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Garand Thumb's AA-12 review has an extractor-shaped catch

The automatic shotgun's Call of Duty reputation meets light recoil, a broken part and a skeptical verdict on military service.

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Garand Thumb Story of November 6, 2026Trari Newsroom

Why this story? 833,033 views so far, and here is what is inside it.

The Coolest Shotgun Ever Made

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0:36A broken extractor interrupts the range test, putting reliability alongside the shotgun's reputation.
4:00Garand Thumb explains how the constant-recoil system makes automatic fire feel unusually manageable.
7:30He rejects suggestions that the Marine Corps should have adopted the AA-12, citing his experience with it.
9:20The owner removes the outer body, revealing the stainless-steel internal mechanism.
11:42Slow-motion footage shows the shotgun firing without its outer shell.

Does the AA-12 feel as unruly as its video-game reputation suggests? Not in Garand Thumb's account. The surprise in his range review is how manageable the automatic shotgun feels, although keeping it working proves another matter.

An extractor breaks during filming, earning an on-screen "RIP Extractor" caption. That failure gives "The Coolest Shotgun Ever Made" a useful distinction: being memorable isn't the same as being dependable.

Garand Thumb explains the light recoil through the shotgun's constant-recoil system. "The bolt never bottoms out at the back of the receiver," he says. His enthusiasm for that unusual shooting experience doesn't extend to endorsing it for military service. Based on the examples he has used, he explicitly disagrees with suggestions that the Marine Corps should have adopted it.

The episode includes paid sponsor segments, then returns to the gun's design and its owner's experience. Guest owner @barharms1776 offers a more affectionate assessment: "It might not be the most reliable, but this is the best shotgun."

That tension between fondness and practicality runs through the comments, too. Viewers recall discovering the AA-12 through FPSRussia, Future Weapons and Modern Warfare 2, bringing several generations of screen memories to the same range test.

The owner eventually removes the outer clamshell body to reveal the stainless-steel mechanism underneath. Slow-motion footage shows it firing without that outer shell, giving the review something a game appearance cannot: a close look beneath the familiar silhouette.

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What viewers say

We haven't seen the AA-12 since FPS Russia...
@jeremyk_541See it on YouTube
I’m so old I first saw the AA-12 on the TV show “future weapons”
@joelOT4See it on YouTube
MW2 gave me an unhealthy obsession with the AA12
@Love_ShaqSee it on YouTube

5 more comments

The AA-12 is the most gun shaped gun out there.
@Zimph_See it on YouTube
Agreed, been a fan of the AA12 since Terry used in expendables
@KetannandcoomarSee it on YouTube
Ohh man, OG MW2!!! The AA-12 was a BEAST in close quarters for runners!!
@Sun-Warrior1911See it on YouTube
0:22 - Garand Thumb bobblehead
@moparmech1See it on YouTube
Missed opportunity to end the video with "have nice day"
@abracing199See it on YouTube