The Rock Island Armory VR80 is a magazine fed 12 gauge semiautomatic shotgun with ergonomics and controls similar to the AR-15. The standard thumbhole stock can be replaced with standard AR-15 furniture and hides a commercial buffer tube. The VR80 comes with two 5 round magazines and three Benelli choke tubes (Mod, IC, Full). The safety and magazine release are ambidextrous, and the charging handle can be reversed without tools.
I had the opportunity to fire the new Rock Island Armory VR80 shotgun during SHOT Show 2019 Range Day. The gas system soaks up recoil and allows for any number of accessories to be mounted without impacting reliability. Firing 15 rounds of low brass birdshot, I struck targets with ease. Recoil is minimal, making rapid follow-up shots a breeze. Controls are large enough to be easily accessible, but not so large as to be obtrusive. While waiting my turn in line, I saw over 100 rounds fired through three VR80 shotguns and never witnessed a single malfunction despite the blowing sand and dirt. My sample size is small, but it leaves me hopeful.
If Rock Island Armory has indeed put out a quality product, I suspect the VR80 will become very popular among the 3-Gun circuit. MSRP on the VR80 is $699 and it is available now.
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