SDS Cheetah 12 Shooting Review

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  • RackinRay

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    Took the SDS Cheetah 12 to the range today to test fire it. I took the original 5 round mags, 2 ProMag 5 round mags, 4 SGM 10 round mags, and the ProMag 20 round drum. All mags but the five rounders were loaded with 00 buckshot, over Remington Heavy Dove loads.
    CheetahRedux.jpg
    To prep for the range, I had cleaned the gun and checked fitment of the magazines in the weapon. Only one SGM and the 2 ProMag 5 rounders needed fitting. To my surprise the ProMag 20 round drum snapped right in and looked level in the well.
    I started with the original 5 round mag with Remington 2 ¾ buckshot. Fed, shot, and cycled all 5 rounds perfectly. I am liking this! Next was one of the 5 round ProMag with 00 buck. Smooth as the first. Grooving this.
    Second ProMag 5 rounder failed to feed the second shell. After clearing and resetting the round it went through the remaining 4 smoothly. Snapped in an SGM 10 rounder, loaded with 5 buck and 3 heavy dove. 8 pulls of the trigger and it was empty.
    After clearing the range for a new shooter to set targets, I snapped in the 20-round drum. Cycled the first round in, touched it off; and the freaking drum fell out of the mag well onto the sand at range 5! Urgggg, not liking this. Luckily neither of the other shooters had started so was able to go cold and retrieve it. Looking at the mag I discovered that the polymer had separated at the mag lip on the front and the mag latch did not seem to be holding it in.
    Drum Redux.jpg
    I will be emailing ProMag on the failure today, and hope they will quickly address it. I will update the thread on the outcome of that.
     

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    Red

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    Good review man. Seems mags are a prob otherwise a nice Vepr12 alternative
     

    RackinRay

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    Takes any mag made for the Saiga 12, the ProMag drum was the only real failure. I know the SGM and the original are rock solid, and the second ProMag 5 rounder should be as well now that it has been smoothed.

    For the price, it is a keeper!
     

    RackinRay

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    Emailed ProMag, and no response so I called them Thursday. I explained the problem and the issue notices, and emailed them a pic of the drum lip. They immediately gave me a return authorization to send the drum back and I dropped it in the mail yesterday. Will advise on resolution of the issue how it worked out.
     

    RackinRay

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    Drum arrived at ProMag (I sent it surface since I felt no rush). The advised they had received it and said a new drum would be sent out today. Seems like customer service is not bad, just have to be proactive on them I think. Will review the new mags function once received on the next range run.
     

    RackinRay

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    Received the replacement ProMag 20 round drum in today. It did appear to be new, as they advised; why I am not sure....but it looks better and I loaded it up for the next range trip 20 round shotgun drums are NOT a joy to load....this sucker wore my tired hand down even more than the two windows I re-caulked did, maybe!

    More on the next range visit.
     
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