Test: Stoeger P3000 Tactical shotgun in 12/76 – What can a shotgun priced under 500 euros offer in sporting use?

Stoeger pump-action and semi-automatic shotguns are manufactured in various versions in Turkey. Yes, the Beretta Group also has a foothold at that production site. Like its semi-automatic sibling, the pump-action shotgun is predominantly finished in matte black, although in this case the fixed magazine tube visually stands out a bit due to its glossy black finish. The Stoeger P3000 Tactical certainly lives up to its name, as the brute appearance of this pump-action leaves no doubt as to its intended use. Especially the mounted "door breacher" muzzle attachment, an extended screw-in brake with an extremely sharp-edged serrations at the front, indicates the planned tactical use of this shotgun. The serrations, however, are not entirely harmless and introduce a certain risk of injury. In addition, one should be very careful when packing the shotgun so as not to damage the gun case padding. 

But what is this muzzle attachment actually good for? Quite simple: as the name already says, the door breacher is used to breach doors. The shotgun is pressed directly against the door leaf or the door lock and the sharp-edged serrations ensure that the shotgunner does not slip off. The door breacher has some venting ports to reduce the shot gas pressure and thus avoid any possible barrel blast. But beware: professionals use special LE tactical ammunition for this purpose. For safety reasons, this should never be attempted with commercially available hunting or sporting ammunition. If the door B breacher seems too martial, it can also be replaced by a normal screw-in choke. The chokes of the Stoeger semi-auto shotgun also fit the pump-action model. With its well thought-out design and magazine capacity of 7+1 rounds, the shotgun seems to be well equipped for all purposes and should therefore also cut a fine figure in sporting use. But more about that later. The model is delivered in a cardboard box and, as far as equipment is concerned, only a very simple carrying sling and an instruction manual in English. That's it. In view of the very low price of 475 euros, you can't seriously expect more.

The 12-ga Stoeger P3000 Tactical in detail

When unpacking, the relationship to the M3000 semi-automatic shotgun is apparent at first glance. The workmanship and feel are certainly on a very high level. The P3000's aluminum alloy receiver features both an adjustable ghost ring and a Picatinny mounting rail. The barrel features a high front sight base with red fiber-optic front sight and pronounced protection ears. The slightly textured synthetic stock with its very grippy surface in the handling area is excellent to the touch: everything feels great and conveys a high-quality impression. Many a well-known manufacturer could take a leaf out of this book. The fit is also right. The barrel sits rock-solid in the receiver and the stock and magazine tube do not show the slightest play either. Only the fore-end can be twisted a little in the longitudinal axis. However, this is exclusively due to the play of the operating rods for the pump-action and occurs very often in pump-action shotguns, even in very high-priced models. However, the sling swivel, which is firmly attached to the buttstock, is somewhat annoying. The noise produced by each small movement is reminiscent of a ball rolling back and forth inside the stock.Even with a sports shotgun, this is more than annoying, and with a tactical firearm can even be dangerous. In any case, silent sneaking up on the target is out of the question under these conditions. The manufacturer should do something about this. While we are on the subject of criticism: even with this shotgun abrasion resistance of the good-looking surface coating doesn't seem to be too durable. Even after a short time on the shooting range, clear signs of abrasion were visible there as well. Honestly, however, this is just complaining on a high level, and considering the extremely low price, you can turn a blind eye in this case.

How much the manufacturer is convinced of the quality is shown by the fact that there is a free five-year warranty for this shotgun – mind you, at a price below 500 euros. The magazine tube is closed at the front by means of a plastic sleeve, so there is no danger of the magazine spring popping out – very good.

Handling the Stoeger P3000

Together with the thin rubber butt plate – which is not ventilated in contrast to the semi-automatic shotgun, but is nevertheless very non-slip – the P3000 also provides an unshakably stable aiming position. Great! The loading port on the underside of the receiver has not been milled out as on the sporting semi-auto, but loading and reloading is still very easy. The double load technique, where two cartridges are picked up at once and loaded into the tube magazine, works great. Even quad loads with four cartridges in hand work quite well, though not overly fast. The relatively short shotgun is very manageable and really well balanced, with a barrel length of 47 centimeters and a minimum overall length of 99 cm (103 cm with door breacher). The trigger can only be described as outstanding. With a pull weight of only 1,500 g, it breaks crisp like glass. Excellent! As with Stoeger's semi-autos, the uncocked pump-action P3000 can't be opened with the safety on, and thus can't be cocked or fired. The sense of this function is debatable. Cycling is quite quick. Of course, there are pump-actions specially designed for sporting use where this is even easier and faster, but then you are also easily double or even triple the price. The price/performance ratio can therefore almost be described as sensational considering the features offered.

With the Stoeger P3000 pump-action shotgun on the shooting range

Here, the pump-action feels visibly comfortable and the testers were also more than satisfied with the function and the pleasant shooting behavior of the P3000. The relatively low recoil and muzzle flip are probably thanks not only to the stability, but also to the door breacher with its gas relief ports. At least the testers had the impression that the pump-action was noticeably rougher with "normal" screw-in chokes. Even though the appearance and name clearly refer to tactical law enforcement use, this shotgun is also an excellent piece of sporting equipment. It works without problems with all commercially available slugs and shot 12-gauge shells from 60 to 76 mm length. Malfunctions? No chance! The testers were already fully thrilled when shooting quickly with buckshot on steel drop plates.

The Stoeger can be cycled quickly and safely and the great trigger makes the shooter's "work" immensely easier. But also the accuracy with slugs was more than convincing. Precision tests were conducted in cooperation with several fellow shooters and with the aid of a red dot sight. The very compact Holosun HE509T-RD impressed with its high-quality features and very good function. Although the adjustable, standard ghost ring sight of the P3000 Tactical already produced quite good results, the testers simply wanted to know exactly whether the hit results could be significantly improved by using a red dot.

This can be said for sure with the exception of the S&B Practical Whiteline Slugs in 12/63.5mm: with them, we achieved 70-mm five-shot groups with both the original sight and the red dot from Holosun. With all other double-tested ammunition types, the groupings achieved with the red dot were more than clearly in the lead. With the full-power Classic Slugs in 12/70 from Brenneke, an almost outstanding group of just 30 millimeters was achieved: Top! But also the 45-mm group with the Competition Slugs in 12/67.5 from GECO are more than impressive.

Stoeger P3000 Tactical pump-action shotgun specs and price

Stoeger P3000 Tactical pump-action shotgun: test conclusion

With the P3000 Tactical Stoeger offers a well-designed and well-made pump-action shotgun at a very reasonable price. The whole thing also comes with a free 5-year warranty on top. What more could you want? We can only give a very clear buy recommendation here. One of the people present at the tests was so enthusiastic that he has already purchased this shotgun, which probably makes any further comment superfluous. Although something should definitely be said: wow!

Text: Frank Flumm and Hamza Malalla

A big thank you to Ralf Kunzmann, Martin Laib and Manfred Struch for their support during the test and to Maja and Volker Hack from the Ballistikzentrum Stahlziele GmbH in Sternenfels, who made their shooting range available. 

For more information on the manufacturer's weapons please visit the Stoeger Industries website.