When I was asked to review two AR-style shotguns from Landor Arms, the LND-117 and the BPX 902, my initial reply was, “No thanks, I’m not really a shotgun or AR guy.” My boss simply replied, “Seth, you’re our budget guy, so these are the guns you’re reviewing.” While I thought that was a bit of a slight – even if true – I also recognized that I have mouths to feed at home, and the prospect of going hungry didn’t seem too appealing.

So, I reluctantly took them on. 

I initially thought that this wouldn’t be a review I would enjoy, but much to my surprise I found some things I really liked about these guns. Let’s dive into why these guns are popular, who is buying them, and where they might fit in for you.

The Rise in Popularity

Walk into any retailer or visit just about any 2A eCommerce site, and you’ll be sure to find a plethora of Turkish-imported shotguns. This isn’t exactly new, but there has seemingly been an explosion of tactical-type AR-style shotguns in the past few years. Last year, we highlighted a dramatic rise in Turkish imports, with shotgun imports up nearly 400 percent. So, one of the reasons for the prevalence of these guns is just the sheer number of them that have hit the market in the past couple of years.
 

Another big reason that these are really popular is the price point. For the most part, you can find these AR-style shotguns for under or around $500. The Landor shotguns happen to come with some extra goodies, like chokes, three magazines, and a sling, which makes that price look even better.

The other big reason I think that these guns have become increasingly popular is that they have an aesthetically cool look to them. You may disagree that it’s a cool look, but there is no denying that Landor Arms is clearly trying to make the coolest-looking tactical shotguns for the market. The LND-117 has a very “black rifle” look to it, while the BPX 902 looks like it’s straight out of a sci-fi movie. If it is the case that these guns are being bought for their looks, it wouldn’t be the first time someone bought a gun solely for its aesthetics.
 

Budget Home Defense Guns

These guns have earned a reputation for being budget-friendly home-defense guns. With two five-round magazines and a two-round magazine included, you’ll have plenty of shells on hand to respond to a bump in the night. Landor also includes some polymer flip-up sights and a hand stop with these guns, so you’re ready to rock right out of the box.

The generous amount of Picatinny rail and M-LOK on the handguard ensure that you’ll be able to add any sights, lights, lasers, etc. that may round out your specific home-defense shotgun. All of this is great. But if the guns can’t reliably cycle shells, then all the tacti-cool elements don’t mean a thing. So, let’s dive into how the guns functioned and our range thoughts.
 

Range Thoughts

We’ve already documented some of our range thoughts in the initial review of these two guns. They both seemed to enjoy the 3-inch shells the most, with the LND-117 struggling to chew through anything that was less than that. The BPX, on the other hand, proved to not only cycle the high-velocity 2.75-inch buckshot but also reliably cycled the lighter target loads as well. 
 

Pair the extra reliability with a better trigger and less felt recoil, and the BPX was the winner on the range for me. It’s true that the bullpup-style BPX lends itself naturally to less felt recoil than the LND, but there is also a much thicker buttpad on the BPX, thus helping to mitigate that recoil even further. 

If you do end up buying the LND-117, just be ready to bear the brunt of the recoil. If you’re going to be sending anything north of 100 shells downrange, then expect to have a sore shoulder in the morning. Trust me. 
 

Where Do These Guns Fit In?

The argument could certainly be made that these are great home-defense shotguns. While they aren’t the guns I would pick for home defense, since I’m more of a pistol guy myself, I can certainly see the appeal. I also think both could make for a good starter shotgun. Or they might work if you’re someone who is on a budget but you’re still looking to pack maximum firepower into a home-defense shotgun package. Then these also could be a good choice.

The second area I see these fitting in is just as really fun and cool range guns. I guarantee if you take this to the range, you’ll have a couple of lookie-loos coming around asking you "what in the tarnation" is the thing you’re shooting. If a gun that’s a conversation starter is what you’re after, then look no further. 
 

I really enjoyed shooting the BPX 902, so much so that I attempted to shoot clays with it in a tacti-cool suit. It was a ton of fun actually! Sure, I was just messing around for the video, but it was a challenge and a fun one at that. How that challenge translates to actual skills in home defense or on the clays course is certainly up for debate, but the bottom line is that it was a fun gun to shoot and reliably functioned.

What more can you ask for when it comes to a fun range gun?
 

Conclusion

While there are more affordable shotguns out there, and there are certainly better tactical shotguns, I think these Landors have found a sweet spot between affordability, functionality, and enjoyability. Tie that all together in a price point that can be found under or around $500, and you have a very popular shotgun. Numbers alone dictate that we’ll be seeing these guns on the market for years to come, but whether they stay this affordable is another question.