Semi-automatic smoothbore shotgun "Bekas-12 M auto": reviews, description, manufacturer

A successful hunt depends not only on shooting skills, but also on the right weapon. In this regard, many beginners are interested in how to choose a gun? A wide range of different shooting models is presented to the attention of hunters at gun counters. Judging by numerous consumer reviews, Russian-made hunting rifles are very good. The Vyatsko-Polyansky Armory has launched the production of a series of reliable and unpretentious shotguns. Among hunters, this rifle unit is known as the Bekas-12 M auto rifle. Reviews about this model are mostly positive. The Bekas pump-action weapon is produced in a whole series of small arms, differing in barrel length and caliber. In addition, there are some differences in the design. This article presents a description of the Bekas-12 M auto gun, its design, purpose, advantages and disadvantages.

Acquaintance

This shooting unit is a pump-action shotgun. Bekas hunting rifles have been produced since 1999 at the Vyatsko-Polyansky Armory.

This manufacturer produces a line of hunting shotguns of the “Bekas” model. Price for snipe 12 m car, produced in 2002: 33 thousand rubles. Judging by the reviews of some hunters, the cost is quite high. However, the gun is reliable and easy to use. It is noteworthy that the Bekas-12 M auto served as the basis for the VPO-201-05 self-loading shotgun, and soon its improved version VPO-201M. The price of the modernized model is higher and reaches 35 thousand rubles. You can become the owner of VPO-201M for 38 thousand rubles. Anyone can purchase rifle units at the Okhota store.

History of creation

In 1997. The Bekas M pump-action smoothbore shotgun was developed in 1998, and since 1998 it has been put into mass production. The Bekas M shotgun became popular both among hunters and among security agencies, since it had many modifications, and moreover, some modifications were equipped with interchangeable barrels, that is, there was a choice of which barrel to install: short or long. At that time, rarely anyone could offer such a package, which was undoubtedly a successful marketing decision, since the demand for this hunting rifle remained quite good. In 2012, the production of this pump-action shotgun was discontinued due to the appearance of a more modern model created on the basis of Bekas M. However, more than 300 thousand units were produced over the entire period, and even a used pump-action shotgun Bekas M is quite reliable and can last for decades.

What is special about the Bekas-12 M auto shotgun?

The Bekas-M model is considered an improved version of the basic shotguns of this manufacturer. According to experts, the developer practically did not change the gun externally. Nevertheless, there are some improvements in the design, thanks to which the Bekas-M has increased combat accuracy and is effective at long distances. Unlike this model, Bekas-12 M auto was equipped with a special system, the task of which is to cut off and discharge powder gases. Thanks to this design innovation, this shotgun, according to reviews of many owners, has become the best gun for hunting. Reloading is carried out automatically using energy from the gases of burnt powder and the action of a return spring.

Description

This rifle unit has a semi-pistol type stock. Walnut wood is used to make it. The butt has a straight comb, which is strongly inclined downward relative to the barrel axis. A shotgun with a shock-absorbing non-adjustable butt pad. According to numerous consumer reviews, the Bekas-12 M auto shotgun is very comfortable to hold. In order to ensure a comfortable and reliable grip, the developer equipped the rifle unit’s handle along its entire length with special corrugation. The forend is also made of walnut. It's quite long. If you lock the barrel, the forend will be flush with the front edge of the receiver. The shooter can use a high ventilated rib and a bronze front sight as sighting devices. Ammunition in the amount of 6 pieces is contained in a tubular magazine. An aluminum alloy is used to make a cast receiver. The location of the bunker window was determined to be on the lower edge.

Description of the shotgun Bekas-auto VPO-201M

Molot is known for its high-quality products far beyond the country of manufacture. These are rifled Vepris (SOK-95, KM, 1V, Pioneer, Super, Hunter), and smooth-bore Vepr 12 M and 16M, Tukan, VPO-208 and .

Semi-automatic 12-gauge shotgun with a gas engine and a tubular under-barrel magazine. A special feature of the design is the ability to install an extension cord, of which there are two included in the delivery set.

