Shotgun industry takes aim at synthetic stocks

One of the problems shotgun hunters face when the weather gets cold is trying to find their safeties while wearing gloves. With traditionally small safety buttons, this can be an issue, but I found a shotgun at the Shooting, Hunting & Outdoor Trade Show that has made that problem a thing of the past.

The continued growth in the black gun side of the firearms industry was evident at last week’s show at the Sands Expo & Convention Center. Although some fine shotguns and rifles are still built with select lumber with beautiful grain patterns and coloration, they seem to be getting fewer and farther between as synthetic stocks push them aside. This is especially true in the sporting shotgun market, where synthetic stocks come in black (of course) and a variety of camouflage colorations.

One of the shotguns that caught my attention is the Super Vinci by Benelli. This shotgun builds on Benelli’s already successful Vinci model released in early 2009. With its In-Line Inertia Driven action, the Super Vinci is designed and built to cycle everything from standard 2¾-inch shells to 3½-inch magnum loads and, according to Benelli’s Scott Matthews, has little muzzle climb during the shot. And rather than placing a small safety button at the back of the trigger guard as seems to be an industry standard, Benelli moved the safety in front of the trigger guard where it is within easy reach of a trigger finger.

It also made the safety large enough to easily find and operate when wearing heavy gloves.

Like its namesake, the Super Vinci easily and quickly can be broken down into three modules: the barrel and receiver, the trigger assembly and forearm, and the buttstock. This should make cleaning, transportation and storage much easier than traditional designs, and reassembly is much like putting a lens on 35mm camera body. All you have to do is line up the white dots and twist. And with liberal use of polymers in the shotgun’s support components, the 12-gauge Super Vinci weighs in at just 6.9 pounds and shoulders much like a 20-gauge would. Matthews said the Super Vinci has hit store shelves and should retail for about $1,700.

A number of manufacturers claim their shotguns are the fastest shooting in the world, and Remington is no different. With the tag line “Any load. Anywhere. Every Time,” Remington jumped into the speed-shooting fray with its new Versa Max.

Like the Benelli, the Versa Max will cycle 2¾-inch, 3-inch and 3½-inch shells but through a gas operating system designed to self-regulate gas pressure based on the length of the shell in the chamber. According to the folks at Remington, the Versa Max system will tame the recoil of a 12-gauge load down to that of a 20-gauge.

The suggested retail price on the Versa Max ranges from $1,400 to $1,600 depending on the gun’s configuration.

Though I didn’t have the opportunity to shoot either shotgun, I did like the feel of each. They both came to the shoulder quickly and easily, and as lightweight as they are, I think a hunter could carry them in the field all day with little fatigue.

Freelance writer Doug Nielsen is a conservation educator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. His “In the Outdoors” column, published Thursday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NDOW. Any opinions he states in his column are his own. He can be reached at intheoutdoorslv@gmail.com.