The firearms industry gathers every January in Las Vegas at SHOT Show. Over the course of four days in the desert, the gunmakers introduce the new guns for the year. “SHOT” stands for “Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade” Show and it’s the place where the main players in the shotgun world display their wares. If you want to see all the new guns in one place, SHOT is where you find them.
Some years, there are lots of new hunting shotguns to get excited about; some years, there aren’t. Twenty-twenty-five is a solid shotgun year. While there’s no one big introduction that has everybody buzzing, there are plenty of good guns to help make your hunts more successful this season. Most of these guns won’t show up at your dealer until the third quarter, but this preview of the best new shotguns of SHOT Show 2025 might be enough to make you start saving up for a new hunting gun.
Benelli:
Love them or hate them, Benelli has solidified itself as a premium manufacturer of shotguns. Their bulletproof inertia actions and ability to run in just about any condition make them a waterfowler’s favorite. This year at SHOT Show 2025, we saw the addition of a few new models, expanding their lineup of sub-gauges, a popular trend in waterfowl. Here’s what caught our eye:
Left-Hand 20-gauge Super Black eagle 3
Gauge: 3-inch 20-gauge inertia semiauto
Special Features: This is a true mirror-image 20-gauge SBE3 made for left-handers. It ejects from the left-hand side, keeping flying hulls out of sight and burning powder out of your eyes. In all other ways, this is a black SBE3 with a 28-inch barrel.
MSRP: $1949
Super Black Eagle 3 28 Gauge
Key features:
Gauge: 3-inch 28-gauge inertia semiauto
Special features: Benelli extends the 28-gauge SBE3 line, adding two Optifade-furniture, Cerakote metal models (one in Timber, the other in Marsh). Turkey hunters will like the 28-gauge SBE3 in the new 24-inch barrel, Mossy Oak Bottomland/Patriot Brown Cerakote configuration. Although made for the woods, it will suit anyone who wants the ultimate in a short smallbore semiauto.
MSRP: $2200-$2300
Nova 3
Key Features:
Gauge: 3-inch, 12-gauge slide-action
Key Features: The rugged pump with the one-piece, steel-reinforced polymer stock/receiver gets a makeover. The new trigger guard is oversized for foul-weather operations, and the pump stroke is now shorter, making an already slick-shucking gun slicker.
MSRP: $529 in black, $629 in camo
Beretta:
Berretta—another premium manufacturer in the shotgun world—is a crowd favorite amongst wing shooters. This year at SHOT, Beretta unveiled its newest O/U, and we like what we see.
Silver Pigeon I
Key Features:
Gauge: 3-inch 12-gauge O/U
Special Features: The latest iteration of Beretta’s mainstay O/U, the SP I features a new engraving pattern made with a 5-axis laser that can follow the curves of the receiver perfectly. Optimabore HP barrels with long forcing cones and bore dimensions for improved patterns. The top lever has been redesigned for easier opening. There are currently four 12-gauge models with 26-, 28- and 30-inch barrels, plus a “Vittoria” women’s model.
MSRP: $2599
Browning:
Browning is an American manufacturer of shotguns and rifles that make some of our favorite guns, like the Maxus II and A5. While we didn’t get any new semi-autos this year, we did see some exciting new O/Us adding to the legendary Citori lineup.
Citori 825 Field
Key Features:
Gauge: 3-inch 12-gauge
Special features: Restyled lines, including a more traditional forend. Improved, mechanical FireLite 2 trigger gives clean, 3 ½-pound pulls and doesn’t rely on the recoil of the first shell to shoot the second, so it will shoot again in case of a first-barrel dud or unloaded chamber.
MSRP: $3299
Franchi:
A sister company of Benelli, Franchi makes exceptional shotguns that don’t break the bank. This year, the Affinity 3 and 3.5 received a facelift, solidifying them as a top contender for waterfowlers looking for a performance shotgun at a reasonable price.
Affinity 3 and 3.5
Key Features:
Gauge: 3- and 3 ½-inch 12 gauge inertia semiautos
Special Features: The Affinity now has a slimmer grip and forend, plus a redesigned, less-obtrusive slammer button. A two-piece shell-latch makes loading easier, and an already good gun gets a little bit better.
MSRP: $1079 – $1379 depending on the model.
Mossberg:
Mossberg is a company that always debuts unique guns at SHOT, and 2025 is no different. While not a duck gun, the 500 Slugster is an affordable and lethal deer gun. This year, it’s available in sub-gauges like .410 and 20-gauge.
500 Slugster
Key Features
Gauge: 3-inch 12-, 20-gauge and .410 slide-action
Special Features: Fully rifled 12- and 20-gauge barrels provide excellent accuracy with slugs, while the smoothbore .410 makes a good camp or truck gun. All three have 24-inch barrels, iron sights, and drilled/tapped receivers for optics
MSRP: $518
Retay:
A lesser-known manufacturer, Retay is a company that every waterfowler should keep on their radar. They are a Turkish manufacturer but are arguably one of the best. This year we saw two new additions to their lineup.
LH Gordion
Key Features:
Gauge: 3-inch, 12-gauge inertia semiauto
Special Features: This is Retay’s first LH model. It’s a mirror image of the standard Gordion, Retay’s lower-priced inertia model, unlike many of the guns listed here, this one is available now.
MSRP: $849
Ace and Ace Type R
Key Features:
Gauge: 3 ½-inch 12-gauge, 3-inch 20-gauge, 3-inch 28-gauge inertia semiautos
Special Features: ACE stands for ”Air Control Extreme,” and these new models, identical except that the Type R has a squared-off, humpback receiver, promise improved cycling with light loads and a new recoil-reducing pad and cheekpiece that will tame the kick of magnum ammo through these lightweight guns. They have all the enlarged controls that waterfowlers expect and come in synthetic stocks only for rough use.
MSRP: $1049
Stoeger:
Stoeger is a sister company of Benelli and Franchi, albeit the lowest tier. These are Turkish guns as well, but they benefit from the trickle-down technology from their family of firearms. If you’re looking for a new turkey gun for the season, definitely consider these new offerings.
M3000 and M3020 Turkey Guns
Key Features:
Gauge: 3-inch, 12-gauge (3000) and 3-inch 20-gauge (3020) inertia semiautos
Special Features: These dedicated turkey guns have 22-inch barrels with extended, X-Full turkey chokes. The 12-gauge has receiver cut for RMR or Burris sights, while the 20 sports a Picatinny rail. Both guns feature Mossy Oak Bottomland camo and paracord slings.
MSRP: $699.
Tristar:
Tristar is a fairly new name to the shotgunning industry, and this year, we saw new additions to their lineup. The Raptor II takes everything from the Raptor and improves on it for a budget-friendly semi.
Raptor II
Key Features:
Gauge: 3-inch, 12-gauge, 3-inch, 20-gauge inertia semiauto
Special Features: The new version of the Raptor features enlarged controls for easier operation in the blind and it still sells for under $500
MSRP: $489
Weatherby:
Last year at SHOT, Weatherby launched the Sorix—a premium inertia gun. This year, we saw another addition to its shotgun lineup, the Element II. This is another impressive inertia gun, but at a much more manageable price.
Element II
Key Features:
Gauge: 3-inch, 12-gauge, 3-inch 20-gauge inertia semiauto
Special Features: The Element inertia gun gets a restyled stock and forend plus enlarged controls. A major bonus is the hand-detachable nut that makes removing the stock-mounted recoil spring easier when it comes time to clean it out. The guns come in synthetic, camo synthetic and Cerakote, walnut and full camo, all with 28-inch barrels.
MSRP: Starts at $669