I’ve been a big fan of the VR series from Armscor. I’ve reviewed three of them and found them to be fun and reliable semi-auto shotguns. The mag-fed design is interesting, and Armscor has moved the design to a pump-action shotgun (hence the PA in the name, for Pump Action). The VRPA40 takes the standard VR magazines. Magazines in shotguns have their pros and cons, and with the VR series, the pro is most certainly a quicker reload and a higher capacity some of the VR magazines.
The first time I saw the VRPA40 at SHOT Show 2020, I was impressed. It’s not just a mag-fed pump-action shotgun. It seems like they put a little thought into the overall design. The magazine well is large and slightly flared for easy insert. The gun features a ghost ring rear sight and a high visibility front sight. A small rail is installed for adding an optic. The gun has a half heat shield which is smart because that barrel is going to get toasty once you load up a 19-round magazine and have at it.
Throwing Mags in the VRPA40
The controls are a bit different than your standard pump action. The slide unlock is a bit far up for quick use but the magazine release is placed far enough back to make magazine changes nice and quick. The stock is comfortable and the gun weighs only a hair over 6 pounds unloaded. Loaded weight will vary greatly between shot type and magazine sizes.
Speaking of mags, doesn’t this thing look nuts with the 19-round magazine in place? It makes a foreign-made shotgun look awfully American if you know what I’m saying. I can’t wait to get my hands on one and get in a full review. One of the big advantages is for non-free states that have issues with anything mag-fed and semi-auto. This gun may skirt those provisions.
There’ll be a full review to come; I’m already optimistic about seeing what they bring to SHOT Show 2021. But then again, I have a shotgun bias.
