For years, I’ve seen Knoxx shares and grips and felt a lingering curiosity. I experimented with a Gen 3 Breacher’s grip as soon as and was pretty impressed, however I moved on shortly. I keep in mind seeing Knoxx shares in Walmart’s short-lived “tactical aisle,” however again then, I wasn’t keen to pony up the cash to strive one. To me, the tactical shotgun market of the 2000s was outlined by these shares.
Does the Knoxx Inventory Work?
The 2000s weren’t a good time for tactical shotguns. In 2004, the Federal Assault Weapons Ban (AWB) sunsetted, and the market was immediately flooded with ARs, AKs, and related tactical rifles. Shotguns fell off arduous.
Commercial — Proceed Studying Beneath
Even fifteen years in the past, the state of semi-automatic tactical shotguns was lackluster. On the time, if it wasn’t a Benelli, it wasn’t trusted—and Benelli was dear. Remington and Mossberg dominated the market, and “tactical” normally simply meant a shorter barrel and polymer furnishings.
There wasn’t a lot development within the style. You had the costly Surefire DSF lights, which price greater than the weapons themselves, or the occasional warmth protect. Crimson dots have been nonetheless uncommon on shotguns.
Then Knoxx arrived with recoil-reducing shares, promising to chop felt recoil by 65%. Shortly after hitting the market, Blackhawk bought the corporate and rebranded the road as Blackhawk Knoxx shares. The unique workforce at Knoxx later fashioned Adaptive Tactical, they usually nonetheless produce fascinating gear at present.
Commercial — Proceed Studying Beneath
Understanding Recoil and the Knoxx Design
Within the 2000s, the “push/pull” technique of recoil discount wasn’t very talked-about but. Rob Haught was instructing it, however it hadn’t but caught fireplace. Most shooters relied on reduced-recoil ammunition to trim the thump; the usual approach was to tug the gun tight into the shoulder and easily “experience” the recoil.
Knoxx’s thought was to scale back recoil by way of a singular mechanical design. Contained in the pistol grip is a sequence of linkages and comes. Whenever you fireplace, the gun is allowed to reciprocate rearward. The portion that attaches to the receiver is basically a carriage that strikes beneath recoil, pulling towards a heavy spring.
Commercial — Proceed Studying Beneath
The idea is that the spring absorbs the vitality earlier than it ever hits the shooter. It’s a easy idea that sounds prefer it ought to work. I by no means knew for certain as a result of the shares have been at all times so costly—however now it’s 2025, and eBay is an exquisite factor.
These shares now not fetch a excessive value. For 50 bucks, I snagged a Knoxx SpecOps mannequin with a wire folding inventory. A wire folder is normally the worst inventory you possibly can placed on a shotgun. If you happen to suppose it’s uncomfortable to shoot an AK with a wire inventory, strive it on a 12-gauge.
Commercial — Proceed Studying Beneath
I bought this particular mannequin as a result of it was the most affordable, and I figured if this tech really labored, one of the simplest ways to check it was with probably the most uncomfortable inventory accessible.
To the Vary with the Knoxx Inventory
I threw the Knoxx inventory on my Remington 870 and grabbed some full-power buckshot. If the recoil discount labored, nice. If not, my shoulder was going to pay the worth. Because the inventory folds excessive of the receiver, I made a decision to check it each folded and deployed.
Commercial — Proceed Studying Beneath
I began with the inventory open, braced it towards my shoulder, and let it rip. I used to be pleasantly stunned to really feel subsequent to nothing in my shoulder. It blew my thoughts. I really felt the impulse extra in my wrist than in my shoulder. I launched a number of extra rounds in fast succession, and the wire inventory by no means “bit” me.
Admittedly, it doesn’t really feel nice towards the face—not due to the recoil, however as a result of digging your cheek into a skinny wire for a weld isn’t comfy.
The Knoxx inventory does precisely what it guarantees. If you happen to mix this inventory with the push/pull technique, you’re looking at .223-level recoil when utilizing reduced-recoil ammo. It’s downright foolish how nicely it really works.
Commercial — Proceed Studying Beneath
Folding the inventory upward turns the gun right into a “pistol-grip-only” choice. It’s compact, appears to be like “gangster,” and is a ton of enjoyable. Whereas the recoil wasn’t fairly as mushy with out the shoulder brace, it was nonetheless surprisingly manageable. My wrist didn’t really feel beat up, and my arms weren’t sore.
The Downsides and the Future
Regardless of the tech, wire shares nonetheless suck at being shares. The size of pull (LOP) is 14 inches, which is kind of lengthy for many shooters. Knoxx additionally produced an AR-style telescoping mannequin, which is the extra comfy choice and provides LOP adjustment, however the wire inventory simply appears to be like cooler. “Vibes” are half the battle, in spite of everything.
Commercial — Proceed Studying Beneath
The Knoxx shares stored their promise; they lower recoil significantly. Nevertheless, it appears Blackhawk has successfully killed off the road. I imagine this know-how remains to be helpful and, with some trendy refinement, could possibly be built-in into different grip kinds. Who wouldn’t need a Raptor-style “chicken’s head” grip with built-in recoil discount?
Perhaps, simply perhaps, this tech is due for a comeback.
Commercial — Proceed Studying Beneath
