Remington Versa Max 3-Gun Competition Shotgun

In Issue 6, we reviewed the Versa Max Tactical and found it to be a great shotgun with a no-fuss gas system, soft recoil, huge loading port, and extensive adjustability for fit. Three-gun competitors have agreed, making the Versa Max a common fixture at three-gun matches around the country, with a number of modifications commonly applied to optimize the platform for the game. With a lot of input from its own shooting team and others in the three-gun community, Remington has introduced the Versa Max 3-Gun Competition model.

The 3-Gun Competition model incorporates the most commonly performed modifications to provide the shooter with a turnkey three-gun shotgun, ready to go right out of the box. It has enhanced controls to make manipulations quick and positive, including an enlarged dome safety, extended bolt handle and large circular carrier release. The latter two parts are the same as on the Tactical model. The feeding port is beveled out and the lifter has been cured of the dreaded fork on its tip, similar to the welded lifters fabricated by gunsmiths building custom three-gun shotguns. Note, however, that the lifter on the pre-production unit shown here was still biting our thumbs, and Remington advised that the production lifter would be longer to cure this problem.

It has a 22-inch vent rib barrel with a large fiber optic bead front sight and an XS rear sight dovetailed into the rib. Remington understands the critical importance of shotgun slug accuracy in three-gun, so the shotgun will ship with three rear sights of differing heights so that you can dial in your slugs. It will also come with four extended chokes (improved cylinder, modified, improved modified and full) so that you can select the right choke for each stage.

Additional slick features that will impress your buddies include QD sling sockets embedded into the fore-end and buttstock, as well as a very nice one-piece extended magazine tube with a carbon fiber sleeve. It comes configured to hold eight shells, but the included +2 extension will extend past the muzzle and expand that to 10 shells. Comb inserts and shims will allow you to adjust the shotgun's fit. We mustn't forget to mention the receiver is Cerakoted a cool Remington green color.

We enjoyed some range time with the new shotgun, including a few rounds of sporting clays, and were very impressed. Just like our Tactical model, it was extremely soft-shooting and ran reliably throughout. The modifications to ease loading would likely work well for many shooters, though we would probably open the loading port even more aggressively and work on the shell latch to further reduce the effort required to load shells. The modified lifter on the test gun was still too short for our thumbs, and we were relieved that Remington had a longer version already in the works for the production model.

The weight of the shotgun was the primary downside, as compared to other alternatives. But overall, with an MSRP of $1,699 and everything it offers out of the box, we think the Versa Max 3-Gun Competition is a great package and might be just what the doctor ordered to up your three-gun game.