Semi-automatic shotguns with a profile and function that closely resemble that of an AR-15 are in high demand. Now that modern sporting rifles hold the “America’s favorite rifle” title, it makes perfect sense. Muscle memory polished behind that .223 Rem. at the range is identical when shouldering the shotgun—a potentially life-saving advantage in home or personal defense. Plus, there’s real estate for mounting lights, lasers and accessories, a bonus not always available on more traditional models.
For many of those reasons the Citadel Boss25, from Legacy Sports International, was one of the top-selling semi-automatic shotguns sold last year. Value has a lot to do with it, too. The company doesn’t list an MSRP on its website, but shop around and you’ll find prices usually run between $600 and $500, often lower.
This 12-ga. semi-automatic shotgun can chamber 3" shells and is available in a variety of finishes, including matte black, grey, flat dark earth and USA flag. The barrel is 18.75" long and ships with a muzzle brake. Each gun also comes with five choke tubes.
It uses box magazines with a five shell capacity, and two are included. A Picatinny rail on top of the receiver makes mounting optics fast, although the shotgun ships with adjustable flip-up iron sights. Another section of rail is found below the barrel, up front. The aluminum fore-end also has enough M-LOK slots to fit almost any configuration need.
Weight comes in at 8 lbs. and overall length is 37.75". The pistol grip and location of the safety selector ensure instant familiarity for AR-15 owners. Add the ability to adjust cheekpiece height on the stock and it’s a lot of gun for the money. Last year it was among the top-selling semi-automatic shotguns by FFLs using the services of Gunbroker.com.