The Perfect 12 Gauge: Genesis Arms Gen-12 PDS
- Graham Baates
- Jun 16
- 5 min read
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Since 2018 GBGuns followers have known about Genesis Arms and followed the development of the 12 gauge DPMS lower conversion into the complete firearm and shotgun we all know today. During that time I've had the privledge to document developments and advancements (some of which YouTube hasn't deleted yet) as Genesis Arms pushed the boundaries of conventional shotgun thought, striving for a faster, stronger, easier-to-operate breaching gun. They have since accomplished that and I feel fortunate to have my hands on one.
First the Basics:
What Is It? The Genesis Arms Gen-12 PDS is a 5" semi-auto shotgun feeding from a unique magazine that is not only capable of getting rimmed 12 gauge cartridges to behave through the straight of an AR receiver, but can also keep up with what has been recognized as the fastest 12 gague action to ever exist.
Who's It For? While originally designed for breaching operations, the Gen-12 PDS also makes for a handy Personal Defense Shotgun, hence the name. Genesis Arms' operating system, as previously described in my coverage greatly reduces felt recoil, and the PDS format makes for 12 gauge power in a much handier package for storage and indoor use.
You may be like me, in that years of shotgun lore has told you that a short-barreled shotgun won't have any predictable pattern and just blast pellets all over the place . For breaching of course that doesn't matter, but what about at longer distances? This is something I explore in the range video. A 5" barrel minus a 2 3/4" shell inside doesn't leave much space for velocity or forcing cone action to happen, or so I thought.
Why a Suppressor? It may seem like adding length back on to the barrel defeats the point of such a short barrel, but the Huxwrx Ventum 12 was developed in partnership with Genesis Arms specifically for this application to accomplish two things. Contain the blast and noise to increase user safety and serve as an extension of the barrel for forcing cone purposes. At the time of this writing the Ventum 12 K is only available through Genesis Arms and is threaded only for the Gen-12. The PDS and Ventum 12 K are meant for one another. The end of the Ventum 12 K has teeth on the end cap for added safety when used in a breaching application.
FEATURES
5” barrel length
20" Overall Length without suppressor
26" Overall Length with suppressor
Chamber 2 ¾” 12 gauge shells
Muzzle Thread: 1.375-24
Short recoil operation
Free float handguard with single M-LOK® rail at 3, 6, and 9 o’clock
Right side charging knob
GEN1 DPMS 308 patterned lower
Proprietary Compact Stock with 2 positions: locked closed, locked extended
Hogue rubberized grip
Ar Standard Safety (non-ambi)
Milspec AR Trigger
HUXWRX VENTUM 12 K Suppressor
INCLUDES
5" PDS Shotgun
5 round magazine
Ventum 12k Suppressor
Soft case
Limited warranty
Optic not included
INFORMATION
ADDITIONAL SHIPPING CHARGES FOR OUTSIDE THE LOWER 48 STATES
NOT AVAILABLE TO CALIFONIA
LIMITED/RESTRICTED SALES: New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Washington, Illinois, and District of Columbia.
CANCELED ORDERS ARE SUBJECT TO A 30% RESTOCKING FEE
THIS IS AN NFA ITEM. ALL NFA LAWS AND RULES APPLY.
PATENTED: US 10,605,553
See the Genesis Arms Gen-12 PDS in action in the video below. Rumble Link
The Perfect Recipe:
What Makes the Genesis Arms Gen-12 PDS as shown a "perfect" recipe? To start you just witnessed a semi-auto, magazine fed shotgun reliably run:
Fiocchi Extra Nickel-plated Buckshot
Hornady Heavy Magnum Coyote Nickel-plated Buckshot $20.49 /10 @ Ammunition Depot
Winchester Super X 3" 1 1/8oz #4 Waterfowl $17.79 / 25 at GrabaGun
Rio Star Low-Recoil 1 1/8oz slugs
and not only run them, but pattern nicely from 12 yards. You may have noticed that Genesis Arms' recoil system seems to make heavier loads shoot softer than the light loads. For a defensive tool this is excellent as it helps one keep on target for follow-up shots.
Controls are something you should be familiar with. The Gen-12 runs like an AR because the lower is one! If you can run an AR, you can run a Gen-12. That greatly reduces learning time to get quick with the Gen-12. AR triggers also work. There may be some that are incompatible, but so far I've run Rise Armament, HyperFire, and CMC triggers without issue.
Stock: This two-position stock collapses nice and tightly and uses a special buffer and spring to further shorten the gun. The Gen-12 is still fully functional with the stock collapsed, but of course more stable when shouldered. To be clear, this is a short-barreled shotgun and so requires a tax stamp, just as the suppressor does.
Aiming: Over the years I've tried a number of sighting systems on Gen-12s. All-the-while, the team at Genesis Arms suggested Eotech. Stubbornly I tried others and learned why Eotech. For me it wasn't the optic's toughness, it was the mounts. As made famous in a video with 12 Spies, the mounts can break. With the stock of the Gen-12 PDS a higher mount is needed to keep the arms of the stock a safe distance from cheek bones. Higher mount means more leverage for the optic to try to break free or try to break the mount. For this reason a GBRS Lerna mount ($174 from Genesis Arms) is used in combination with the Eotech.
Put it all together and add a Burn Proof Gear suppressor cover (I'm using a rail cover as I don't let the can get rifle-hot) to protect your hands and you've got what is possibly the most capable firearm platform possible. It's not cheap, and not inexpensive either, but the Genesis Arms Gen-12 PDS really is the pinnacle of both shotguns and firearms. If you can only have one gun this is something to strongly consider.
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