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Remington V3 Tactical Shotgun: Nuts and Bolts Review

We got our hands on the new Remington V3 Tactical, an autoloading shotgun based off of the Remington V3 Sporting gun that hit the market in 2010. While the V3 Tactical has some differences from the sporting version, the heart of it remains the same: the Versaport gas system.

The Remington V3 Tactical features an oversize charging handle, bolt release, and safety button, as well as a flared loading port—all designed for easier and faster manipulation in a defensive situation. Outfitted with an 18.5-inch fixed cylinder-bore barrel, the V3 Tactical is available with a traditional shotgun vent-rib bead sight or an XS low-profile rifle sight.

Versa Port Gas System

The V3 Tactical is capable of shooting both 2 3/4-inch  and 3-inch shells without issue or adjustment. It doesn’t matter if the shells are high velocity or low recoil birdshot. The shotgun is able to do this by regulating the gas depending on the shell length, not the tuning.

Inside the barrel chamber, the V3 has eight gas ports located roughly around the five and seven o’clock positions. When you fire a shot, the shell opens up and covers some of the ports, depending on the size. For a 2 3/4-inch shell, all eight of the ports are open, but when a 3-inch shell is fired it closes off half of the ports. In this way, the gas is regulated without the need to adjust for the type of shell used. 

So where does the gas go? On the bottom of the barrel, there are two short-stroke gas pistons that move about half an inch. These pistons hit a carrier on the bottom of the bolt that unlocks the bolt and sends it to the rear.

Inside the receiver of the V3 are two guide rods with springs that the bolt carrier rides on. Once the bolt is pushed to the rear, these springs return the bolt to battery, and the process starts over again. Since the bolt return springs are located inside the receiver, there is no need for a buffer or spring in the buttstock. This decreases weight and allows Remington to use a variety of stocks on the gun without having to worry about a return spring.

Lastly, since the ports are not blocked off on the 2¾-inch magnum loads, the two-chambered gas block has pressure-compensating valves in it that bleed off any excess gas so the action functions normally. The excess gas exits through the top of the handguard.

Cleaning these pistons is also a breeze. Once the barrel is off of the gun, you see that two bolts hold in the piston and valve assembly. The bolts are removed and the pistons slide out toward the front of the gun. Some cleaning and light oil, and they are ready to go again. 

Remington says to clean them every 500 rounds, or when the pistons are no longer sliding easily. From our experience, they don’t require cleaning very often even after 500 rounds.

The Tactical in Tactical

The Remington V3 Tactical has several features that make it designed for home defense and law enforcement. The barrel is 18.5 inches long and has a Cylinder bore. The gun holds six rounds in the magazine, plus one in the chamber; however in our testing, the gun held 7+1. We were able to cycle the gun without issue with the extra shell. The bolt’s charging handle, bolt release, and safety button are all oversized for fast and easy operation, and the loading port is flared for faster and easier loading.

As mentioned earlier, there are two different versions of the V3 Tactical. Our version had XS Low Profile sights that were adjustable for windage. At the back of the barrel, there is a dovetail that is welded into the barrel to allow for adjustments. These sights allow for quick target acquisition and are an upgrade over the vented rip and bead sight that is also available. 

Both versions of the V3 Tactical have synthetic buttstocks and forearms. The buttstock has a molded sling swivel mount. At the front of the gun, there is an M-LOK barrel clamp with M-LOK slots on each side.

Remington says that the V3 has the recoil of a 20 gauge pump, and I would believe it. The shotgun cycled birdshot, buckshot, and slugs with little noticeable difference. The gun has a Supercell recoil pad which helps to dampen recoil. Combined with the Versaport gas system, it really is a light shooting combination. 

Both versions of the 12-gauge V3 Tactical are 39.5 inches in overall length, have a capacity of 6+1, and weigh 7.625 pounds. MSRP: $1024, vent rib; $1,076, XS low-profile sights. 

Key Features: Remington V3 Tactical

Type: Gas-operated autoloader
Gauge: 12, 3-in. chamber
Magazine Capacity: 6 rounds
Barrel: 18.5 in.
Overall Length: 39.5 in.
Weight, Empty: 7.63 lbs.
Stock: Synthetic
Length of Pull: 14.0 in.
Finish: Black oxide receiver and barrel, black stock
Sights: XS Low Profile rifle sights
Trigger: 6.03-lb. pull
MSRP: $1,076 (as Tested)

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