarters, or simply slung in the collapsed configuration serving as a back-up weapon.
The stock itself is sleekly designed and lightweight and features a rear sling swivel that rotates a full 360 degrees. The rear is equipped with a soft recoil pad, making the often brutal recoil of slugs and high velocity shells tolerable.
The PAS 12 comes with a tactical scope rail designed to work in tandem with the front sight. The rail has a semicircle groove carved the length of the rail. This unique design eliminates the need for a rear sight and allows surprisingly quick target acquisition. Not only is there less to snag on clothing or obstacles, it offers a fool-proof unbreakable option in the event of an optic failure. The front sight is a bright red fiber optic that glows in even low light conditions. The fiber optic itself is secured to the barrel with metal bands that can function as the sight if unexpected damage occurs. This tactical weapon truly hopes for the best and expects the worst. Sometimes any “plan B” can be a matter of life and death.
The pump’s forearm is made from the same polymer with similar texture to the pistol grip. It is flared slightly larger in the rear to give adequate clearance for the receiver. This design makes reloads more consistent giving your forward hand a nice rear stop and an improved grip profile. If a malfunction occurs and a shell becomes stuck in the chamber the added leverage is useful.
The magazine cap is the mounting location for the front sling swivel. This is grooved as well making removal for general cleaning easier. The choke is vented along its length and provides enough stand-off and venting to allow the weapon to be used as a door breaching tool. In addition to guaranteeing appropriate distance for breaching of door locks or hinges it can be replaced in the event of damage. If other choke constrictions are desired, Winchoke style choke tubes can be installed. A point of note, the standard model PAS 12 counterpart form Iver Johnson does not feature this muzzle break. The choke design also reduces recoil, lessening the shoulder fatigue so well acquainted with pump 12 gauge shotguns.
AT THE RANGE
The Iver Johnson PAS-12 pump functioned as intended throughout testing. The action is very tight, and the trigger is not overly heavy at 7 pounds. The recoil pad and muzzle brake helped to reduce the recoil generated by larger 12-gauge loads. Without them, the experience would have been rather unpleasant.
| Load, Length of shell | Average Velocity (fps) | Smallest Group (in.) |
| Hornady Coyote 00 Buck, 3” | 1286 | 5.994 |
| Remington 00 Buck , 3” | 1225 | 7.121 |
| Federal Premium Hydrashok HP, 2 ¾” | 1441 | 3.109 |
| Hornady 300 gr. FTX, 2 ¾” | 1908 | 3.632 |
| Remington 1oz., 3” | 1660 | 5.223 |
The buckshot loads were patterned at 15 yards with the open choke taken into consideration. Slug loads were tested for accuracy at 25 yards, and velocity was measured with an Oehler Chronograph 15 feet from the muzzle.
Even though the extended choke doesn’t provide any constriction, the PAS 12 performed well with buckshot loads at 15 yards. Remington’s 3-inch magnum 00 buck loads put all of its pellets into 7.1 inches, for the smallest pattern from five shots measured. Hornady’s 3-inch 00 Coyote load posted a tighter spread at 5.9 inches. Muzzle velocities were rather close, with the Remington load averaging 1,225 fps. The Hornady load averaged 1,286 fps.
Switching over to slugs, Remington’s 3-inch 1-ounce loads averaged 1,660 fps and printed a best 5-shot group of 5.2 inches at 25 yards. Hornady’s 300-grain FTX load averaged a blistering 1,908 fps, and put its best five shots into 3.6 inches. Federal’s Hydrashok slugs averaged 1,441 fps, and kept five shots inside 3.1 inches.
In this day and age of tighter budgets, moving in the direction of duty shotguns in the $300 range may be the wave of the future. Give Iver Johnson’s PAS 12 PG/RC a close look and you might just like the convertible stock option enough to add it to your arsenal, too. Iver Johnson Arms can be easily reached for technical support or ordering help (321)636-3377, Monday thru Friday, 10:30 to 4 PM eastern time. All available models and a complete price list can be seen online at IverJohnsonarms.com.
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