Best Pistol Grip Only Firearms

Firearms fall into a few categories. Rifles, pistols, and shotguns serve as the main firearm categories for the civilian world.

And each of these firearm categories is well defined by law.

But what happens when a firearm pops up that doesn’t fit into one of those, but also isn’t defined as an NFA firearm?

Well, it earns the label of “firearm” and falls into the “other” category of guns.

Today, we’re going to talk about this special category, and we’ll even run down some of our favorite “other” guns.

So, keep reading to learn more!

THE QUICK LIST

1. Editor’s Pick

   Mossberg 990 Aftershock

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2. Best Lever-Action

   Henry Axe .410

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3. Best Pump-Action

   Mossberg 590 Shockwave

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4. Classic-Style Firearm

   Remington Tac-14 Hardwood

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5. Most Affordable

   Charles Daly Honcho

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6. Magazine-Fed Option

   Standard Manufacturing SKO Mini

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Best Pistol Grip Only Firearms Comparison Chart

	Caliber	Action	Capacity	Barrel Length	Overall Length	Weight	Price
Mossberg 990 Aftershock	12 gauge	Semi-automatic, gas-operated	5+1	14.75”	27.125”	6.04 lbs	$899
Henry Axe	.410 Bore	Lever-action	5+1	15.14”	26.4”	5.75 lbs	$818
Mossberg 590 Shockwave	.410 Bore, 20 gauge, 12 gauge	Pump-action	4 – 10	14.375″ – 18.5″	26.37” – 30.75″	5.25 lbs – 6.55 lbs	$445
Remigton Tac-14 Hardwood	12 gauge	Pump-action	5+1	14″	26.3”	6 lbs	$545
Charles Daly Honcho	12 gauge	Pump-action	5+1	14.5″	27”	4.7 lbs	$259
Standard Mfg. SKO Mini	12 gauge	Semi-automatic, gas-operated	2, 5, 10	14.75″	27”	7.14 lbs	$729

How We Chose the Best Pistol Grip Only Firearms

This list was compiled using a mix of hands-on testing and thorough research to find the best firearms in this category.

In addition to only considering non-NFA items, we used the following criteria when looking for the best “PGO” firearms: reliability, ease of use, recoil impulse, aftermarket, price, and general availability.

Best Pistol Grip Only Firearms

1. Mossberg 990 Aftershock – Editor’s Pick

Specs:

• Caliber: 12 gauge
• Action: Semi-automatic, gas-operated
• Capacity: 5+1
• Barrel Length: 14.75”
• Overall Length: 27.125”
• Weight: 6.04 lbs

The Mossberg 990 Aftershock is my personal all-time favorite firearm. It’s a semi-automatic firearm that uses a gas-operated system.

It’s not just a 940 that’s been trimmed and slimmed. It’s a combination of the 940 and 590, which equals 990 in shotgun math.

The 990 uses a gas system that’s contained entirely in the front end of the gun. No buffer needed. The rear end of the gun can accept Mossberg 590 furniture.

Mossberg included the massive controls of the 940 onto the 990, as well as the ergonomic awesomeness of the 940’s beveled loading port. The Aftershock comes optics-ready, and it’s begging for a red dot.

The Aftershock is incredibly reliable and so much fun to shoot! I‘ve fed it reduced-recoil ammo, birdshot, full-powered buckshot, slugs, and more, and it doesn’t choke.

Not only is a semi-auto just faster to fire in this type of gun, but it also generates a lot less recoil than a pump gun.

You’ll still need good fundamentals and good recoil mitigation to run a gun like this, but it’s more forgiving for the average user. If I had to pick something off this list for defensive use, it would be the 990 Aftershock.

Check out our full review of the 990 Aftershock and video below!

2. Henry Axe – Best Lever-Action

Specs:

• Caliber: .410 Bore
• Action: Lever-action
• Capacity: 5+1
• Barrel Length: 15.14”
• Overall Length: 26.4”
• Weight: 5.75 lbs

Fun guns are rarely practical, and two guns I’ve had an absolute ball with are Old West-inspired.

One is a revolving rifle, and the other is the Henry Axe.

The Henry Axe is an absolute blast of a gun.

I love lever-action guns and PGO firearms, so I can’t help loving the Henry Axe.

The Henry Axe is a lever-action .410 firearm with a pistol grip. A 15.14-inch barrel and an overall length of 26.4 inches make the Henry Axe a very light and handy weapon.

Like every Henry, the lever functions extremely smoothly. It delivers a thrill with every cycle of the action.

The 5.75-pound weight reduces the recoil of the anemic .410 to almost nothing. It’s easy to aim and easy to shoot one-handed.