An overview of the Bekas-auto VPO-201M shotgun is given in this video:

Advantages and disadvantages

High quality workmanship, traditional for weapons.

• A reliable design that does not require excessive effort from the owner to save and maintain.
• Absolute omnivorous - it makes no difference to the gun what ammunition it is equipped with. It will shoot without delay.
• The bore and gas chamber are chrome plated. It is convenient for cleaning and maintenance. The increased reliability and positive effect of such a coating on the ballistic qualities of a weapon is disputed by many hunters.
• The design of the gas engine has been significantly simplified, from which the spring and sealing ring have been removed. Unfortunately for some hunters, it remains unregulated. However, practical experience suggests that such an option is not particularly necessary.

It is possible to lengthen the magazine, increasing its capacity. Moreover, the manufacturer included two standard sizes in the delivery package - for five and six cartridges.

• Simplification of the design of the gas engine and the possibility of increasing the magazine capacity led to such changes in the design that after unscrewing one nut the entire gun falls into pieces. This causes some concern, since various incidents happen during a hunt, including the most incredible ones.
• A Weaver rail is attached to the receiver cover. Its middle part is made in the form of a recess, which creates a semblance of a Batyu bar and greatly simplifies aiming without optics. The delivery set includes a removable rear sight with a ring - a ghost ring aperture sight, which is convenient when shooting at short distances at moving targets.
• The delivery set includes a short “bullet” barrel, which has a cylindrical drilling, and on the last twelve centimeters before the muzzle there is a rifled part, which is usually used for firing Paradox bullets. Everything would be fine, but this type of ammunition is not very common, and shooting other types of bullets - sub-caliber in a container, round ones - from rifled barrels is ineffective.
• Replaceable choke tubes are screwed into the bore to ensure perfect alignment.
• The stock of the gun complies with all the canons of shooting art; it is convenient for shooting from all positions, as well as offhand. The massive shock-absorbing butt plate effectively absorbs recoil, which, however, remains quite harsh. Because of this, the Bekas VPO-201M can hardly be considered an appropriate weapon option for beginners and those with insufficient physical training.

The gun is relatively light, it is not burdensome for running hunts.

Photo of the shotgun Bekas-auto VPO-201M

Varieties

Available only in 12 gauge with a 76 mm chamber length. The manufacturer offers several versions and configurations of this type of gun Bekas Auto:

1. VPO-201M 00.00 – barrel length 750 mm, ventilated rib, half-pistol stock, full-size, made of walnut wood. The delivery set includes a 535 mm long bullet barrel with a rifle front sight.
2. VPO-201M 00.00-01 – barrel length 680 mm, configuration and equipment are the same as the previous model.
3. VPO-201M 00.00-02 – barrel length is 750 mm, there is only one in the package, a full-size, half-pistol stock made of walnut wood.
4. VPO-201M 00.00-03 – barrel length 680 mm, configuration and equipment similar to the previous model.
5. VPO-201M 00.00-04 - equipped only with a short bullet barrel 535 mm long with a rifle front sight. The stock is full-size, semi-pistol.

About the device

This shotgun is equipped with a bolt with a swinging cylinder. Its task, hooking onto a special cutout in the tail of the breech, is to lock the barrel. "Bekas-12 M auto" with a spring-loaded firing pin, the tip of which does not protrude beyond the bolt. The shotgun was equipped with a trigger mechanism. There is no design provision for adjusting it. The location of the safety box was the rear part of the trigger guard. It can occupy two positions. To turn off the safety, just move the flag perpendicular to the barrel to the left. And vice versa. If the safety is on, the bolt carrier can only be opened half the length of the ammunition. In this case, it is impossible to feed cartridges and cock the firing pin. On the right side above the trigger there is a place for a lever, through which the supply of ammunition is cut off. If you need to retract the bolt frame to its full length and remove the cartridge case from the barrel channel, just press this lever.

Care and disassembly

Shotguns of the Bekas series are distinguished by their fairly high unpretentiousness, provided, of course, that the basic rules and measures for caring for the weapon are followed. Of course, like any weapon, they need regular lubrication, careful storage and handling, and compliance with transportation rules.

