The Lazer Arms XR410 is a 5-shot revolver 410 shotgun made in Turkey. Retailing at around $750-799 in Canada, they’re up there for cost, but do you get enough utility and uniqueness out of this interesting shotgun? Note: unlike the Taurus Judge this shotgun is not made to fire 45 Long Colt. Just 410.
Shooting the XR410
I should really split this into a few parts. Carrying the XR410 out in the bush is a treat due to the low weight and slim receiver. You can easily carry the shotgun in a few different ways. It’s also easy to shoulder and point quickly. Unlike a tube magazine fed shotgun, the forend is very slim.
Unloading, and shooting the shotgun all take time and aren’t as nice as some other systems. Loading the long, skinny 410 shells into a revolver cylinder takes about the same amount of time as loading a tube, but unloading is a bit slow. You press the extractor rod from the front, that extracts the shells, then you pick them out from the back one by one.
Shooting the shotgun, you have the choice of single action by cocking the hammer manually, or just pressing through the very heavy double action trigger.
And even though there are metal guards on the sides where the cylinder gap is, I still felt some spray hit my forearm.
The sights are . . .more precise than I’m used to on a shotgun. I do most of my shooting with a regular bead, so I find a blade and notch a bit slower in use. Those who are shooting slugs with their 410 would love these sights though: they’re adjustable for windage with a screw on the rear sight, and elevation with a ramp also on the rear sight. Since slugs only develop about 1000 ft-lbs at the muzzle, maybe you could use it as a hog gun?
Plugs for Waterfowl Hunting
The Lazer Arms XR410 also comes with 2 plugs that you can use to plug 2 of the cylinders. This puts you in compliance with waterfowl hunting regulations, since you’re stuck with 3 shots after installing them. The plugs stay in the cylinders and are installed with a tool to hold one side and an allen key on the other (see video for installation instructions.) The plug rims are relieved in such a way that they won’t get in the way of extraction as long as they’re turned the right way.
You’ll have to carefully select the right range, choke, and shot size to get the most out of 410 bore when waterfowl hunting.
Conclusion
I think this shotgun is best suited as a compact gun for upland game and as a fun 410 shotgun that recoil-sensitive shooters might like. Practically speaking, it’s not as light or inexpensive as a single barrel 410 and the double action trigger pull is too heavy for youth shooters so they’ll have to manually cock the hammer each time. For an adult, this 410 could be handy to take grouse and other small game. The lightweight carryability and quick follow up shots make it pretty neat for that purpose.
