TFB Exclusive: Interview With the Designer of the Derya MAX Shotgun

Recently, one of the biggest Turkish firearms manufacturers, the company called Derya Arms, announced its plans to open a new manufacturing facility in Jacksonville, Florida. Derya Arms is mostly famous for their shotguns, and TFB managed to get an exclusive look at their next flagship product, a semi-automatic shotgun called Derya MAX that will be officially presented in a few days at the SHOT Show.

Derya MAX is designed specifically for action shooting sports and 3-Gun competition, so in order to create a competition shotgun, the company brought in the competition shooter Sergey Ivanov, who spent many years competing with shotgun in IPSC and 3-Gun matches and coaching new shooters and even national teams.

TFB: How did you start competing with a shotgun?

Sergey: It all started in my childhood, but I got serious about practical shooting in 2010. By 2012, I was already competing at the national level and winning titles here and there. By 2012, I competed at the national level in Russia, regularly winning various titles.

In 2015, I was in the top 5 at the IPSC Shotgun World Championship in Italy. To this day, I continue to shoot competitively. Derya Arms invited me to help with the development of a shotgun that takes things to the next level.

TFB: What issues do you see with semi-automatic shotguns that are currently available? Does the Derya MAX address these problems?

Sergey: Derya became one of the first, if not the first manufacturers to release 12-gauge shotguns with a design and ergonomics similar to the AR-15. After them, a number of other manufacturers, mostly Turkish, followed suit, with varying levels of quality.

These shotguns began competing on the market against the Saiga-12, Vepr-12, and later the GEN12 shotgun. They all share the same basic setup: semi-automatic, magazine-fed, with ergonomics close to the AR platform.

While the Saiga and Vepr had some advantages, they also had some serious downsides. Often, right after purchasing the shotgun, shooters would start upgrading everything from the trigger group to the springs.

Some shotguns couldn’t withstand 10,000 shots, while others were unreliable, experiencing feeding or ejection problems.

It’s safe to say that until recently, there wasn’t a single shotgun of this type that was competition-ready straight out of the box. Three-gun, USPSA, and IPSC competitions demand much higher standards than manufacturers have been able to meet.

The goal of the MAX project was to create a reliable, comfortable, and technologically advanced shotgun that meets all the high standards of users. If a shotgun can withstand competitive shooting, tens of thousands of rounds in training, and still maintain reliability, it will serve well for both hunting and self-defense.

The MAX project is based on the Derya MK12 model. It uses the same layout and the same gas-operated system, but almost all the components of the MAX are original and not interchangeable with the MK12.

TFB: What was the most difficult part of developing the shotgun?

Sergey: The biggest challenge was deciding to move away from the traditional steel mags and instead to design a completely new polymer magazine. The steel mags had plenty of issues, so we set out to address all the shortcomings in a new design, making the mags not just reliable, but also more user-friendly.

The new mags are made from durable transparent polymer, designed to feed reliably even when dirty, and they have reinforced steel feed lips. The capacity can be either 10 or 12 rounds, and the magazine fits well in the hand and is resistant to impact and abuse.

TFB: What are the features of the MAX project?

Sergey: I’ve been working with firearms for over 15 years, and over the years, I’ve developed a clear picture of what a shotgun should be like. The first thing we focused on in the design was balance. The center of gravity of the shotgun is closer to the center, which makes handling more efficient.

Also, the shotgun must be fully adaptable. Therefore, even in the basic version, it comes with a pistol grip that has interchangeable backstraps. The range of this adjustment is quite large, accommodating both a man’s hand and that of a petite woman — everyone will find it comfortable. Also, the backstraps adjust the distance to the trigger.

The grip also has an adjustable platform for the wrist, which distributes the weight of the shotgun and helps control the weapon, especially when holding it with one hand while moving or during reloads.

The stock has been developed with adjustments in 10 different directions. This may seem excessive, but only until you’ve set it up to fit your personal needs. Once you adjust each position to suit your body, the shotgun becomes an extension of yourself, and you’d be surprised how you shot without all those adjustments. The charging handle can easily be switched to either side, the shotgun also has ambidextrous safety.

For the shotgun, we developed a special recoil buffer system with springs of variable weight. This system absorbs the sharp impact of the recoil, improving shooting comfort and weapon stability.

We also developed a new compensator called the MAX brake. After testing it in our lab, the MAX Brake reduced muzzle rise by 4 times and also reduced the recoil impulse by 20%. Recoil reduction in a 12-gauge shotgun is always important and makes shooting more comfortable.

However, the most important achievement of this muzzle brake is the reduction of muzzle rise. For effective follow-up shots, a fast return of the weapon to the line of sight is essential. Therefore, the reduction in muzzle rise gives the shooter a significant advantage. The compensator itself is compact for its class, which also contributes to the overall balance. You can fine-tune the brake to your preferences by rotating it along its axis.

The shotgun features a magwell (part of the lower receiver) with a large opening for the magazine, which makes reloading easier. For competition use, a larger, removable polymer magwell with bigger opening has been developed.

The standard trigger mechanism is good, with moderate trigger travel and a weight of 3 kg (6.6 pounds). There is also a competition trigger with a weight of 1.5 kg (3.3 pounds) and an ultra-short travel.

The receiver is reinforced in areas of increased stress for long-term durability. The bolt carrier, the muzzle brake thread, and the barrel extension are also reinforced.

The user experience has been improved: for example, accessing and cleaning the gas system doesn’t require complicated procedures. The handguard is quick-detachable and can be removed in 10 seconds, which is especially convenient during competitions when quick cleaning is necessary.

The shotgun comes with internal chokes that can be quickly swapped without removing the muzzle brake. The effort required to activate each lever has been optimized.

The bolt group is removed through the rear of the receiver, just like on any AR platform. The buffer tube, Picatinny rail, pistol grip mounting, and trigger group mounting points comply with the Mil-Spec standard, which is not always the case for Turkish-made firearms.

The sport version of the MAX weighs 4100g (9 pounds), while the “tactical” version is much lighter at 3200g (7 pounds).

TFB: How have you tested it, how many rounds have you fired?

Sergey: Testing is still ongoing. We’ve already fired over 50,000 rounds. We put together a factory shooting team that regularly competes using this shotgun, which helps us to better understand the product from a user’s perspective.

Some parts are already fully optimized, while others, like the pistol grip, will be finished soon. You can already see what the shotgun is capable of, but we’re still making tweaks to make it even better.

TFB: When will it be available in the USA, and how much will it cost? How can it be purchased?

Sergey: We expect sales to start in the U.S. this summer. We don’t have an exact price yet, but it will definitely be more affordable than the GEN12 or similar shotguns in this category.