Disassembling weapons of this family is quite simple, thanks to the same modular design principle. For partial disassembly and cleaning, which is recommended after each use, the special key and drift included in the kit is sufficient. For complete disassembly you will also need a slotted screwdriver.

Disassembly and cleaning is carried out with the weapon unloaded, strictly following the instructions supplied with the gun. Since the trigger mechanism is a rather complex and responsible device, it is not recommended to disassemble the trigger unless absolutely necessary. The remaining parts should be thoroughly cleaned of powder deposits and carefully lubricated. Complete disassembly of the weapon is carried out once a year - at the end of the hunting season.

Despite the insane competition that exists today in the market for smooth-bore hunting weapons, the Bekas series shotguns have gained quite a high popularity and have quite successfully occupied their niche. This is evidenced by the number of collected copies of various modifications, which exceeded 50,000!

How does a shotgun work?

At the bottom of the receiver there is a hopper window through which loading is carried out. When the forend moves rearward, the bolt frame begins to shift under the influence of its thrust, causing the cylinder to lower and disengage with the breech shank. As a result, the spent cartridge case will be extracted and the firing pin will be cocked. When the bolt frame approaches the butt plate in the receiver, the cartridge case will be ejected through the deflector lever. The magazine will open and a cartridge will be fed into the tray using a special tooth equipped with the left handguard rod. When the elevator rises and begins to move back, ammunition will be supplied. The larva will pick it up and send it to the chamber. In this case, the wedge-shaped tooth will fit into a special hole in the breech of the barrel.

How to use a shotgun?

You can equip a magazine with cartridges if the gun is on safety. The feed elevator is diverted to the inside of the receiver. Ammunition should be stacked one at a time with the barrel facing forward. To empty the magazine, you need to move the elevator inward and pull the forend back. If the clip contains cartridges, but it is necessary to load the “smoothbore” with additional ammunition that has a short cartridge case, the rifle unit is turned over on its side. This is necessary so that the cartridge does not fall down into the hopper. Some hunters simply push the Magnum case into the chamber with their finger.

About tuning

Especially for those hunters who prefer to improve their weapons, the developer has provided the ability to dismantle the butt. This element can be removed and replaced completely or adjusted, taking into account the anatomical parameters of the shooter. If desired, the hunter can equip his weapon with optics. For this purpose, two grooves for the bracket are provided on both sides of the receiver.

Characteristics

The semi-automatic shotgun "Bekas-12 M auto" has the following technical characteristics:

• This model belongs to the type of smooth-bore shotgun with a movable fore-end.
• 12 gauge shotgun with a 76mm chamber.
• The gun weighs 3.3 kg.
• Weapon with a 535 mm chrome-plated barrel.
• It is equipped with interchangeable choke constrictions Poluchok and Paradox, 1.5 cm long.
• 6 rounds – this is the amount of ammunition the magazine is designed for.
• Hunting is the main area where guns of this model are used. In addition, “Bekas-12 M auto” is suitable as an effective means of self-defense.

About ammunition

This shotgun fires both factory-made and home-loaded ammunition. Judging by the reviews of the owners, it is best to shoot with branded ammunition. There are practically no complaints when using them. The exception is if you suddenly come across a cartridge with a factory defect. According to experts, a failure of the system can be caused when debris gets into the receiver or after the cut-off flag spontaneously turns. For cartridges, it is recommended to weigh the shot in the range of 32-36 g. Despite the fact that some experts claim that when using semi-magnum cartridges, the pressure level of the gases formed inside the barrel channel does not exceed the permissible level, it is not advisable to equip weapons with such ammunition. Otherwise, the operational life of the smoothbore will be significantly reduced. Such ammunition for the Bekas-12 M auto is not considered completely prohibited, but it is advisable to use it in rare cases.

