A Compact, Reliable, and Devastating 12-Gauge

Everyone is familiar with a Master Key, which allows the user to open nearly any door. So too will the new Mafteah from Israeli Weapons Industries (IWI). Also known as the Key of Solomon, the Mafteah is a semi-auto breaching gun, designed to open any door. Its compact design and semi-auto operation make it ideal for blowing off hinges and taking out deadbolts. But these same attributes also make it an ideal personal defense gun, especially for vehicle and home defense.

The IWI Mafteah

I first had the opportunity to fire the Mafteah at the 2025 Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous, held at the Brush Creek Ranch in Saratoga, Wyoming.

My time with the Mafteah was limited. However, I had the opportunity to speak with IWI’s Jeremy Grisham, VP of Sales and Marketing.

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The Mafteah According to IWI

“Our original intent was to develop a breaching gun for military and law enforcement use, but the more we shot it, the more we were convinced it would be a great home and vehicle defense gun.

“It has a polymer handguard with M-Lok recesses for mounting tactical lights and lasers, and we’ve added an adjustable handstrap to help the user control recoil. At this point, the gun comes with a fixed cylinder choke, which may change in the future, but right now it is fixed.

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“We’ve also added an optics plate. Why? Because we can! If you’re smart, you’ll figure out that we’re eventually going to put a full stock on this gun. At that point, adding an optic makes a great deal of sense for use with slugs and 00 Buck at distance.

“The charging handle can be removed and put on the other side. As a right-handed shooter, I’d rather have it on the left side of the receiver anyway. Capacity of the Mafteah is 5 + 1 of 2 ¾” shells. It is compatible with 3” shells, but it is brutal to shoot. I find the 2 ¾” shells much more manageable, and the gun operates optimally with loads that produce 1200 feet per second. It will run with rounds that produce 1145 FPS, but just barely.

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“We did a 10,000-round endurance test at the factory, and it was super fun to put the Mafteah through its paces! Eventually, we’ll offer more SKUs, some with longer barrels and stocks, and it is easier to build the same receiver for all of them. Retail is $999.”

Mafteah Key Details

Believe it or not, the Mafteah requires no extra government paperwork. In the eyes of our esteemed friends at BATFE, it is considered to be a gun, not a short -barreled shotgun. Therefore, it does not require a tax stamp. It can be purchased using the same background check process as any normal hunting shotgun.

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The Mafteah is a semi-auto gun that utilizes recoil energy to operate. A rotating bolt head locks the bolt into the barrel at the moment the gun fires. As the pressure subsides, the bolt unlocks and the bolt and its carrier travel rearward, extracting and ejecting the spent hull. Simultaneously, the gun’s lifter raises a new shell from the tube magazine.

The bolt’s carrier compresses the action spring, which is wound around the tube magazine. When it reaches its rearmost travel then moves forward, it chambers the new shell. This inertia system works extremely well and is less likely to be finicky about ammunition compared to a gas-operated semi-auto.

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IWI’s engineers have seemingly found the sweet spot regarding the bolt lock-up and spring compression. My test sample ran everything from light 2 ¾” skeet loads to heavy 3” 000 buckshot loads without a stutter!

IWI outfits the Mafteah with a 14-inch barrel, cut with a 3-inch chamber. In addition, it has a ventilated rib with a brass bead front sight. If you’re determined to use the gun for pinpoint accuracy, the Mafteah possesses an optics mounting plate. Likewise, the top of the alloy receiver is also drilled and tapped.

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There’s a slot cut on the port side of the receiver, and the bolt handle can easily be switched to the left-hand side. That way, a right-handed shooter doesn’t need to relinquish the firing grip to manually run the bolt.

Designed by Shooters, For Shooters

Looking carefully at the Mafteah, it is easy to see that this gun was designed by knowledgeable shooters for those who will use it for serious work.

One example of this is how IWI sculpts the loading gate and removes all of the sharp edges. The gun’s lifter is also given the same treatment, so the user can load the magazine without fear of cutting their hand on sharp edges. Even the gun’s oversized bolt release is radiused for the same reason.

