Remington V3

In fact, whereas the Versa Max—the soft-shooting, low-maintenance, high-reliability gun Remington needed to catch up with the competition—was developed at the factory in Ilion, N.Y., the V3 is the brainchild of engineers at Remington’s research facility in Elizabethtown, Ky. “Rather than shrink a Versa Max, we started from the ground up to make the best 3-inch gun on the market,” says shotgun product manager Mike Vrooman.

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 Details (From left to right) The V3 has a magazine cutoff button on the trigger guard, pressure compensating pistons, and a Modified Rem Choke.

To appeal to a wide market, the V3 is designed to weigh less and cost less than the Versa Max. You can expect to see it in the uplands and duck blinds, on the target field, and in three-gun competitions.

The V3 does share the Versa Port system Remington pioneered for the Versa Max. The gun’s eight gas ports (the Versa Max has seven) are in the chambers. The longer the shell, the more ports it covers, essentially metering the amount of gas that reaches the pistons and allowing it to shoot a range of 23⁄4- and 3-inch ammunition.

The action spring of the V3 lies inside the receiver, not in the stock. It is easy to inspect and clean, and won’t get wet and rusty when you dunk your stock wading with the gun slung over your shoulder.

It has the light contour barrel of the Model 11-87 (which I am betting the V3 will replace), and that barrel, coupled with an alloy receiver, keeps the weight to 71⁄4 pounds. It’s surprisingly well balanced and lively to handle and shoot. 

A unique magazine cutoff button sits at the front of the trigger guard. Pushing it forward elevates the carrier enough to block the magazine tube, enabling you to remove the shell in the chamber without cycling another. The crisp trigger breaks at 5 pounds 10 ounces.

The gas system of the V3 is, like that of the Versa Max, very simple. A gas block beneath the chamber holds the two short pistons. You can’t get at the ports...