versa max questions

cyprant · Mar 24, 2013

I have been reading some mixed reviews on these. I am thinking of picking one up before their spring rebate program is over.

I seem to have been reading reviews on this gun that reflect poorly on this shotgun. The only great reviews I find are from when this gun was announced a few years ago.

What's the real deal? Is it a good shotgun only if you like fixing your guns?

Any body have round counts on these with falilure rates?

It will primarily be a trap gun until I can afford 3 gun in a couple of years.

Clint Dismore · Mar 24, 2013

I run a versa max for 3 gun. I clean it rarely and shoot it as much as I can afford. I probably have about 1500 rounds through mine and have had 2 malfunctions that i can remember. One yesterday, with cheap estate 8 shot I had a stove pipe. Once before, about 6 months ago, I had a failure to feed with some high powered slugs but it didn't repeat itself. I did have to put on adjustable sights to get on with my slugs but otherwise I love it. The recoil is minimal in my opinion but I'm a big guy. I definitely wouldn't call them junk but you'll have to decide that for yourself. Mine runs good at least and I haven't had any custom work done to it.

jtischauser · Mar 24, 2013

What type of issues have you been reading about?

mike cyrwus · Mar 24, 2013

You only hear about the bad ones on the web; theyre good.

jtischauser · Mar 24, 2013

I saw Burkett and Garcia get Rid of theirs in person..

dennishoddy · Mar 24, 2013

What was their reason, for those of us with inquiring minds?

jtischauser · Mar 24, 2013

I don't know all the specifics I just know that they both now shoot a Benelli M2.

cyprant · Mar 25, 2013

Feeding issues, slop in barrel, canted vent rib, finding metal shavings in reciver, misc parts breaking around 4000 rounds...

I have also heard good feedback, but some of the issues above were from different people with the same issues. Canted vent rib and slop in bbl for one...

I am deciding between a VM and an M2... M2 is winning right now. But I want a shot gun to beat the piss out of. I don't see my self buying another autoloader so this next one will serve as my trap/clays gun and 3gun.

I wouldn't mind ordering directly from a gunsmith who tricked it out already...

jtischauser · Mar 25, 2013

If you can afford it the M2 is the gun that you want.

irons_shooter · Mar 25, 2013

They aren't junk. There were some issues with the first released ones but it is a brand new platform for Remington. There are a few pro shooters that have now been sponsored by Benelli that have given up their VM. The guns are solid and for 99% of the folks out there, they will outlast the shooter. The feeding problems are coming from self proclaimed gunsmiths that should never ever have a dremel anywhere near a gun. There is also a ton of bad advice on how to tune it once you get the lifter welded. Buy one, give it to Mike at AI and shoot the hell out of it.

mike cyrwus · Mar 25, 2013

Jesse Tischauser said:
I don't know all the specifics I just know that they both now shoot a Benelli M2.

isnt Keith shooting for Benelli now?

mike cyrwus · Mar 25, 2013

cyprant said:
Feeding issues, slop in barrel, canted vent rib, finding metal shavings in reciver, misc parts breaking around 4000 rounds...

I have also heard good feedback, but some of the issues above were from different people with the same issues. Canted vent rib and slop in bbl for one...

I am deciding between a VM and an M2... M2 is winning right now. But I want a shot gun to beat the piss out of. I don't see my self buying another autoloader so this next one will serve as my trap/clays gun and 3gun.

I wouldn't mind ordering directly from a gunsmith who tricked it out already...

First off, the benelli M2 is the best damn 3g shotgun out there. Secondly, Nothing against you, and I dont doubt your web research on VM's, but one of the things I hate about the web is that hearsay is posted and re-posted on all the different forums without first hand experience. Now when the next guy after you goes and looks for some online info; he's going to see your thread here and count it towards the total number of negative things said about the versamax online.Whether you even post that youre doing research yourself or not.
You guy catch my drift? For example, one day, long ago, in the early days of the gun boards, one person with a tiny penis decided to berate one person when he called a magazine a clip. The rest is now history and now there are literally tens of thousands of folks out there that are now able to tell the difference between a clip and a magazine. And by God, they arent afraid to show it.

jtischauser · Mar 25, 2013

mike cyrwus said:
isnt Keith shooting for Benelli now?

Yes he is. Are u suggesting that he switched because Benelli paid him to?

Wall · Mar 25, 2013

Jesse Tischauser said:
Yes he is. Are u suggesting that he switched because Benelli paid him to?

wouldn't it make sense that if he's shooting for benelli, they'd want him shooting a benelli?

jtischauser · Mar 25, 2013

Wall said:
wouldn't it make sense that if he's shooting for benelli, they'd want him shooting a benelli?

He switched prior to signing a deal with Benelli.

Matt1911 · Mar 25, 2013

AI Benelli M2... Nuff said.

cyprant · Mar 25, 2013

Apologies for adding to the cycle of "bad"information. I see my thread title had been edited to prevent shooters researching this gun to be swayed by my research.

So if the M2 is hands down the way to go and these are priced within 10% of each other, and the versa max is a copy of the M2, why is any one shooting a versa max?

Spiff · Mar 25, 2013

Because some people just have to be different.

I imagine the VM has a bit less recoil.

Wall · Mar 25, 2013

cyprant said:
So if the M2 is hands down the way to go and these are priced within 10% of each other, and the versa max is a copy of the M2, why is any one shooting a versa max?

VMax is not a copy of the M2.
VMax is a gas operated gun & the M2 is inertia operated.

Austin T said:
I imagine the VM has a bit less recoil.

Yes, the VMax is a little softer recoiling

jtischauser · Mar 25, 2013

The versa max weighs more and uses the gas to operate the gun along with the Benelli like Inertia system so it shoots slightly softer.

The versa max comes with a Nordic tube ($80) Nordic Barrel Clamp w/Rail ($48), Nordic Bolt Release ($14), Nordic Bolt Handle ($25), and a high viz front sight ($25). That is close to $200 of accessories that you must add to the M2 Field.

Personally I like the fact that the M2 is lighter than anything else out there and we don't need the extra gas operated parts like an M4 or Versa Max for what we do. They are just more things to wear out or break too.