Being recognized as “best in class” is much easier said than done, but the companies’ products featured in these stories have outdone themselves, and have truly earned the title.
Shotgun of the Year: Remington V3 Field Sport
The semi-automatic V3 Field Sport utilizes Remington’s unique Versa Port gas-operated system first offered in the Versa Max in 2010, although in a new, upgraded version built on a slimmer, shorter receiver designed for 3-inch shells.
The Versa Port design relies on shell length to expose up to eight gas ports that regulate the amount of gas used to reliably operate the action. With longer, more powerful 3-inch loads, half the ports are blocked; shorter, milder 23/4-inch shells leave all eight ports uncovered, bleeding off excess gas through a pair of compensators in the gas block. New to the design, the compensators also assist in recoil reduction.
While the V3 may share a similar operating system as the Versa Max, AH contributor David Draper reports that the V3's 7.2-pound weight, center-point balance, reduced recoil and reliability are what truly set it apart (“Hardware,” April ’16). “The V3 became natural to point and swung with much less effort than a standard, weight-forward semi-auto. (It also stopped quicker, a factor to which I attribute my early struggles.) Throughout several days of pheasant hunting and subsequent testing at the range, the V3 never hiccuped or failed to cycle.”
Editor's Note: Winning products must be tested by the editors, meet or exceed expectations on innovation, and provide hunters and shooters with value for their money. NRA Publications will present the annual Golden Bullseye Awards at an invitation-only breakfast during the 2017 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Atlanta, Ga., April 28-30.
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