One of the more unique firearm concepts that I wish would have made more of an impact on the market in the last two decades has to be the revolver shotgun. Combining the ammunition diversity of the shotgun world with the ease of selection that accompanies a revolver’s cylinder, the versatility of this firearm design could be near limitless. 

For our first example lets take a step back a few years to the mid 1990’s and across the ocean to Russia and the design of the MTs-255. The MTs255 is a Russian revolver shotgun fed by a 5-round swing-out cylinder. It was produced by TsKIB SOO, which is a Russian small arms design company founded in 1946. One of the more well thought out features of the 255 was a gas directing plate in front of the cylinder to prevent the user’s support arm from being burnt by escaping gasses. The shotgun is reloaded in a way that is consistent with that of most modern revolvers, by unlocking the cylinder, and swinging it away from the frame to the left and down.

There were two different versions of the 255 produced, one for the limited civilian market inside Russia and one for the Russian police and military. The civilian version features a permanently attached wood buttstock and handguard. The guns were available in 12, 20, 28, 32 gauge, and .410. At the current time they are not manufactured and if you are lucky enough to have one, spare parts are only available upon request. For the Military/Police version, MTs-255-12, was offered in only 12 gauge and designed for law enforcement and security agencies, the main differences are that its accessories are made of black plastic, it has a folding stock and a picatinny rail for attaching optics. With this being a foreign manufactured firearm, in Russia no less, and the sheer lack of numbers produced, the ability to own one in the US is sadly as close to zero as one can get.

The first time I was introduced to this firearm was in 2013 in the game Call of Duty: Ghosts. Going by the same name in the game, the shotgun is used minimally throughout the game and is more of a piece which sits on the sidelines and doesn’t add much to the overall story. However, from the first time I saw the MTs-255 in a game I wanted one, or at least as close to one as I could get – and that brings us to the Taurus/Rossi Circuit Judge.

Introduced in 2010, the Circuit Judge is a carbine version of the Judge pistol. Chambered in .45LC and .410 it is a much less potent version of what I had hoped for with a US made revolver shotgun. While I am aware that the Circuit Judge was released to the market three years before I wanted a MTs-255, I had either not been aware of it or had simply written it off at the time! Featuring a five shot cylinder and an 18.5” barrel it has the versatility to be an enjoyable firearm to carry in the woods, and maybe some day I’ll pick one up. It’s just not the hard hitting 12 gauge version that I have been dreaming of for more than a decade.

The Judge is not alone when it comes to keeping the MTs’ legacy alive however. Recently I came across several versions of this concept that are sold in Canada. The SR410, manufactured by AXOR Arms as well as the Francolin XR-410 and XR-20. All of these options being single action/double action allow for light trigger precise shots as well as fast follow ups if needed. This feature is common in many hammer fired handguns, mainly revolvers, but could be compared to a double set trigger on older rifles around the turn of the 19th century. Being in the US I do not have access to these firearms, but it is certainly nice to see that the concept is not quite abandoned. TFBTV’s James Reeves had some coverage of the XR-20 at IWA back in 2023. 

For an outdoors companion the ability to load the cylinder with two slugs and three rounds of birdshot would give them the option to quickly select what type of round you want to use, while not sacrificing the ammunition you have previously loaded. This is something that is unavoidable with tube or magazine fed shotguns. In a way it could have been the ultimate Fudd gun. For those guys that think the 12 gauge and the revolver are the end all be all in firearms, this could have been the very pinnacle of innovation. 

Then for those of us on the less fuddy end of the spectrum, it could be a very cool and unique tool in the toolbox. Taking for example the video game version of the gun, a fully railed heat shield would allow for addition of optics and flashlights. Potentially a shortened SBS version could be useful for law enforcement or military when it comes to breaching or other modern shotgun needs. With the rising prevalence of drone use in warfare I see the shotgun making a large comeback among the regular soldier, and my heart says that the revolver shotgun should be in the running.