The New GFORCE TWO

My father had a very simple rule when it came to shotgun maintenance. If you take it into the field, it got wiped down completely when you get home. If, he continued, you shot it, even once, it got stripped down, cleaned, lubricated, and put back together—end of story. No debate. That’s how it was with the old man and his shotguns.

Fast forward 50 years, and I’m my father with the same maintenance program. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve searched for ways to make this maintenance simple and easy. Almost enjoyable.

Enter the GFORCE TWO, a semi-automatic inertia-driven 12 gauge that not only stands up to the abuse we waterfowlers continually dish out but is an absolute blessing when it comes to routine maintenance. A process which ‘fowlers—not all, but some—aren’t big fans of.

“I’ve hunted with gas guns, and I’ve hunted with break-actions,” said Travis Branzell, CEO of Gforce Operations headquartered in Reno, Nevada. “But an inertia gun is so versatile when it comes to the elements. Waterfowlers are busy all day—setting decoys, grassing blinds, messing with gear; the last thing you want to do when you get home is tear a shotgun apart and clean it like you would a gas gun. This GFORCE TWO,” he continued, “is to have a gun that you don’t have to clean every time you take it out. And when you do have to clean it, thanks to the two-piece receiver, you can get into all the nooks and crannies. The whole idea behind (the GFORCE TWO) is to have a shotgun you can put a whole lot of shells through without any issues, and less need for cleaning and maintenance.”

GFORCE TWO Specifications

• Country of origin – Turkey
• Operating system – Semi-automatic
• inertiaBore – 12 gauge
• Chamber – 2-3/4” and 3”
• Barrel length – 28”
• Overall length – 49-1/2”
• Weight – 6 pounds, 6 ounces
• Receiver – Two-part; 7570 aluminum alloy
• Stock – Synthetic
• Recoil pad, OEM – Solid rubber
• Choke thread pattern – Benelli CRIO
• Length of pull – 14-1/4”
• Sights – Brass mid-bead; fiber optic front
• Warranty – Transferable Lifetime
• MSRP - $699-$799
• Website gforcearms.com

Unboxing and General Overview

I’m a huge fan of taking new things apart the moment I get them home, and while that was on the agenda when I received my review model, I took a minute before tearing into GFORCE TWO to get a better overall feel for the gun.

Of course, there’s the disassembled shotgun itself, stock/receiver and 28” barrel separate. The lightweight synthetic stock and fore-end on this test model was cloaked in Old School Mossy Oak ‘Bottomland.’ Score one for the old school guys!  Also in the box were five choke tubes ranging from Cylinder to Full. At this point, it’s important to note that while the GFORCE TWO did come with a three-shot plug installed, it did NOT come with a choke tube in place. This is a pretty important point, I reckon, and one that Branzell tells me will be addressed in the immediate future. And a basic yet functional choke tube wrench.

Also in the box are three stock shims that allow for adjustment including rise or fall (drop) and left/right cast; a small plastic bottle of gun lube; and eye and ear protection, along with a 10-round magazine extension. Personally, this is one of the most complete ‘starter shotgun kits,’ per se, I’ve seen, and contains everything, short of ammunition, a waterfowler needs for either the range or the marsh.

Visually, the GFORCE TWO appears slim and trim, as one might expect a shotgun weighing less than seven pounds to look. Starting from the muzzle, shooters will find a rather large, though not obtrusive red fiber optic front sight. It also sports a brass mid-bead on a ventilated rib; the barrel and receiver both a non-reflective matte grey and wearing a rugged Cerakote finish. Interesting to note is the GFORCE TWO’s two-piece receiver, a change from the first generation G1 with her traditional uni-piece receiver. “The difference is in the receiver design,” Branzell told me. “The G1 is based off a Benelli M2, so you could call it a clone. The GFORCE TWO, then, is based off the Benelli Raffaello, which eventually is now their Super Black Eagle. So,” he continued, “it’s a Super Black Eagle platform, but we went the extra mile and put a stainless-steel recoil spring into the Gforce Two.”

