Citadel Boss 25 : Reviewing This Popular Multipurpose Weapon

Available for a little over 500 bucks the Citadel Boss 25 shotgun is a popular weapon for gun enthusiasts and those wanting a reliable action. Opening it up, we found the weapon itself, two 5-round magazines featuring polymer followers, a choke tool, 5 chokes and a heavy piston applicable for loads exceeding 1500 feet per second.

Weighing in at a little over 8 pounds, this shotgun is 12 gauge, semi auto and box fed, with bolt release levers and an AR-type magazine. It also features a gas piston system with pistons that can be changed in line with whether you’re using light or heavy loads.

Comfortable Front Hand Guard

We found the aluminium front hand guard particularly comfortable and the mag-pull polymer flip-up sights were perfectly adequate. While the stock pull length of the Citadel Boss 25 isn’t adjustable, the comb is and our investigations led us to the conclusion that the stock can’t be changed.

This isn’t a deal breaker, as it’s pretty comfortable as is, and the pistol grip IS able to be changed out for another AR-type option. The included magazines are of a good quality and particularly easy to load, with the feeding action being smooth and reliable.

What we didn’t realise when purchasing the shotgun was that the upper receiver is manufactured from aluminium, whereas the bottom one is created from a solid polymer. In the fullness of time, we’ll know for sure whether it’s hard wearing enough – or not.

Actually Firing the Shotgun

We realised pretty early on that the Boss 25 is not a shotgun that should be field stripped, so we opted instead to tear the weapon down and eliminate the shipping oil it was coated in. The best way to do that is to use a rag with a little break clean and give it a good wipe down.

What will perhaps not surprise you was that when fired, there was quite a kick, but nothing out of the ordinary for this type of 12 gauge weapon. During the field test, there were no ‘failure to load’ or ‘failure to fire’ issues using AA clay 1350 fps cartridges.

The Results Were Impressive

The most important thing about most shotguns is this reliability of firing, as it’s very much a close quarters weapon. Whether you’re skeet shooting or hunting small prey at close range, you’re not likely to have any accuracy issues when using the Citadel Boss 25 due to its wide spread.

Even after firing off in excess of 100 shells and the weapon really started to heat up, it had no feeding issues or problems with misfiring.

It’s Every Bit As Good As We Thought It Would Be

So, what was our verdict on the Citadel Boss 25? Well, in short, it was every bit as good as we thought it would be, proving that when you invest in quality, you get quality results.

Would we recommend it over others? That depends on what you’re comparing it against, but what we can tell you is that this one deserves its place among the best out there, so you can do a lot worse than opt for Citadel.

Whether you’re buying one to guard the family campsite in bear country or keep pests under control, this is a shotgun that you can rely on to work when it matters – when your life’s at stake. For that reason – and it’s a pretty big reason – it gets our vote.