Smith & Wesson is back in the shotgun business after announcing on Tuesday the new M&P12 bullpup pump-action tactical 12-gauge.

Intended for home defense, the M&P12 shotgun is compact and maneuverable with an overall length of 27.8 inches. Equipped with twin 7-shell tubular magazines with a push-button selector, giving the user a 14+1 capacity, the M&P12 is chambered for 3-inch shells but will also accept standard 2.75-inch shells as well as mini-shell loads, of which it can hold 20. The new shotgun features completely ambidextrous controls, an M&P grip, a Picatinny-style top rail, an oversized action release, and an AR-style safety selector.

"Smith & Wesson has a long, storied history of making handguns for self-defense, yet no conversation around personal protection can be complete without mentioning the 12 gauge shotgun," said Kyle Tengwall, the company's VP of marketing. "With the introduction of the new M&P12, Smith & Wesson is able to offer our consumers a personal protection product in a variety of categories: pistol, revolver, rifle, and shotgun."

The M&P 12 isn't Smith & Wesson's first scattergun, as the company sold imported Japanese (Howa manufactured) and Turkish shotguns off and on over the past half-century. Going past the imports, S&W manufactured the Model 916 pump gun in Springfield in the 1970s.

The shotgun ships in a hard plastic, foam-lined case with both modified and Rem-choke compatible cylinder choke tubes, four palmswell grip inserts, a cable lock, and a choke tube wrench.