“target loads”

Remington is set to unveil a brand new, American-made, semi-automatic shotgun next week at the 2015 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nev. Here are five things you need to know.

Right now, there’s a guy on a stool in a gun shop arguing over what the “best home defense gun” is. Whether he’s right or wrong isn’t relevant—the best gun for home defense is the gun you have when you need it.

When Remington introduced its Versa Max semi-auto shotgun five years ago, hunters were impressed with its simple but effective VersaPort operating system that regulated the amount of gas required to cycle the action by using the length of the shotshell. Now the company has knocked about $400 off the MSRP to offer the more affordable Versa Max Sportsman, including one version made especially for turkey hunters.

In 2012, after Benelli’s patent on its inertia action expired, Browning seized opportunity with a new-aged Auto-5, simply called the A5. Today the A5 line includes Mossy Oak bedecked guns and the shoot-all shown above, the new 31/2-inch Stalker, a semi-auto that looks and feels much like the old but that outperforms it in every way.

Put down that handheld portal to the digital world. Forget about soccer weekend. Take a break from the never-ending chore of yard maintenance. If you hunger for a surefire way to bring the family together in a setting that is guaranteed to generate a grin then plan a family day at your local shooting range.

Jeff Johnston has often heard that homeowners looking for a home defense round should use a shotgun “with birdshot” because it won’t penetrate walls and therefore can't hurt family members in other rooms. But does that theory really hold up?

For 2015, Weatherby is testing the waters of the over/under market once again, this time turning to the Turks in an effort to hit that thin line where affordability and quality meet. There are a lot of great gunmakers in Turkey, and Weatherby has obviously found one in ATA Weapons Industries, as the Orion I exhibits the kind of quality rarely found on a double gun with a street price that will likely fall under a thousand dollars.

The world has been awash in .22 Long Rifle rimfires for decades, but few have been built as solidly as the new CZ 455 Varmint Thumbhole Fluted bolt-action. This “little twenty-two” is hefty, a “real” rifle with real rifle feel and performance to match.

It’s natural to wonder where the new V3 Field Sport shotgun fits in Remington’s storied semi-automatic lineage. Officials at Big Green are quick to tell you it’s not a baby Versa Max, though it shares a lot of that gun’s technology.