By: Friedrich Seiltgen
Copyright © 2022
You read that right, “Firearm.” The Armscor VRF14 is not a pistol, rifle, or shotgun; it’s a Firearm! Armscor is the newest contributor to the firearm line. Other firearms include the Remington TAC-14 and the Mossberg Shockwave. This gun class fits into the regulations niche that allowed for the manufacture of a smoothbore firearm that isn’t a short-barreled shotgun (SBS). The VRF14 has a lot of physical similarities to the AR platform, but nothing from the AR is interchangeable with the VRF14.
ARMSCOR
Armscor traces its roots back to the Squires Bingham & Co., founded in 1905. The shop imported and sold motorcycles and various sporting goods, which included some firearms and ammunition. The company was bought by the Tuason family in 1941, and in 1952 they began making firearms through the present corporation. In 1980, Squires Bingham became Arms Corporation of the Philippines. Armscor manufactured its own line of firearms and in 1985 acquired Rock Island Armory with its line of 1911 series pistols.
The company is headquartered in Marikina, Philippines as a United States subsidiary of Armscor International, Inc. Armscor International was founded in 1985 in Pahrump, Nevada, and in 2011, manufacturing began in Stevensville, Montana as well as Nevada.
THE RECIEVER
The receiver is aluminum with the 14-inch barrel, shrouded by a polymer handguard. The handguard has a picatinny rail on top that meets with a portion of rail that is part of the receiver, as well as a rail on the bottom. There’s a sling adapter on the rear of the receiver, and the VRF14 comes equipped with flip up sights, which will co-witness with optics if you choose to add them.
THE RECOIL & GAS SYSTEM
The VRF14 has a unique recoil system, which Armscor calls the “Bufferbolt System.” As the bolt travels to the rear, the buffer assembly slows it down somewhat. The gas system for the VRF14 sits where a magazine tube would sit on a standard shotgun. The VRF14 ships with 2 different gas pistons for different power loads and a second, lighter, recoil spring.
SPECIFICATIONS
Action: Gas Operated, Semi-Automatic
Caliber: 12 Gauge, 3 Inch Chamber
Magazine capacity: 5, 9, or 19 Rounds
Sights: Front & Rear Flip up
Barrel Length: 14 Inches
Overall Length: 26 Inches
Weight: 6.6 Pounds
MSRP: $599
URL: www.armscor.com
THE VERDICT
The VRF14 is a unique, well-designed firearm. It’s compatible with magazines from other Armscor products, so you have the option of 5, 9, and 19 rounds of 12 gauge firepower available. Check one out and see if it’s the right option for your needs.
That’s all for now folks! Please keep sending in your questions, tips, and article ideas. And as always – “Let’s Be Careful Out There”
Friedrich Seiltgen is a retired Master Police Officer with 20 years of service with the Orlando Police Department. He conducts training in Lone Wolf Terrorism, Firearms, and Active Shooter Response. His writing has appeared in RECOIL, The Counter Terrorist Magazine, American Thinker, Homeland Security Today, and The Journal of Counterterrorism & Homeland Security International. Contact him at [email protected]