A silly and extremely fun gun, it handles well for shooters of all ages — even my 10-year-old son can safely handle this PGO firearm.

The Henry Axe is one of the higher-quality PGO options, and the MSRP reflects that!

Everything from the side-loading action, excellent trigger, and a smooth cocking hammer makes this a tough firearm to beat in the Venn diagram of quality and fun.

Read up on the Henry Axe in our full review!

3. Mossberg Shockwave 590 – Best Pump-Action

Specs:

• Caliber: .410 Bore, 20 gauge, 12 gauge
• Action: Pump-action
• Capacity: 4 – 10 rounds (model dependent)
• Barrel Length: 14.375″ – 18.5″
• Overall Length: 26.37” – 30.75″
• Weight: 5.25 lbs – 6.55 lbs

Mossberg didn’t invent the PGO firearm, but they were the first major company to embrace the concept.

At SHOT, a few years ago, these things popped off, starting the whole trend of these types of firearms that we see today.

Mossberg wisely chose its robust and customizable 590 platform as the basis for this build.

Tacking on side saddles, magazine tube extensions, new sights, slings, and the like are all very easy with the Shockwave.

The Shockwave series came complete with a 14-inch barrel and Raptor grip to bring the overall length to roughly 26.37 inches.

Mossberg’s iconic tang safety was a natural fit with the Raptor grip, and the ergonomics are on point.

With five rounds of 12-gauge in the tube and another in the chamber, Mossberg had what they called the modern six-shooter.

The Shockwave comes standard with a simple bead sight, but the receiver is also tapped for an optics rail. While optics on these guns might sound silly, a red dot makes it much easier to aim than the bead.

Mossberg swung wide with models in .410 and 20-gauge, as well as magazine-fed versions and other neat configurations.

As it sits now, the Shockwave 590 is likely the best-selling PGO firearm ever.

Check out our review of the mag-fed Mossberg Shockwave 590M!

4. Remington Tac-14 Hardwood – Classic-Style Firearm

Specs:

• Caliber: 12 gauge
• Action: Pump-action
• Capacity: 5+1
• Barrel Length: 14″
• Overall Length: 26.3”
• Weight: 6 lbs

After the Mossberg dropped the 590 Shockwave, Remington quickly followed suit with their model 870-derived Tac-14.

I won’t lie; I wasn’t impressed when the Tac-14 premiered.

Outside of the Magpul forend, the Tac-14 was subpar to the Shockwave. It was heavier, offered one less round, and the safety was more difficult to use.

The Tac-14 didn’t catch my attention until Remington released the awesome Hardwood model.

The Hardwood model came with a wood forend and wood stock, a shield-style sling keeper, a sling, and a 5-round magazine tube.

Remington released a non-NFA variant of essentially what the Marshall’s Witness Protection shotgun was. The old school cool design resonated with me.

Its ergonomics might not have been the best, still, but everything else was improved over the base model.

The Tac-14 Hardwood proved easy to shoot with the textured forend, and the hand shield added a layer of safety to help prevent your hand from accidentally getting in front of the muzzle.

It’s become one of my favorite PGO firearms due to the looks and old-school Witness Protection-style shotgun design.

What do you think of Remington’s Tac-14? Give it a rating below.

5. Charles Daly Honcho – Most Affordable

Specs:

• Caliber: 12 gauge
• Action: Pump-action
• Capacity: 5+1
• Barrel Length: 14.5″
• Overall Length: 27”
• Weight: 4.7 lbs

I have a strong distrust of Turkish shotguns. Originally, I assumed the Charles Daly Honcho was just another cheap Turkish import — I was wrong.

Surprisingly, the pump-action Charles Daly Honcho is an American-made shotgun, which is surprising given its lower price tag.

The Honcho mixes a bit of inspiration from both the Remington 870 and Mossberg 500 series guns. The general layout and controls are reminiscent of the Remington 870, but it features an aluminum receiver like the Mossberg 500.

The end result is an ergonomic, lightweight gun that features some familiar controls. But be warned, there is no real compatibility with any 500 or 870 accessories.

I really like how well the Honcho handles, and I especially appreciate the height of the pump itself. It allows for a great grip on the gun that’s tight while making sure my thumbs aren’t going to drift up and touch a hot barrel.

Like any 12-gauge pistol grip firearm, it’s going to have some recoil, some jump, dare I say buck to it? You’ll need a good, solid grip, and the forward pump provides that.

The gun is also drilled and tapped for red dots, which is a nice touch.

It is worth noting that the Honcho is also about a half pound lighter than the Shockwave and Tac-14. This makes the gun very lightweight and easy to point, but at the expense of generating more recoil.

