Remington Versa Max Shotgun
Lewis Creek Shooting School 05.11.12
I admit it. Remington’s new Versa Max shotgun is starting to get on my nerves. I don’t normally become irritated with a gun and I realize it’s my own fault; I’m the one who made the decision not to clean it until it malfunctioned. At this point, it has 675 rounds through it from 3 ½” duck loads to 2 ½” RST super light 7/8 ounce shells meant for use in old vintage guns that might be damaged by modern high pressure loads. I even shot some 1,050 fps 7/8 ounce reloads and still… not so much as a hiccup. Every time I shoot it, it goes back into the safe dirty. I want to clean it but a promise is a promise.
Firing loads like this in a semi-auto is unheard of. I know of no other semi-auto that will even function with these low pressure shells, much less have the capability to shoot them and handle 3 ½” magnums in the same magazine without so much as an adjustment. By putting the gas ports in the chamber and allowing longer shells to block off some of the ports to manage the pressure levels, Remington Arms has come up with the most innovative shotgun in the last 50 years, if not more.
The Versa Max operates with seven gas ports and two gas pistons located just under the chamber. Apparently, since the chamber pressures are higher at the chamber than further down the barrel, the system is more forgiving than a regular gas or recoil operated system. Most three inch guns won’t cycle with a one ounce standard shell much less a light 7/8. My son in law didn’t even know you could buy 2 ½” shells much less get a semi-auto to feed them. As I explained that they even made two inch shells for super lightweight loads in super light British guns, I got an idea. Maybe I should get some two inch shells; surely the Versa Max wouldn’t feed them. Then I could clean the dang thing and quit worrying about it.
Now, Remington has brought out a tactical version of the VersaMax. With 8 + 1 capacity, a top picatinny rail and two side accessory picatinny rails, this gun promises to be a winner. Load this baby up with 3 ½” slugs and you have a package that can put out enough foot pounds of energy to stop a small herd of pachyderms, much less a home invader. It’s just a matter of time before this gun is chewing up the three gun circuit. At $1,399 the Versa Max is well under the price of the competition and promises to be a major contender in the shotgun market.
Dick Jones is an award winning outdoor writer and a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association Board of Directors. He writes for four North Carolina Newspapers as well as regional and national magazines. He’s hunted and fished most of his life but shooting has been his passion. He’s a former High Master, Distinguished Rifleman, and AAA class pistol shooter. He holds four Dogs of War Medals for Team Marksmanship as shooter, captain and coach. He ran the North Carolina High Power Rifle Team for six years and the junior team two years after that. Within the last year, he’s competed in shotgun, rifle and pistol events including the National Defense Match and the Bianchi Cup. He’ll be shooting the Bianchi, the NDM, the National High Power Rifle Championship, The Rock Castle AR15.com Three Gun Championship and an undetermined sniper match this shooting season.
He lives in High Point, North Carolina with his wife Cherie who’s also an outdoor writer and the 2006 and 2011 Northeast Side by Side Women’s Shotgun Champion. Both Dick and Cherie are NRA pistol, rifle, and shotgun instructors and own Lewis Creek Shooting School.
