I was not a big shotgun fan when I started playing, but that has changed a lot over time. Especially in case of CQB-only games. As time passed and routine accumulated, shotgun usage became more of a routine and a fun challenge. I found that I could play a heck of a lot with it in pistol and rifle environments. When I saw that BO was releasing the FabArms STF-12, I was very happy. It would give us a compact, customisable, comfortable and very well equipped replica. I bought a nice one during a sale, but I didn't buy the gas version or the CO2 version, I bought the cheapest spring version. Specifically, I got the version with the fixed stock, grey paint job, and medium length barrel.

The replica is manufactured under a licence. Rumor has it that it is assembled by VFC, except using Double Eagle/Golden Eagle internals (springer/gas). I think the claim about VFC is a hoax. MY reasoning is coming from the fact that the material of the packaging, the quality of the box graphics and the quality of the internal insulation used clearly reminded me of the Double Eagle. Otherwise, the box is beautiful, the packaging is sophisticated and thorough. It is a bit lackluster inside, coming with a BB loader and a bottom tier, lame sling. Interestingly, the front sight comes removed from the replica.

From a distance, the replica is very impressive and beautiful, but viewing it up close there are some interesting observations. The first is that the grey colour is a result of painting. This paint smears around the details, especially along the lettering. In addition, the paint is wearing quickly. The number of inscriptions is surprisingly high, detailed and spectacular. A unique serial number is also given to each replica. Other parts of the gun are black, of which there are two different textures. One is rubber-coated, with a slight greyish tint because of this; while the other is natural black.

The gun is full of details that are a bit ugly and disappointing. These include the screws that hold the choke in place, the conspicuously low weight, the creaking gun body and the cheap-looking paintjob.

Inspecting it in my hands, this shotgun did not seem to be rugged and durable at all, and its surprisingly light weight made it a bit bizarre. However, of all the shotguns tested so far, the STF-12 seemed one of the most comfortable one. The fact that it has a picatinny undermount on the forend, immediately brings the possibility of a grip. It allows me to place the vertical foregrip anywhere I can to comfortably hold and pump the shotgun. This (rare) feature immediately got me sold to be honest. On top of this, the stock was also very comfortable and the length was perfect for me. Unfortunately, the length of the stock is not variable, nor is it foldable - but let's not be insatiable. The sling mount on the stock is designed as a very tiny frame. Attaching anything directly on it can be quite tricky, so key rings and other tricks may be necessary. The pistol grip is a bit uncomfortable and unfortunately it's not removable – that would bea very nice feature to have.

The sights are fully detachable, and they have a very good fiber optic insert that collects ambient light. The usage if these sights really adds to the experience. Another interesting thing is that the mounting rail on the spring versions is unfortunately not removable, while the gas versions are better equipped from this point of view - more metal parts, better attention to quality, and the top mounting rail is also removable.

The user experience was a very different experience here too. First of all, this shotgun is much easier to handle than its counterparts. With the vertical grip being easy to mount, the handling is improved significantly. Sadly the BB spread and effective range were very much below my expectations, it is comparably worse than any version of a DE M56 replica. Even the range was significantly below the M56, it can not even be compared. For me, I got a maximum range of around 10-12 meters, and even though the fixed hopup is dialed to BB weights of 0.20-0.23 grams, that's also pretty poorly balanced between the two weights. With 0.20 it shoots very unpredictable, while 0.23 was getting too much. At 0.25 gram BB weight, it shot as if there was no hopup effect at all – cleaning the barrel and hop rubber didn't bring any significant improvement. Added to this, was the fact that the gas version was reportedly very awful. That version is simply a custom external body over simple Golden Eagle internals, making it horribly overpriced for what it is.

Well, the spring version was still at a reasonable price (24.000 HUF/ ~70 EUR in 2022) during a stock clearance sale, but at normal price, a DE M56 or a Cyma CM.355 version would be a better buy, unfortunately. So, based on personal experience, I would recommend this model for those who want to use it at hardcore CQB distances and want something more extravagant and unique; or perhaps for those who want better usability due to ergonomics.

Szöveg: Batmause
Fényképek: Batmause