Hunting with a shotgun "Snipe"

And now the most interesting thing is how relevant it is to use the Bekas pump-action shotgun for hunting. If you believe the reviews of hunters on the Internet, this family of guns has proven itself quite well when hunting large game birds (geese, ducks, pheasants, wood grouse, and so on). Some fishermen even went with a semi-automatic to hunt wild boar, but for shooting they used not only a 12-gauge modification, but also ammunition with an increased amount of gunpowder.

Can the Bekas gun be called universal? Considering that most modifications are designed for 12 and 16 gauges - quite. Although for catching swamp-meadow game and small fur-bearing animals it is better to use something simpler. As for clay pigeon shooting, the Bekas is almost ideal, because it has a spacious magazine and an impressive reload speed.

Despite the fact that the Bekas turned out not to be ideal, it is still one step ahead of those Russian pump-action shotguns that were produced before it. The Bekas-M and Bekas-Auto versions, as well as the new VPO-201 and VPO-202, turned out to be especially successful. So if you have long dreamed of acquiring a smooth-bore semi-automatic machine, then, most likely, it will be able to satisfy your requirements.

How to disassemble a smoothbore?

To ensure that your weapon always works flawlessly, it should be cleaned regularly. For this to be possible, the shotgun must first be disassembled. Judging by the reviews, this is not difficult to accomplish. The Bekas-12 M auto is disassembled as follows:

• First, the rifle unit must be unloaded. To do this, press the lever, which is located above the trigger. Then the forend is pulled back and ammunition is removed from the chamber. Now you need to move the elevator inside the receiver, move the forend back and empty the clip. Afterwards, a control release of the trigger mechanism is performed.
• At this stage, the figured nut is unscrewed, the location of which is the barrel coupling. Then it is removed from the store.
• To dismantle the barrel, you need to remove the cylinder from the breech.

• The hammer mechanism can be removed if its mounting pin is pressed out of the receiver. With its help, the forend rod lock is removed from the bolt frame.
• Now the bolt frame is removed from the receiver and the forend is removed from the clip.

At the very end, through the hole intended for the barrel, the bolt, firing pin, spring are removed and the pin is pressed out.

Disassembling and assembling the gun

When starting to disassemble, replace the barrel or change the bushings, you first need to make sure that the gun is not loaded. Check that there are no cartridges in the magazine and chamber.

Incomplete disassembly

guns for cleaning and lubrication should be produced in the following sequence

• by pressing the locking lever, move the forend to the middle position;
• unscrew the magazine cap and separate the barrel;
• turn the fuse at an angle of 45° and, shaking it, remove it from the box;
• smoothly move the forend with the bolt to the rearmost position, separate the trigger mechanism;
• remove the bolt frame through the box groove;
• by moving the forend forward, separate the forend with the rod assembly;
• remove the bolt from the box (towards the barrel);
• press the magazine insert with a screwdriver and turn it 180°, remove it from the magazine body;

Attention! It is necessary to beware of spontaneous ejection of the liner when the magazine spring acts on it.

Assemble the gun in the following sequence:

• insert the spring into the magazine body and install the insert;
• insert the bolt into the receiver;
• align the forend rods with the box windows and install the forend onto the magazine body. To facilitate the insertion of the fore-end rods into the magazine body, it is necessary to press the stop on the right side of the box.
• move the forend to the rear position. Insert the bolt frame into the groove of the box.
• Align the protrusions of the bolt frame with the grooves of the forend rods and insert the tooth of the bolt frame into the groove of the bolt.
• move the forend and bolt to the rearmost position. Insert the firing mechanism into the box. Insert fuse;
• install the barrel, aligning the groove of the barrel with the locking block of the receiver, and the hole of the barrel coupling with the magazine body. Screw the magazine cap all the way. Check the correct assembly by smoothly moving the forend.

About the advantages and disadvantages

Judging by numerous reviews from owners, the following strengths of the Bekas-12 M auto can be identified:

• A shotgun with a dense and sharp fire.
• The bluing of the barrel is done in the best possible way. However, some hunters are not satisfied with the quality. The fact is that in some places it can come off and the weapon looks less impressive.
• A gun with reliable and trouble-free automatic operation.

In addition, the owners highly appreciated the presence in the design of four special standard grooves, through which a bracket for an optical sight can be installed on the receiver.

