D.R.I.V. Tactically: the Savage Renegauge Security

I love shotguns, probably too much, and I like to consider myself an acolyte of the gauge. I love shotguns of all types, and I typically lean more towards the tactical variants of shotguns. When Savage released the Renegauge, I was curious, but when they released the Renegauge Security, I was intrigued. As you’d imagine, I ran to the Savage bay at Range Day to get my hands on the new Savage Renegauge Security.

The Renegauge series has been around for a while, but Savage has focused more on field and sporting guns than tactical models. I watched the Renegauge with a lot of curiosity and was always hoping to see a tactical model. So I was pretty pumped when Savage announced the gun, and I became even more excited that one would be in my hands, loaded and ready for range day.

Why the Renegaguge Security?

In a world where the Beretta 1301 and Benelli M4 exist, why would I need another semi-auto tactical shotgun? From a features standpoint, I’m going to go ahead and say it might be the best semi-auto tactical shotgun on the market. Well, from a features standpoint. If it lives up to all the features the gun promises to provide, it could be better than the Benelli and Beretta guns.

Like both of those guns, the Renegauge is a gas gun. Meaning it uses the gas of a fired round to cycle the action. Savage uses what they call the D.R.I.V. system. D.R.I.V. stands for Dual Regulating Inline Valve. It’s a fancy acronym and what it means for you and me is reliability and reduced recoil.

Savage Renegauge Security shotgun
The D.R.I.V. system ensures reliability and soft recoil.

The D.R.I.V. gas system bleeds off excess gas, and that ensures a smoother, lower recoiling action with more consistent, positive ejection. (Sorry that shell hit you in the head, Pat.) To help reduce recoil, the gun also comes with a recoil-reducing stock rod buffer.

It could also suck at release, but I doubt it. The original Renegauge has proven itself, and the Security model isn’t much different. I asked one of the guys managing the bay how the gun’s been shooting, and he said between all three guns, they only had three malfunctions for the entire day and they hadn’t been lubed.

Let’s Talk About Features

Much like how I handle your mom, I’m going from front to rear. The barrel measures out to 18.5 inches, and below it sits a six-round magazine tube. The barrel is actually fluted, so that should reduce weight and improve balance. The front sight is a high visibility green insert protected by two wings.

Savage Renegauge Security shotgun sights and clamp
Notice the sights and clamp. Both are pretty handy.

A clamp connects the barrel to the magazine tube, and that clamp does more than secure the magazine tube. The clamp comes with an M-LOK slot on either side for attaching lights, lasers, and cup holders.

From there, we have a solid little polymer forend that’s heavily textured. It’s grey and looks good against the black finish of the Renegauge Security. As we get to the receiver, we have an oversized bolt release and oversized charging handle. Gripping, ripping, and reloading will be intuitive and easy.

The Renegauge Security comes with an adjustable LOP.
The Renegauge Security comes with an adjustable LOP.

Above the controls sits the rear ghost sight that’s generous in size, and that makes it quick to acquire the front sight. The little peep sight is protected by a set of wings as well. The cross-bolt safety is well positioned for easy access and snaps and pops in and out of action easily.

Renegauge Security shotgun loading port
Check out that huge loading port.

Finally, we get to the rear of the gun with its grey stock. I’m getting serious Magpul SGA vibes with the Renegauge stock. The pistol grip angle is a cross of an AR-style pistol grip and a more traditional shotgun grip. It’s comfy and easy to shoulder. Oh, and guess what? You can adjust the length of pull via spacers and adjust the comb with ease.

Handling and Shooting

At Range Day, Savage tasked the Renegauge Security with an odd task, shooting clays. At the shotgun booths, they were launchings tons of clays, and the Security model needed to take them down. Shooting clays with ghost sights is somewhat unusual, but I was up for the challenge. They handed me five rounds, and when I said “pull,” the birds flew!

Shooting the Renegauge Security shotgun at SHOT SHow 2022 range day
The Renegauge Security shotgun is dandy to shoot.

Honestly, it took a second for me to get used to finding the clay and putting in the rear ghost ring. However, I went four for five with the clays. I haven’t shot clays in years, and somehow I had no issues pegging them with the Security model of the Renegauge.

That bright front sight helps. It does grab your eye and allow you to track that orange bastard as it streaks across the sky. I took notice that the recoil was super light and quite comfy to shoot. It’s easily one of the lightest recoiling shotguns I’ve ever fired. It’s completely controllable and makes fast follow-up shots a breeze.

The Savage Renegauge comes with an enlarged ejection port and a massive loading port. Sliding rounds into the gun is super easy and ergonomic. It’s pinch-free and makes it simple and easy to shove rounds into the gun quickly.

Loading the Savage Renegauge Security shotgun, pinch-free
Sliding rounds in is thumb-pinch free.

Savage textured the forend well, and I could do the old push/pull technique to reduce recoil and keep the gun from bucking and brawling. The Renegauge Security handled so damn well. It’s convinced me that I need one, and I want to run it besides a Beretta 1301 and Benelli M4 and see what’s what between these three guns.

Rocking and Rolling

The Renegauge Security comes outfitted with the Beretta/Benelli choke system, and the guns come with IC, M, and F chokes. Heck, Savage even tosses in a hard-sided case to top it all off. All these features mean the gun won’t come cheap. The MSRP is $1,499, and that’s not exactly cheap, but it keeps up with current big dogs in the world of tactical shotguns.

Not cheap, but it looks great, and I’m hoping I get my hands on one sooner than later. Let me know what you think about the Renegauge and the Security model in particular.

Travis Pike is a former Marine Machine Gunner and a lifelong firearms enthusiast. Now that his days of working a 240B like Charlie Parker on the sax are over he's a regular guy who likes to shoot, write, and find ways to combine the two. He holds an NRA certification as a Basic Pistol Instructor and is probably most likely the world's Okayest firearm instructor. He is a simplicisist when it comes to talking about himself in the 3rd person and a self-professed tactical hipster. Hit him up on Instagram, @travis.l.pike, with story ideas.

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