But the best part about the Honcho is the price. They run about $250-300, making it the most affordable gun on this list by a fairly large margin.

6. Standard Manufacturing SKO Mini – Magazine-Fed Option

Specs:

• Caliber: 12 gauge
• Action: Semi-automatic, gas-operated
• Capacity: 2, 5, 10
• Barrel Length: 14.75″
• Overall Length: 27”
• Weight: 7.14 lbs

The Standard Manufacturing SKO Mini gives shooters another fun semi-auto option. But this one is magazine-fed.

This gun is 100% edging into the goofy fun territory, but hey, that’s kind of what most PGOs are for.

The SKO features a 14.75-inch barrel with an overall length of 27 inches. It weighs in at a hefty 7.14 pounds, but this extra weight helps reduce the recoil.

Unfortunately, the SKO comes stock with a 2-round magazine. Yeah…I don’t get it either. But don’t fret, you can snag 5- and 10-round mags for it.

Unlike the other shotguns on this list, the SKO has a more traditional pistol grip along with a second forward grip. This setup allows you to do a push/pull maneuver and use tension to further mitigate recoil.

The semi-auto action helps soak up recoil even further. Between the action, weight, and grip setup, the SKO is easy to control, even when using 3-inch buckshot loads.

You also get an AR-15-style mag release and safety. The right-sided charging handle isn’t my favorite, but it gets the job done.

While most short PGO firearms are fixed chokes, the SKO is actually threaded to accept Tru-Chokes. Interchangeable chokes are a nice touch that I’d like to see on other PGOs.

All in all, the SKO Mini is a futuristic and modern-looking gun. The dual pistol grips make it easy to control, and magazines make it quick to reload.

What is a PGO or Other Firearm?

As I mentioned earlier, the “other” category houses guns that don’t fit into the pistol, rifle, or shotgun arenas.

Commonly referred to as PGO, or pistol grip only, this “other” category has its own set of rules.

First, no stocks are allowed.

Second, they must measure over 26 inches in length. And they must have the general shape of a gun.

It’s worth noting that as long as you meet the above rules, you stay away from the Any Other Weapon category.

AOWs are regulated by the National Firearms Act and require a tax stamp and registration with the ATF for ownership.

But if you stay within the posted “other” rules, the sky’s the limit. Because of that, the world of “other firearms” has grown rather rapidly.

A Word on Braces and Firearms

The legality of using braces on firearms seems to be fairly mixed. It seemed to be allowed fully at one point, but the ATF has flip-flopped on the idea.

The infamous 2023 rule established criteria for pistol braces on pistols, but asserted that it’s never been legal to brace a firearm. Pistol brace rules and court cases have gone back and forth, and currently, the DOJ has backed down, and pistol braces are back on the menu.

To get down to brass tacks, it’s not really clear where these PGO firearms and braces stand. With that in mind, I’m not a lawyer, and I didn’t stay in a Holiday Inn last night either — all I will say is be cautious.

Meet the Experts

Pew Pew Tactical author Travis Pike wrote this article. Travis spent a lifetime shooting as a kid and later joined the United States Marine Corps, where he spent five years as an infantryman. His experience as a machinegunner, recreational and competitive shooter, hunter, and concealed carry instructor has given him unique insight into various weapon platforms. Additionally, Travis has thousands of articles to his name with a variety of publications, and has tested countless guns and other firearm accessories.

Editing and adding to this article is Pew Pew Tactical Editor, Wyatt Sloan. Wyatt is an NRA-certified instructor and also has experience with competition shooting and hunting. Wyatt personally owns over 200 firearms and has 10 years of home-based FFL firearm sales.

Editor-in-Chief Jacki Billings runs our experienced team of reviewers. She is a National Rifle Association Basic Pistol Instructor as well as a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, ACES: Society for Editing, and the Professional Outdoor Media Association. Jacki has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and has worked as a media professional for close to 20 years, specializing in gun media for almost 10 years. With 2,000+ articles to her name, she uses her professional journalism and editing experience to set testing protocols and editorial standards for Pew Pew Tactical.

Final Thoughts

The world of PGO firearms is a fascinating little niche. They might not seem super useful, but it’s hard to say they aren’t fun.

PGOs are fun to shoot and often skirt around sets of silly laws. Who couldn’t love them?

What are your favorite “other” firearms? Let us know in the comments below. Looking for more fun or goofy guns? Check out our round-up of the 9 Weirdest Guns.

Latest Updates

August 2025: Removed Black Aces Tactical Pro S, Genesis 12. Added Charles Daly Honcho, Mossberg 990 Aftershock. Added specs for each firearm and a comparison chart.