DefenseReview.com (DR): An online tactical technology and military defense technology magazine with particular focus on the latest and greatest tactical firearms news (tactical gun news), tactical gear news and tactical shooting news.
By David Crane
defrev (at) gmail (dot) com
August 9, 2010
Relax. We haven’t tested it, yet, and there doesn’t seem to be a military/tactical version of it available, yet. If you’ve been reading The Firearm Blog, lately, you’re already aware that Remington actually just introduced the sport version of the Remington VERSA MAX Synthetic multi-load gas-operated semi-auto 12-gauge (12ga) shotgun very recently, so they probably need a little time. What makes the Versa Max special is its ability to feed/utilize 2.75″ (2 3/4″), 3″, and 3.5″ (3 1/2″) shotgun shells. Remington is billing the new shotgun as the “new standard for reliability in autoloading shotguns” that “will shoot any load, anywhere, every time, thanks in part to its revolutionary, self-cleaning VersaPort(tm) gas system”.
Whoah. Those are some pretty big words, there, and we’ll just have to see about that . Talk is cheap. Walking is more expensive. Testing under military combat-realistic adverse conditions is the only way to determine whether or not the Remington VERSAMAX shotgun is able to live up to the hype. It must be noted that DefenseReview (DR) looked for a tactical version of the Versa Max on Remington’s website, and couldn’t find one. We then looked for a military combat shotgun version of the VersaMax at the Remington Military website. No joy.
So, a militarized tactical version of the VERSA MAX Synthetic “self-regulating” multiload semi-auto shotgun must not yet exist. Perhaps one is currently in the works, i.e. being developed. Speaking of “works”, here’s how the Versa Max’s versatile multi-load-capable, “self-regulating” gas system works:
It utilizes a “VersaPort” (TM) system, which is essentially a gas port matrix, consisting of seven (7) ports, arranged in such a way that whe a 2.75″ shell is chambered, it covers up/seals zero (0) holes/ports, leaving all 7 ports open. When a 3″ shell is chambered, it covers up/seals 3 of the ports, leaving 4 ports open/uncovered by the shell, and when a 3.5″ shell is chambered, it covers/seals 4 ports, leaving the front 3 gas ports open, thus making the gas system self-regulating (see embedded videos below). The longer and more powerful the round/load, the less ports are left open and thus made available to allow gas into the system to cycle the action, and vice versa. The shorter, less powerful the load, the more ports are left open to allow more gas in to cycle the action. Pretty simple, actually–and yet seemingly effective, at least in theory. As I alluded to above, the question is how well the system will perform in the practical application of tactical combat. We don’t know, and Remington Military ain’t sayin’…at least not yet.
However, since the enemy (i.e. the Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and various assorted other radical/extremist Muslim insurgents and terrorists) is reportedly scared shitless of shotguns, perhaps Remington Military will develop a military-version Versa Max shotgun most riki-tik.
In the meantime, MSRP on the sport version starts at $1399.00 USD.
Remington might also want to consider licensing out the Versaport tech to other manufacturers. Defense Review is curious as to whether or not the system can be integrated into hard-use military combat shotguns like the MPS Auto Assault-12 (AA-12) full-auto military shotgun (12ga) a.k.a. machine shotgun. The AA12 shotgun, designed by Jerry Baber and Boje Cornels (nicknamed “Panzerfaust” by Baber), can utilizes a specially-designed/proprietary and reliable 20-round drum magazine as standard, but it can also utilize a proprietary 8-round box magazine, and has been tested with the FRAG-12 family of 12-gauge shotgun shell grenade rounds.
Anyway, regardless, DR would like to have one of our evaluators put the Remington VERSAMAX multi-load semi-auto shotgun through its combat paces at the earliest opportunity, in order to see what happens when the rubber hits the road, or, more specifically, when the Versa-Max meets an adverse combat environment under high round count. Will it be able to take a licking and keep on ticking? Who knows. At this point, only The Shadow knows…and maybe not even him.
P.S. If the Remington Military boys read this, we’d still like our military-version Grip Pod System (click on link for incriminating photo) back, please. We’re available on cell. Thanks.
Company Contact Info:
Remington Arms Company, Inc.
870 Remington Drive
P.O. Box 700
Madison, NC 27025-0700
TEL: 800-243-9700
Fax: 336-548-7801
Email: info@remington.com
Website: http://www.remington.com
Remington Military Products Division (MPD)
870 Remington Drive
Madison, NC 27025-0700
800-243-9700 Ext. 8796 Office
366-548-7800 Fax
http://www.remingtonmilitary.com
Gregory Baradat
MSG (R) USSF – Manager – Military Products Division
(P) 253.503.7129
(P) 253.380.2850
(F) 253.267.5165
(E) gregory.baradat@remington.com
Corey Nissen
SSG U.S. ARMY 11B3VB4 – Military Products Representative
(P) 706.610.7021
(P) 706.662.2716
(F) 706.610.7021
(E) corey.nissen@remington.com
Orders:
Donna Watkins
800-852-7634 Office
donna.watkins@remington.com
Photo(s) Credit: Remington
Hat Tip: The Firearm Blog
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