A Year With The Versa Max...

[dalecooper51]

Today marks 1 year with my black synthetic VM. Mine was an early production gun that sat on the shelves for a while until I purchased it last summer. Overall I am very happy with the gun. It is super easy to clean, there is virtually no recoil, in over 8,000 rounds it has never failed to feed or eject even with super wimpy 3/4oz poof loads, and I have it dialed in so it shoots where I look. I shoot everything low gun and was able to score my first 25, 50, and 74(grrrr) straight in skeet, and some of my best scores in sporting. All I have changed is the comb insert to medium (I looked at the back of the receiver with the standard one.), set the stock shim with cast-on, and use an extended IC factory Pro-Bore choke ($10 at CDNN).

The gun is not without its issues. I had to have the barrel replaced due to a cross threaded gas port. Around round 4k, the bolt came apart which required a trip back to Remington. They paid shipping both ways, fixed the gun, and had it back to me in under 7 days. The only issue I have had since then was the stock bolt working itself loose over time. I added some loctite and haven't had the issue since. I prefer a narrower fore grip, but with the gas system there isn't much that can be done about it.

It's not the prettiest shotgun, but overall I am happy with it.

Here's the only pic I have from my cell phone...

Regards,

Dale

 

[dgludwig]

Thanks for the review. I found it informative, though not especially useful if I were contemplating buying one. The three "pros" were real pluses: reliable, easy to clean and little recoil. The cons, though, were equally noteworthy: cross-threaded gas port requiring barrel replacement and the bolt coming apart-requiring a return to the factory for a fix if not replacement. So, after reading the op's fine review, I guess I'd still be on the fence if I were looking to get one...

 

[dalecooper51]

Thanks for the comments.

The QC cross threading issue could have been avoided. I also read that there have been a number of design improvements to help avoid some of the issues. The retaining pin on the bolt that came out was one of them. The other was the forearm retention. I normally try to avoid purchasing the first generation of a new product to market as there are normally issues that need to be hashed out. Despite that, having the chance to shoot one from the tour Remington did enough to convince me to give it a shot.

After writing my thoughts, I was debating if I would own another one. I think for the right price I would get another one. In my opinion, it would be a great choice if it were in the 900 to 950 range. I also think I would only purchase a new one as I would want that two year warranty. If the bolt didn't come apart on me, I would be much more positive on the gun. As it stands, it is a good gun, better than some, but with room for improvement.