Rifleman Review: EAA Girsan MC312 Shotgun

European American Armory Corp., or EAA, has imported firearms from several countries in its history, from Germany to Italy. Over the past few years, it has had more focus on arms from Turkey, especially in regards to shotguns. In 2019, EAA began importing the MC312 semi-automatic 12-ga. shotgun made by Girsan, a Turkish company that has gained a favorable reputation in the U.S. market for its affordably priced, yet well-made firearms.

A right-side view of the EAA Girsan MC312 shotgun.

The MC312 uses a Benelli-style inertia-operated action, instead of the various gas systems which are more prevalent in today's shotgun market. The steel barrel of the MC312 is 28" long, accepts interchangeable choke tubes and comes with a blued finish. On the other hand, the receiver is made of aluminum, which helps keep the overall weight down to 7 lbs. 3 ozs. 

At the range with the MC312.

As a 12-ga. shotgun, the MC312 can chamber 2 3/4" shot shells up to 3 1/2" magnum shells, giving it versatility for a range of tasks, from sport shooting to hunting. This is accomplished in part with the design's use of an ejector, housed on the right side inside the receiver, that moves back and forth. The controls are in their classic locations as on other semi-automatic shotguns, with a cross-bolt safety just behind the trigger, a bolt release button on the right side of the receiver and a charging handle on the right side of the bolt carrier. 

A closer look at the 28" ribbed barrel and front sight bead on the MC312.

Like other common semi-automatic, 12-ga. sporting shotguns, the MC312 is tube fed with a loading gate at the bottom of the receiver. The trigger itself has a single-stage pull, with a pull weight of 6 lbs. 8 ozs. Sights on the MC312 consist of a classic-styled ribbed barrel top, with a front bead on top of the barrel rib near the end of the muzzle. 

A closer look at the ribbed texturing on the semi-pistol grip of the MC312. the fore-end has similar texturing on the bottom.

The stock and fore-end are both made from polymer, with a black color as the standard and contribute to the relatively low price point of the MC312. The stock has a length-of-pull of 14.25", and features a rubber recoil pad at the back end. It also features an open pistol grip, which is thin at the wrist, but widens out at the grip. Rib textured grip areas on the pistol grip add extra retention, even when using gloves. The fore-end is thinner than what is typically found on 3 1/2" 12-ga. shotguns, but allows for easy grasp and also features the same style of ribbed texture on the bottom.

For more on the EAA Gisran MC312 12-ga. semi-automatic shotgun, visit eaacorp.com.   

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