At face value, these guns have a lot in common. Both are pump-action 12-gauge bullpups with dual magazine tubes that offer an identical capacity. They’re compact, somewhat hefty in weight, and tailored for tactical/home defense uses. But that’s largely where the similarities stop.
The KelTec KSG is the most senior of the two by a significant margin. KelTec dropped its unique bullpup scattergun back in 2011. That’s a decade before the feature-heavy Smith & Wesson made its debut. KelTec’s early offering was slimmer and trimmer in size, cost, and overall features, while Smith & Wesson opted to follow a far more feature-heavy route.
Both guns load and eject downward from the rear. However, the KelTec KSG uses a simple rear toggle to swap between the two cylinders. This requires shooters to reach behind their shooting hand to swap between the seven-round tubes.
Related: M&P 12 Bullpup Shotgun Review – Double the Bang?
The M&P 12 uses a much more intuitive system. There’s an ambidextrous button on the slide to swap magazine tubes without ever having to move your support hand. Additionally, Smith & Wesson added a load/unload assist button on both sides of the frame. There’s even a rear button for extending the action in case you need to clear a jammed shell.
Smith & Wesson also went heavy on the grip texture by basically taking its very grippy M&P M2.0 pistol grip and moving it over the M&P 12 shotgun. The pistol grip has adjustable backstraps for different hand sizes, and the pump has very positive scallops to ensure your hand doesn’t slip off while working the action. In this case, I ran the M&P 12 with a foregrip that featured the same gritty texturing as the pistol grip.
KelTec’s grip texturing is minimal on both the pump slide and the pistol grip. Both host moderate texturing along with KelTec’s brand-style “gator grip” pattern.
I appreciate the simplicity of the KelTec design. It keeps the gun sleek and simple. However, that also comes with features like a very basic cross-bolt button-style safety. You can compare that to the AR-style thumb safety on the M&P 12, which should feel familiar to any AR-15 shooters out there.
Technically, the KSG hosts a longer top Picatinny rail for optics and iron sights, but the M&P 12 has M-LOK slots for adding more accessories along the barrel shroud. Both have rail options on the bottom of the slide for things like foregrips.
These extra features come at a cost. The M&P 12 will normally run at a notably higher price, and it’s bulkier in size. Smith & Wesson clearly did not shy away from adding bulk to the M&P 12 to accommodate the extra features. The pump slide is a chunky 3.7 inches wide, and the whole gun is nearly 1.5 pounds heavier than the KelTec KSG.
Related: KSG Shotgun Review – Double the Pump-Action Firepower
The guns also feel significantly different in the hand. The KSG has better balance for me. It’s more to the rear of the gun and over your shooting hand. That makes it easier to swing fast as you transition between targets. It also feels more rigid because of the minimal number of moving parts. The M&P fills your hands but almost feels a little bit busy between the numerous controls and the overall bulk.
Range Testing
I’ve done a more extensive shooting review on the KSG and the M&P 12, so I’ll summarize my experiences here.
I like the feel of the KSG in my hand when shooting, and it swings faster thanks to the more reward balance. However, the 12-gauge shells create a little more "oomph" to the recoil given its lighter weight.
Reliability was solid once I got accustomed to the slide. The KSG’s bullpup design brings the whole gun closer into your chest than a traditional shotgun. On a few occasions, I short-stroked the slide and forced a double feed. More aggressive texturing on the slide might help here, but that issue disappeared once I started racking the gun with authority.
The shining point to the M&P 12 on the range was the controls. Having ambidextrous tube selectors on the slide with an AR-style thumb safety made this gun easy to run right out of the box for me. The gun is forward heavy and chunky, but it feels authoritative in your hands.
That thickness and heavier weight also helps you power through the recoil with less effort as you realign for a follow-up shot. The grip texture is another win, and I never had an issue short stroking the slide. It is certainly possible if you don’t do your part. The M&P 12 just makes it a bit easier to avoid the mistake all together.
As far as accuracy, both performed identically with cylinder bore at 25 yards. That’s to be expected given there’s only a 0.5-inch difference between the barrels. I still wouldn’t want to use either to try and take down fast-flying birds.
Finally, neither gun is easy to reload since you must reach into your armpit to pop in more shells. Given the generous capacity, I consider this a very moderate issue. “Reloading” is really more about just swapping magazine tubes when you have a shotgun that carries 14+1 for its standard onboard capacity.
Pros & Cons
Now we can compare that to the pros and cons for the KSG:
Pros:
- More streamlined design
- Even more compact and lightweight
- Lower price tag
- Better balance
Cons:
- Less ergonomic controls
- Slightly harder recoiling
-
Fewer attachment/modification options
My Top Pick
The simple fact is that these two guns are similar in many ways, but they’re hardly apples to apples. So, here’s a breakdown of how I would pick between the KSG and the M&P 12 for a personal purchase.
Value/Backup Gun Choice: KelTec KSG
- Lower cost with more used options
- Slimmer, lighter design
- Lighter weight
- Simpler controls
Tactical/Home Defense Choice: Smith & Wesson M&P 12
- More ergonomic controls
- Better grip texture
- More accessory space
If I had to pick one gun to do it all, I think it’s hard to beat the M&P 12. It’s a relatively close second for the KSG, and I honestly prefer the look and feel of the KelTec. But the ergonomics are dramatically different, and I much prefer the AR-style, grippy design of the M&P 12 when shooting.
