For the last four years, I have spent as much time with the Remington V3 as I have with any other autoloader, starting with a pre-production prototype. The V3 was many years in development, with countless rounds fired.

When I was down at Remington in Huntsville, I met with many of the Remington staff that did the actual endurance testing. I commented that, "Hey, that sounds like a great job . . . go to work and shoot sporting clays all day long, for months!"

My comment was met with large eye-rolls and laughs. No clays were involved, this was just grunt work. Shoot, shoot, shoot at no targets. The team was bored, who wouldn't be, for aside from shooting at each other's wads from time to time, it was just making hulls, a lot of them.

I have shot dozens of Remington V3 synthetic models, here in Illinois, in Texas, in Oklahoma and in Arkansas. I personally have had zero problems. However, after the V3 synthetic models were out in quantity for nine months or so, there were a few reports of "Blowback," apparently meaning gas in the face.

WHERE COULD BLOWBACK COME FROM?

There are three areas of interest: the ejection port, the gas block and the compensating valve exhaust. Any side ejecting autoloader will expel gas through the ejection port, including inertia guns and other recoil operated guns. It has at least the potential to be annoying, but that is true of all side ejecting autoloaders.

The V3 synthetic has a vented gas block attached to the barrel. There is potential that some gas can come from it; after all, it is vented.

The gas compensating plugs were designed to exhaust gas. They work extremely well, but the gas is hotter and cleaner from a V3.

When Remington did their R&D work on the walnut V3, they found the standard V3 synthetic system cracked walnut forearms. That delayed the release of the walnut V3 by at least a year. Using pressure transducers inside the forearms, they measured the exhaust gas pressures.

To solve the forearm cracking issues, Remington went to a non-vented gas block and long exhaust tubes for the walnut model. This was done to eliminate forearm cracking, for blowback was not a concern.

Now, the confusion begins. Some folks bought synthetic V3's assuming they could just add a walnut stock later on. Assuming often isn't good, for if you do you can expect forearm cracking. You can, however, add a synthetic stock set to the walnut model with no issues.

The latest release from Remington is the V3 Compact Synthetic. A 22 inch barrel, stock spacers and adjustment shims for drop and cast are included. As far as I know, the V3 Compact has a non-vented gas block, but still has the compensating valves. I have requested a V3 Compact for review.

HERE IS WHERE WE ARE

V3 Gen1 System: for synthetic stocks only, vented gas blocks, compensating valve exhaust.

V3 Gen2 System: supplied on all walnut models, non-vented gas block and exhaust tubes.

V3 Compact Synthetic System: non-vented gas block, Gen1 compensating valve exhaust.

Going forward, my understanding is that all V3 models will have non-vented gas blocks. Eventually, I do not know when, all V3 models will likely be shipped with Gen2 Systems, as supplied on the walnut model from the beginning.

One owner writes, "The gas blowback is such a non-problem. Just use two strips of electrical tape inside the hand guard and it completely disappears. I have a V3 and love the gun, it is reliable and light shooting."

I have not seen, much less fired, the V3 referred to above. However, the electrical tape would address the vented gas block only. Vented gas blocks apparently are no longer being used by Remington.