In addition to its undeniable strong advantages, the Bekas-12 M auto also has disadvantages. For example, the cartridge cutter often fails. Of course, this device is useful because it makes replacing ammunition much easier and faster. However, the flag is not located very well and can easily turn while the shooter is moving. As a result, the cutter will move, and the hunter may not even notice it until he fires the first shot. The supply of the second ammunition will become impossible due to the fact that the system will jam. The trouble-free operation of a weapon depends on the quality of the cartridges used. You should be careful when choosing them. If the shape of the shell does not match the chamber, the shotgun will simply jam.

Omnivorous "Snipe"

The first 12-gauge Bekas-autos, which appeared in gun stores at the beginning of 2000, immediately became popular thanks to the impeccable reputation of their predecessor, the Bekas pump-action shotgun, which established itself as a reliable, well-made gun. And already in mid-spring, “Bekas-auto” became a rarity on the shelves, and this, oddly enough, was facilitated by the decision of the management of the Vyatsko-Polyansky machine-building ...

The arrow in the photo shows the shutter stop button. The cut-off flag is located on the left side of the receiver

This is what the Bekas looks like without a handguard with a new gas engine, the design of which includes an automatic gas regulator.
The thing is that the Hammer began to receive complaints about the unreliable reloading of the gun when using some domestic cartridges. This did not come as a surprise to the factory workers, since in the process of developing the Bekas-auto, designers and testers had to deal with a very wide variation in the characteristics of cartridges from different manufacturers. It was decided to focus exclusively on high-quality Russian-made cartridges, such as “Taiga” or “Safari”. Ammunition of these particular brands was used to test the Bekas-auto reloading system and to test the finished samples by fire. Unfortunately, some manufacturers do not think at all about what kind of weapon their cartridge will be used in, which greatly complicates the life of shotgun developers.

In this situation, the leadership of Molot behaved very unusually for our country. It would seem that it is possible to produce and sell Bekas, recommending that hunters use only high-quality ammunition. But a high-quality cartridge is an expensive cartridge, which is not available to everyone and not everywhere in Russia. Therefore, the plant, caring about the reputation of its brand, is incurring enormous costs, reducing production volumes of the basic version, while simultaneously making urgent preparations for the production of the Bekas modification with a new gas engine, the design of which includes an automatic gas regulator. As they say, “if the mountain does not come to Mohammed, then Mohammed comes to the mountain” and if a cheap Russian cartridge does not work in self-loading, then it is easier to remake the gun than to wait for the price of a high-quality cartridge to fall.

"Bekas-auto" without automatic gas regulator

Simultaneously with the reduction in the number of Bekas produced, Molot is strengthening quality control of guns at the exit from the assembly line. The frequency of additional spot fire checks of already handed in and fired weapons is increasing, for which at least two types of cartridges from different manufacturers are now used. This guarantees the proper quality of the basic “Bekas-auto” without a gas regulator, although it retains some restrictions on the cartridge used - it must be of high quality.

By the way, the problem of the quality of our cartridges first became acute in foreign-made semi-automatic devices, which rightly refuse to shoot anything. But while the owner of an expensive gun can certainly afford expensive cartridges, this number does not work with an inexpensive domestic gun. The entire “gun-ammunition” complex should be affordable for the hunter, which is what the Molotovites are striving for.

To the editorial staff of the magazine “KALASHNIKOV. Weapons, ammunition, equipment” I had a chance to shoot from “Bekas” with a gas regulator in February 2000, even before the decision was made to speed up work on this topic. The following brands of cartridges were used during shooting: “Azot”, “Taiga”, “Record”, “Tekhkrim”, “Safari”, “Pozis” and even “Pyrobaltpus” with different weights of shot and different grades of gunpowder. The gun magazine was filled with the specified cartridges mixed and unsystematically. In total, about 200 rounds of ammunition were shot – no failures or delays in the operation of the gun’s automatic system were observed.