The Mafteah’s polymer forend features multiple M-LOK recesses for the attachment of accessories like a tactical light and/or laser. There’s also an adjustable hand strap at its bottom, playing a significant role in controlling the recoil of this beast!

The Mafteah’s polymer birdhead style pistol grip positions the shooter’s wrist in the most comfortable angle to handle the recoil and also features bi-lateral QD attachment points for those who wish to sling their gun.

Overall, I have to say that I’m very impressed with the finish of the Mafteah. Its steel barrel and alloy receiver are given a matte, non-reflective finish. The bolt and its carrier are totally devoid of machine marks and chatter and are demonstrative of the care and attention to detail devoted to its manufacture.

Feeding the Mafteah

I didn’t see any point in adding an optic to the Mafteah as I was not going to bench it for accuracy without a buttstock. For this evaluation, I set up an MGM BC-C Zone steel target at about 15-yards.

Starting with Federal’s Top Gun 2 ¾”, 1 1/8 ounce 7 ½ Skeet and Trap loads, I found that I could doubletap the steel target with ease using a flash sight picture of the brass bead front sight and two very quick trigger presses. Recoil was mild with these loads, and the Mafteah was a lot of fun.

I also tried Winchester 2 ¾” Magnum 00 Buckshot as well as Federal’s 2 ¾” Buckshot Maximum 00 Buckshot rounds. Recoil was much stiffer, of course. Enough so that I was unable to doubletap the target with these loads. However, I did manage to place solid hits on the target using my flash sight picture along with a quick trigger press.

I brought along two 1-ounce slug loads, one from Federal and the other from Sellier & Bellot. They produced about the same amount of recoil as the buckshot loads and really rocked my BC-C Zone steel target.

Unlocking Limitations

My shooting partner for this excursion was my old friend Jason. I’ve known him since he was 8-years old, and he’s grown into a very knowledgeable gun guy, now in his early 30s.

He noticed that I had packed a box of Remington 3” 000 Buckshot rounds and asked why I hadn’t fired any. I was completely honest. Somehow that box had gotten mixed in with my 2 ¾” 12-gauge ammo, and I hadn’t noticed. The 2 ¾” slugs and buckshot were plenty for me, and I had no interest in shooting a 3” Buckshot in the Mafteah. And then he said, “I’ll give it a try!”

I laughed and asked, “Really?” He nodded in affirmation and loaded 4-rounds into the magazine tube. He tried firing two doubletaps, as I had with the skeet loads. After the fourth round was fired, I noticed he stood motionless for a second.

“You ok?” I asked. He seemed stunned and didn’t answer—his eyes searching the desert floor beneath him. I set my camera down and ran over to him. He was ok, but the right lens of his prescription sunglasses had been knocked out.

Looking through the pictures I took, it appears that it was the knuckle of his right thumb that made contact with his glasses, and the transfer of energy was enough to dislodge the lens. He was able to pop the lens back into place and was none the worse for wear.

What impressed me the most about the Mafteah is that it ran with every ammunition I loaded into it. Skeet, buckshot, and slugs all ran without a hitch. It never stuttered once! That’s exactly the type of reliability needed for a defense gun.

Key To Life

Do you need a Mafteah in your life? I see a lot of sensible applications for this gun, and most center around vehicle defense. Are you an OTR truck driver? A Mafteah out of sight but within easy reach would solve just about any criminal aggression you might encounter without exiting the truck. The gun’s short overall length makes it handy to maneuver within the confines of the cab.

Spend time on a snowmachine in moose or bear country? We’ve all seen the video of the aggressive moose preparing to stomp a snowmachiner before he unleashes his Glock. This chore could have been handled much more effectively with a Mafteah loaded with 00 buckshot.

Like to travel in your RV or 5^th wheel? Nothing will more effectively defend your castle on wheels than a Mafteah! Its compact length makes it easy to stow, and you’ll have unequaled peace of mind!

While the Mafteah’s compactness makes this gun handy in tight quarters, adding a buttstock and an optic will effectively extend your range and precision. Of course, that requires filing ATF Form One to create a short-barreled shotgun. However, the good news is that the $200 tax stamp fee has been eliminated. So, why wouldn’t you?

IWI Mafteah Specs

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