Box Fed shotguns are an absolute blast. While I love the tube for its merits something about a box fed shotgun is just fun. Remington and Mossberg both agreed and released mag fed pump actions, but let’s face it, mag fed should mean semi-auto. Rock Island Armory is certainly taking that route with the RIA VR 60. The RIA VR 60 is a mag fed semi-auto shotgun that mimics the look and feel of a AR 15.
Inside the RIA VR 60
The RIA VR 60 is an interesting looking shotgun. Imagine if you will a AR 15 ate too much cake and didn’t get enough PT. That’s the VR 60. The RIA VR 60 is covered with picatinny rails, including a full-length scope rail, a full-length bottom rail, and two short side rails. The VR 60 is equipped with a carry handle sight system that’s removable for adding an optic.
The gun is built more like an M16A3 than an M4. It has a fixed stock, a 20-inch barrel, and an overall length of 39 inches. The gun weighs 7.4 pounds and comes with two 5 round magazines. It’s mostly polymer, with metal only where necessary. This keeps both the weight and price down. The gun has a right-side charging handle, a AR 15 style magazine release and safety as well. The magazines go straight in and there is no need to rock and roll them into place.
I’m only sitting at 25 rounds with the RIA VR 60, so this isn’t a full review. However, this lightweight birdshot performed perfectly fine in the VR 60. It chugged along without a hitch. I’m looking forward to seeing what the RIA VR 60 can do. Watch this space for a full review coming soon. It’s an interesting gun, that’s also super affordable, it carries an MSRP of $499.00.