By the way, the basic “Bekas”, bought in a store at the very beginning of the year, showed excellent work with “Taiga” at a temperature of –15°C. More than 150 shots were fired at the sports stand without any problems.

The Bekas-auto gun widely uses parts and components that are already in production and have proven their high reliability. But, at the same time, in the process of creating Bekas-Auto, many components were modified, and in the future they will be used in Bekas-M pump-action shotguns. Taking into account the wishes of hunters, the designers of “Molot” initially designed the “Bekas-auto” not only in the 16th, but also in the 12th gauge, with the 12th gauge chosen as the main one. When designing the 12th and 16th caliber Bekas-auto, the designers achieved maximum interchangeability - only the barrels and bolt geometry of the guns differ.

“Bekas-auto” with a new gas engine unit, the design of which includes an automatic regulator with gas cut-off. The design of the unit has become noticeably more complicated, but there is not the slightest doubt that Molot will master the production of a modified gun that will be “tough” for any cartridge

The shotgun chamber is designed to use cartridges with a case length of 70 mm. There is no question about the “magnum” yet, since 12x70 and 16x70 cartridges are now the most common in Russia. The tubular under-barrel magazine holds 4 rounds and serves as a guide for the gas piston, double-sided reloading rod (pusher) and return spring, on top of which the forend is placed, secured with a nut with a swivel. The barrel bore is locked by turning the larva, swinging in a vertical plane, the wedge of which fits into a groove on the barrel shank. The locking cylinder is connected with a pin, which is its axis of rotation, to the bolt frame, which has a reloading handle on the right side. On the right side of the receiver there is a bolt stop button that holds the bolt frame in the rear position after the cartridges have been used up.

To quickly replace the cartridge in the chamber, the gun is equipped with a cut-off device. The trigger is mounted on a separate base and, compared to the trigger of the pump-action Bekas, has been slightly modified: the system for lifting the cartridge to the dispensing line has been improved and the sear has been changed. The safety lever was replaced with a push-button one and moved from the receiver to the trigger guard. It has become more convenient to operate the fuse.

The sighting rib of the main, long barrel is ventilated; on the short barrel with a cylindrical drill, it is of a rifle type (rear sight). The gas chamber is attached to the barrel via a dovetail. The receiver has grooves for installing an optical sight bracket. The muzzle of the barrel has a thread for installing interchangeable choke attachments: choke, choke, cylinder. The presence of various options for barrels, sights, and muzzle devices allows the hunter to make the right choice of gun configuration, suitable for specific types of hunting. And the purchase of a “Bekas-auto” shotgun with two barrels (a short “cylinder” and a long one with replaceable chokes) and an optical sight allows you to have at your disposal a universal weapon suitable for almost any type of hunting.

The wooden parts (forend and butt) are made of walnut. The buttstock is equipped with a rubber butt pad-shock absorber.

In general, the design of the gun is carefully thought out, has a modern design, excellent balance and is characterized by smooth automatic operation.

The new gas engine with automatic regulator and gas cut-off deserves special consideration. The purpose of the regulator is to ensure stable operation of the reloading mechanism of a gun with cartridges of various equipment. The automatic regulator allows you to dose part of the powder gases removed from the barrel. Externally, the system resembles the automatic regulator device of the Beretta AL390 shotgun, but has a significant innovation - a gas cut-off device. What does this give? The cut-off valve closes the gas outlet hole in the barrel after removing the volume of gases necessary for reliable operation of the engine. Thus, the amount of gases discharged by the automatic regulator as unnecessary is reduced to a minimum. In a system with a cut-off device, these gases do not “heat the air”, but continue to work, remaining in the barrel and accelerating the projectile (bullet or shot).

It is characteristic that, despite their enormous experience, the creators of self-loading rifles abroad have still not yet been able to offer similar schemes. I wonder how long we will wait for their response to the Russian novelty?

It was thanks to the automatic gas regulator with gas cutoff that “Bekas” “turned from a small bird into an omnivorous beast” that can handle any cartridge. Our magazine will definitely publish reviews from hunters about how the new “Bekas-auto” will prove itself under real-life operating conditions.

Yuri Ponomarev