Formerly known as xpd54.
The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions or policies of my employer.
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Thoughts on running V3 Tac-13 vs 870 Tac-14
I have 500 + rounds through 870 Tac-14 and 150+ through V3 Tac-13.
At about 80 rounds of buckshot I have had enough for 1 session. Up to that point it doesn't bother my arthritis. V3 seems to have slightly less recoil.
I do not trust shotgun safeties so I am interested in how to get the V3 Tac-13 running from cruiser ready ( tube loaded chamber empty).
With a shouldered weapon I keep a firing grip and do all the work possible with the support hand.
With the V3 Tac-13 coming up from ready and using the support hand to run the bolt puts a lot of weight on your firing hand and there is no butt stock to help balance and control the weapon.
As an alternative for the V3 Tac-13:
It seems that, safety off, with the tube loaded and a shell released to sit on the lifter, if you push the fore end toward the target with the support hand, while hooking the bolt handle with your firing hand you can chamber a round quickly and let your firing hand grasp the pistol grip in a firing position as the V3 moves forward. Just keep finger off trigger until you need to shoot.
At this point, for me, the 870 Tac-14 pump is somewhat faster to go from chamber empty to shot fired. This may be a training issue.
Once you are in the shooting, chamber loaded is fine just be muzzle aware. But to me getting the first shot off quickly, safely and accurately from an empty chamber is critical.
V3 seems faster for multiple shots on 1 target or on targets close to each other. If the targets are far apart the pump seems as fast.
Any thoughts ?
I typically like to do everything with my support hand also but... Let's talk this out.
Are you saying that you absolutely do not trust shotgun safeties and plan on walking with this gun with the chamber empty and only racking the slide when you think you'll need it or are you just talking storage?
Either way I guess I think you'd be ok to use your firing hand to rack the bolt if you don't feel you can support it enough.
That way your support hand can wrap around the entire gun and you can yank on that bolt like you mean it. As you release the bolt your hand will be going to the grip and with these guns you control them with your support hand anyways. At least I do. Of my 2 hands I think having the strongest grip with my support hand is the most important.
I agree with you on the support hand being the most controlling hand with these short weapons.
Typically the way I run AR/AK/FAL is that: when in a car rack etc... the chamber is empty, magazine is loaded and in gun. When I wear it, I chamber a round and engage the safety.
I am aware that I need to be careful that my gear does not deactivate the safety.
With a shotgun I have less faith in the safety and am reluctant to have it routinely slung with a round chambered. These short weapons can easily point at a body part while slung.
I am not planning on walking around chamber empty while hunting a problem, but, I do want the fastest surest way to get the Tac-13 V3 firing from chamber empty, tube loaded.
With a pump it seems easier and faster to go from empty chamber to loaded chamber and firing as necessary.
Mossberg Shockwave with SIG pistol brace, Surefire forend, Aimpoint H2 on Larue Legacy mount
OK...so we got one and we have been working with it for a bit now. I am not going to get into the "I hate Remington" discussion nor the "is it legal" discussions, and will leave those to the guys with far more internet time than I. I will focus on what I see and what can be made better. And every single mass produced weapon can and should be made better by the end user who wants excellence and performance. If the factories made them "perfect", very few would buy them and the rest would complain about the price. So....
Its about the same size, length and weight as the tac-14 but seems "beefier". It shoots very nicely, and recoil is lessened somewhat from the tac-14 as expected. I shot it with a variety of loads including bird shot, reduced recoil and some horrendous Winchester 12 pellet magnums from the old days. No stoppages at all. The handguard is a little slippery and is screaming for a stipple master to get his welding iron out. I dumped the handguard sling straight away. Overall, a very nice little blaster and a good alternative for the guys that don't like pump actions.
What I would change - and likely will.
1). IMHO a stockless weapon like this benefits from slug sights. (BTW, for the guy in the back of the room that just raised his hand - I am not interested in debating whether the shotgun is aimed or pointed or whatever). The bead is OK but lacking that additional set of contact points on cheek and shoulder, misalignment is easy. If the eye has a rear sight and a front sight, that likelihood is lessened. And unless you have those anchor points a ghost ring is too slow. I will find a way to add such sights to the Tac-13 barrel, but it doesn't look easy at this juncture. A "best practice" may be a "brace" and Ghost Rings. And of course...being the red dot guy, I will probably add an RMR.
2). On braces. We took one of our 870 braces and it sort of fits. We had to work on the grip so it would fit better, but a dedicated Tac-13 unit needs to be made. There are enough differences between it and the 870 that its not an easy fit. The Spacer that allows the use of an 870 grip lengthens the distance between the trigger and the grip. Dudes with short fingers will hate the gun with a brace.
3). Other stuff. Factory guns come with miniscule controls. This one is no exception. It needs a bigger safety (870s won't work), a bigger bolt knob, larger bolt release. And at first glance, parts from a regular Versamax are not the same. I notice that GG&G already has some stuff. Other companies as well as mine will likely make stuff as well for this. The big heavy mag tube retainer came off and I replaced it with a smaller and lighter Magpul unit. 870 Mag tubes aren't quite a perfect fit either.
4). Other other stuff. Back to the handguard. This gun is screaming for a better handguard...something rougher and easier to grab onto...perhaps with M-lock attachments for a light and such. As it is, it looks like an afterthought taken off a Versamax duck gun.
OK...that was short and sweet...more to follow. I did this one short video on the brace applied to the V3.
https://vimeo.com/311286183
Last edited by Gabe Suarez; 02-06-2019 at 11:39 AM.
I stippled my Tac-14 with a wood burning tool. I used the large rounded rod that makes 3/16" craters. It makes a pattern that looks a lot like a honeycomb only not quite as symmetrical. This provides a VERY positive grip but it is not for guys with soft hands.
Suarez International has folding brace adapters for the Tac-13.
https://suarezinternational.com/suar...p-system-12ga/
Adapter package with brace of your choice.
https://suarezinternational.com/suar...-for-12-gauge/