Derya MAX Breaks Cover: Three Barrels, Six Magazines, One New Shotgun

Eric B
by Eric B

Derya Arms has officially launched the MAX in the United States, a completely new proprietary magazine-fed 12-gauge shotgun built from the ground up rather than an evolution of the company's existing DY12 line. The MAX made its public debut at the GOA GOALS 2026 summit and is now in production in small quantities at Derya's Jacksonville, Florida facility, with shipping to authorized dealers beginning in September 2026.

The pitch is straightforward: Derya claims to have produced more magazine-fed shotguns than any other manufacturer in the industry, and the company says everything learned from that volume went into starting over rather than iterating. Magazines have historically been the biggest reliability weak point on mag-fed shotguns, even high-end ones, so Derya built the MAX around a proprietary polymer magazine with metal feed lips designed specifically to solve that problem. Dustin Jones, Derya's Vice President, called it a completely new proprietary platform and design, not an upgrade to anything the company has built before.

Mechanically, the MAX runs a curved, self-cleaning gas piston that Derya says cycles everything from light 7/8 oz. target loads up to full 3-inch magnums without piston swaps, a claimed versatility that matters for shooters who want one gun across multiple disciplines. The proprietary MAX Brake pairs with a double-buffered recoil system that Derya claims cuts felt recoil by roughly 20 percent, aimed at keeping the muzzle flat for faster follow-up shots, a priority for the USPSA, IPSC, and 3-Gun competition crowd this platform is built around. The stock is fully adjustable, the grip is AR-adaptable, and the safety is ambidextrous, so the ergonomics package leans heavily on familiar AR-pattern control layout rather than reinventing the shotgun manual of arms.

The MAX ships in three barrel lengths, 18-inch and 20-inch standard configurations plus a 14-inch SBS variant (shown below) for NFA buyers.

Standard packaging includes two 10-round polymer magazines, while the Factory Exclusive configurations step up to six magazines and ship with a DTAKTICAL red dot pre-installed.

Every MAX comes with flip-up iron sights, a full-length Picatinny rail, a choke set, a tool roll, and a hard case, positioning it as a turnkey competition package out of the box rather than something buyers need to accessorize before it's usable. Derya says production will remain intentionally limited given the complexity of the design and the precision manufacturing it requires.


Derya MAX-Level Specs:

  • Platform: All-new proprietary mag-fed 12-gauge semi-auto
  • Barrel: 18" or 20" threaded, 14" SBS variant available
  • Capacity: 10-round proprietary polymer magazines with metal feed lips, 2 included standard, 6 with Factory Exclusives
  • Recoil System: Self-cleaning gas piston, double-buffered recoil management, progressive MAX Brake
  • Stock & Controls: Adaptive adjustable stock, AR-adaptable grip, ambidextrous safety
  • Sights/Optics: Flip-up iron sights, full-length Picatinny rail, DTAKTICAL red dot pre-installed on Factory Exclusives
  • Weight: 9.4–9.9 lbs depending on configuration
  • Overall Length: 31"–40" depending on barrel length
  • Origin: Manufactured in Jacksonville, Florida, USA
  • Availability: Authorized dealers beginning September 2026
  • MSRP: $2,299 (Base Model) / $2,499 (Full Model)

With three barrel lengths and two packaging tiers to choose from, which MAX configuration would fit your use case, competition, home defense, or just for fun?


Find them here: https://order.derya.us/shotguns.html 


Check out Vlad’s exclusive interview with the designer of the Derya MAX shotgun.

Eric B
Eric B

Ex-Arctic Ranger. Competitive practical shooter and hunter with a European focus. Always ready to increase my collection of modern semi-automatics, optics, thermals and suppressors. TCCC Certified. Occasionaly seen in a 6x6 Bug Out Vehicle, always with a big smile.

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  • BeoBear BeoBear on Aug 20, 2026

    I don't know anything about Derya so I have no idea if they make quality guns or not but coming in at a bit over what the new Benelli costs is quite a flex. I can't speak towards their performance or whether they are justified in that price but as an AR fan I have to say that these are the butt ugliest "AR style" shotguns I've ever seen. Visually they are an abomination and should probably be buried in a deep hole somewhere.

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