While we’re on the receiver, the GFORCE TWO sports an oversized (1-1/8”) operating handle and bolt release, along with what I’ll call a skeletonized trigger guard. A small cross-bolt safety sits at the rear of the guard. Something I found which I’m partial to is the ability to empty the GFORCE TWO’s magazine by depressing the carrier and the bolt release simultaneously, allowing the shotshells to slide out of the tube; this in contrast to having to rack the system manually one…two…three times to unload. Trivial, perhaps to some, but I’m a HUGE fan.

The stock is extremely lightweight, with molded “checkering,” we’ll call it, formed into the grip. At the butt, a solid rubber recoil pad, is a nice touch. Unlike all the recoil pads I’ve dealt with until now, the GFORCE TWO’s pad attaches with a single #2 Phillips screw located at the heel. Removing this and the pad gave me access to the stock-lock nut (1/2”) so I could swap the OEM standard stock spacer with the provided “.410 12GA DOWN” shim; and VOILA! My eye alignment with the rib was improved.

Currently, the GFORCE TWO is available in three different color styles, including Flat Dark Earth/Midnight Bronze; Mossy Oak Bottomland/ Matte Grey; and Mossy Oak Habitat/Midnight Bronze. A fourth option, ‘Old School’ Branzell tells me, is in the works for Fall 2024.

The GFORCE TWO in Operation

During my testing, it was June in Washington State. Early goose is still a long 10 weeks away, and pigeons, at least on the westside, aren’t around in big numbers, save for Seattle, and a blind set up and surrounded by pigeon decoys, though undeniably effective, in Pike Place Market might be frowned upon. So, to test drive the GFORCE TWO, I simply shot it. And shot it some more. My goal was to determine functionality and reliability with a variety of ammunition, and in short, I wasn’t disappointed. Field fit and patterning would come as an update once ‘fowl season began in October.

My ammunition for the so-called test drive consisted of Winchester AA ‘BlAAckTracker’ trap loads (2-3/4” – 1,200 fps); HEVI-Bismuth (3” – 1,400 fps); Winchester AA Super Steel Sporting Clays (2-3/4” – 1,450 fps); and KENT Fasteel2 (3” – 1,500 fps).

The bottom line—those shotshells with muzzle velocities above 1,400 fps worked both flawlessly and interchangeably. There was an occasional hiccup (non-cycling) with the Winchester AA shotshells running at 1,200 fps; however, it’s only fair to note that Gforce does post on their website the following statement: “The GFORCE TWO is compatible with both 2 3/4 and 3-inch shells, and will cycle light loads producing a minimum of 1,250 feet per second shot velocity.

What does that mean afield? The vast majority of 21st-century waterfowl hunters are shooting shotshells with velocities ranging from 1,350 fps to 1,550 fps, if not a bit faster. So, the need to worry about shooting shells propelled at less than 1,250 fps shouldn’t be an issue, and the GFORCE TWO will be as smooth as butter for almost every shell you can find.

I’ll admit, I was initially a little concerned about the combination of a 6 1/2-pound shotgun, 3” shotshells, 1,500 fps, and an inertia operating system, worries that were quickly unfounded. The gun was a treat to shoot. With little recoil, and growing confidence in the gun each time I pulled the trigger, it became clear that this gun would be a killer for anyone who chooses to take it into the marsh or field.

On the GFORCE TWO and maintenance: Did it need a thorough cleaning following my test drive? No; however, old habits are hard to break. Besides, I wanted to see if disassembling and reassembling the GFORCE TWO would prove a challenge.

First, I read the user manual. While basic, it provided the fundamental information necessary. Then it was hands-on, with the process from start to finish quicker and smoother than I’ve enjoyed with any semi-automatic to date. The barrel/fore-end are removed and replaced as one piece. With those off, the top of the receiver is pulled up and off, the bolt assembly pushed forward and out, the trigger group pin punched, and the trigger group pulled down and out. Six parts, including the pin and the receiver, are empty and ready for cleaning.

I take care of my guns, but I don’t baby them. I, like all ‘fowlers, want them to go BOOM every time I pull the trigger. I enjoy shotguns that are simple and easy to understand, and a company that stands behind its products 100 percent—a lifetime “No B.S.” warranty being an obvious bonus. Good looks? A definite mark in the plus column; so, too, is a price tag that won’t leave you eating top ramen for weeks and instead leaves you enough cash to take the family out for a steak dinner to celebrate your new shotgun.

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