J.P. Sauer and Sohn builds ... a semi-auto turkey blaster?

The times, they are a-changin', as Robert Zimmerman sang so mournfully through the 1960s folk festival circuit. And if you need evidence of that, turn off the pandemic/war-filled mainstream media, and turn to the news of the latest firearms releases. Here, we find the highly unexpected news that J.P. Sauer and Sohn is building a pistol-gripped, short-barreled semi-auto shotgun. It's called the SL5 Turkey, and appears aimed at the high-end sportsman's market in the US.

Wait, what? A Sauer 12 gauge, but a semi-auto, not a classy double? And an optics rail? And with a stock that looks like something seen emerging from a SWAT van? What's changed inside the halls of Germany's oldest firearms manufacturer (founded in 1751—one of the oldest in Europe, really)?

The reality is that as part of the SIG empire, Sauer has been changing for years, and it's perfectly willing to make money off high-rolling sportsmen who don't want a double, but do want a quality semi-auto.

That's how we get the SL5 Turkey, which is based on the original SL5 semi-auto, which debuted in 2017. The original SL5 was based off a Breda design, and came with either 28- or 30-inch barrel, 3-inch chamber, satin-finished metal and wood stocks. It's a modern inertia-operated semi-auto with recoil mechanism in the stock, but Sauer says it's designed with the same quality-built ethos as the rest of its lineup: "From recoil pad to muzzle all technical top features that make up a top-class shotgun are combined. Living up to our claim "guns for generations", trigger and all system parts are made of metal." Indeed, while it doesn't look like a classic double, it does look like the vintage semi-autos that took hold in the sporting market in the post-World War II era, with some modern updates of materials.

Fast-forward five years, with the unpleasant market disruptions of COVID-19 vanishing rapidly in our rear-view mirror (we hope), the SL5 Turkey is headed to North America. Last week, Blaser Group (which brings the J.P. Sauer and Sohn line to the US and Canada) confirmed the SL5 for the American market.

An excerpt from the press release promises "these semi-auto 12-gauge shotguns accommodate 2 ¾ and 3-inch shells and feature an 18.5-inch deep-drilled, chrome-lined barrel with stepped rib for precise alignment. All SL5 Turkey models feature a black anodized receiver with oversized extended bolt handle and release button, removable picatinny rail, and durable camo composite pistol-grip stock with Cervellati recoil pad and sling attachments. The red single-bead LPA front fiber-optic sight facilitates fast and accurate target acquisition."

There are three choices for the camo finish: Mossy Oak Obsession, Mossy Oak Bottomland, and Mossy Oak New Bottomland. The shotguns weigh a claimed 7 pounds, with magazine capacity of three shells, plus one in the chamber. They also come with three chokes—a flush-fit Cylinder choke, an extended CRIO Plus Modified choke, and a Carlson extended Turkey choke.

US MSRP is $1,199. We have seen no confirmation of Canadian pricing yet, but as Blaser Group USA is also Canada's pipeline for J.P. Sauer and Sohn, we would expect these to be available at some point, if you've got the money.