Gun Of The Week: Military Armament Corp. MAC 2 Tactical Wood

Welcome back, and thanks for watching Gun Of The Week. For this episode, American Rifleman editors are on the range with a semi-automatic shotgun from Military Armament Corporation. Meet the MAC 2 Tactical Wood. Featuring a Picatinny rail, sights and a Turkish walnut stock, this scattergun offers up incredible performance and prudent design elements all with competitive pricing—the MAC 2 Tactical Wood, as you see here, comes with a sub-$400 MSRP. And our experience on the range while making this video has left us impressed. Watch our Gun Of The Week video above to see it is use on the range.

In this MAC 2, you get an action inspired by Benelli. There’s no gas getting siphoned off to dirty the internals because this scattergun runs on inertia from the fired shotshell. The receiver is lightweight and made of aluminum, which is drilled and tapped for the included rail section and a ghost-ring-type rear sight. Military Armament Corp. does great by including a nice black finish throughout the metal work, which lends well to the tactical theme here.

The gun’s barrel comes in fairly short, too, which is another nod toward its tactical configuration. It measures 18.5” and, despite most tactical shotguns having fixed chokes, the MAC 2 comes threaded for Beretta/Benelli-pattern tubes. Three constrictions are included, so really, this shotgun can be a weekend plinker at the clays range or saddled up for a high-country bird hunt or in the UTV for ranch patrol, in a bedside safe and more. But make sure you pack a magazine plug along for hunting, because the MAC 2 has an extended tube with a capacity for five rounds.

Those watching who have experience with self-loading shotguns from Beretta, Benelli and others will appreciate the MAC 2 layout. The receiver’s right side houses the bolt-release button just below the enlarged, barrel-shaped charging handle, which reciprocates with the bolt. At the front of the slightly enlarged trigger guard you’ll find, like a Benelli, there’s a magazine release lever with a red dot. And just behind the trigger, you’ll find a crossbolt safety.

The walnut stock provided with the MAC 2 Tactical Wood version comes from Turkey and has a few features worth noting. First is the pistol grip with panels of checkering on the left and right sides of the wrist area. The fore-end has texturing, like the wrist, and its overall shape is quite unique with angles and protrusions that our testers found help to anchor the gun in position. In addition to the wood features, you’ll get a nice rubber recoil pad on the buttstock, along with a rear sling stud nearby. The front sling point swivels around the magazine tube at its midpoint.

With a retail price set below most others in its class, there’s a lot to like about the MAC 2 Tactical, whether you’re a home defender, hunter or weekend plinker. Our testers found the gun worked well on the range following the manufacturer’s prescribed break-in period. The gun’s controls were simple to use, and the adjustable aperture rear and included optic rail are handy additions, especially at its price-point. In addition, the three included choke tubes and 3” chamber, we find, boosts the capability of this scattergun beyond just defensive and range scenarios.

Military Armament Corp. MAC 2 Tactical Wood Specifications
Importer: SDS Imports
Action Type: inertia-driven, semi-automatic shotgun
Gauge: 12; 3" chamber
Barrel: 18.5" steel; Melonite finish
Receiver: aluminum; matte finish
Sights: white-dot blade front, elevation- and windage-adjustable aperture rear
Stock: turkish walnut
Trigger: 5-lb., 12-oz. pull
Overall Length: 47.8"
Weight: 6 lbs., 8 ozs.
MSRP: $400