ROCK ISLAND ARMORY's VR80 😎 12 Gauge Assault Shotgun & ProMag MKA 1919 20 Rounds + How to DIY Mods 😁 

9 times out of 10, the FTE was the result of you shooting low brass, light load birdshot. In most gas operated shotguns, you need a significant powder charge to cycle the round.

FYI the "stuck case" problem is actually due to the fact that the hammer locks forward with the safety on, so when there is a failure to eject and you turn the safety on before attempting to clear it, which is what most people tend to do, the action cannot be opened. I thought I had a stuck case too for longer than I care to admit, but eventually figured out you have to leave the safety on fire with a spent shell in the chamber in order to eject it. I'm not sure he even realized that being he never mentioned it.

It takes over 30 days to soften the buffer spring, which is the issue. Pull the charging handle to the rear and let it sit. We all learn.

I bought a VR80 about 2 months ago. Right out of the box I put about 50 rounds of mixed 2 3/4 birdshot, bbb, 00 buck and slugs. Not one hiccup! Next day I shot about 40 more rounds and had one stovepipe due to a deformed shell. About 40 rounds later it started to jam but was extremely dirty. After a thorough cleaning, it is running perfect. All my rounds were between 1300 to 1600fps. I love this shotgun. Im getting the drum and hope it works.

When I was breaking in my VR80 I was using Remington gun club, ran about 250 rounds a a few failure to feed. Then I purchased Winchester AA and I had a lot of failure to feed, also purchased a brand I cannot remember the name but hulls were black in color they wouldn’t feed at all, so I watched a video on improving the VR 80. The video mentioned opening up the gas ports to 116 thousand I broke the very first bit so I purchased two bits smaller, I removed metal from all three ports, so all three were under sized, know it will run everything I buy, high brass low brass, also I just installed the Alftmann trigger for the VR 80 went from a 10 pound trigger press to 3.5 to 4.0 a huge difference, buy the trigger Gentleman.

It runs great with high brass shells. I switched to high brass after the first 3 shells and didn't have any issues with it. After a few hundred rounds through it I might try the low brass with the light load insert again.

I took mine out of the box and oiled it until it was literally dripping. I then fired nothing but hi power buckshot, slugs and 1300FPS birdshot for 200 rounds. While doing that I kept it dripping with oil between magazines. I have done no other modifications to the weapon. Runs light game loads now without a problem. When I say alot of oil I mean alot of oil. If you don't get a face full of oil while shooting you are just not using enough. I blame a certain drill sergeant that must of had stock in CLP because of the amount he would spray on our weapons during Basic Training.

I bought one about a month ago. Took it to the range last Saturday ran high velocity brass through it without a single malfunction. I was shooting Remington Express XLR at 1450 FPS. I was very impressed by how it performed. I’ve been reading that any ammo lower than 1300 FPS will cause issues. I shot 100 rounds and had no issues.

After the first 20 rounds I switched to high brass and didn’t have any issue.

mine ran straight out of the box (after a detail strip and greasing) with 3 3/4 dram 00 buck without any mishaps but won't cycle birdshot at all

Bought the Rock iland VRBP-100 Polished the inside of buffer and the rod it rides on, shot 300 rounds threw it, I can cycle 10 rounds in less than 2 secs, love this thing, magnum loads,target loads, it doesn't matter it eats everything, and cycles so fast you cant even count them, if I only could belt feed this thing lol, Well worth $515 bucks

Nice video bro. I was having similar problems with my lynx 12. Didn't do any mods to it just ran a bunch of shells thru it. Finally came to the conclusion that the 10 rd sds mags suck. Doesnt like ammo lower than 1250fps. And runs way better when i take off the dust cover

Mine has shot flawlessly. I only shoot high brass, high velocity and cleaned the gun before first use. Another tip is don't let high round mags sit in the hot sun. Softens the shots and will take them out of round with the spring pressure.

On mine, before I used it, I polished all of the contact points on the internals and lubed it up normally. I tried it out with cheap, bulk birdshot to start off with. My drum mag was in first and I had ftf every other damn round. I was bummed. Then I tried out my stick mags. To my surprise, I emptied them all with zero malfunctions. I loaded them all up again with the same results. My drum needed breaking in and it runs fine now. Rarely do I have ftf’s and if I do, It’s with the drum.

I bought mine brand new out the box and only shot 10 rounds but didn’t didn’t have any issues shot great

Rock Island says to run high brass heavy loads for 300 hundred rounds for the break in period. The videos that I've seen in which they ran those 300 rounds or so, the shotgun seemed to perform flawlessly. I want my stuff to be able to run the cheap stuff too but for the break in period some firearms really need what the manufacturer suggests. Not sure if you mentioned changing the piston for the heavy or light loads. The VR80 comes with 2, one for the light loads and one for the heavy loads. Of course whenever you run a large aftermarket magazine in an autoloader shotgun that hasn't been broken in your usually going to get some headaches. Great, honest video, y'all got a really nice range going on out there. Good stuff, liked and subbed.

I love this video! Awesome job!

Thank you for putting up content such as this. You do a great job and I look forward to watching more from you. God bless and stay safe🙏👍👊🇺🇸

Kinda weird how they pretty much all do this till you just keep running them, then clean and relube..mine took awhile but it’s running now.

excellent box unveiling very descriptive and straightforward

Do you have a video of just the breakdown and cleaning the VR80? Helps those of us who are fairly new to the shotgun family. Either way, Thanks for the video. Great Job.

8:38 thanks for the info. I just bought mine and take possession in 1 week. I can't wait 🙏🙏

Nice Video.....Makes me want to take mine out everytime I watch this!!!!

Great video im waiting for my backround to clear then im picking mine up. got it in tungsten.

I have a VR82 in 20ga. I put a Magpul Fixed Carbine Buttstock, Tapco SAW pistol grip, Sightmark holo sight and Tapco sling on it. Love it!

Glad I watched this think ima go with another shot gun . Thanks for the review brother

Wow, GREAT video production quality! That takes a lot of time. Subscribed.

I think that's crazy. I just bought mine 2 weeks ago... it fired everything I put in it perfectly. Cleaned it lubed it light round ring and after 100 rounds I didn't have one issue even with old 1150fps Peter's shells I found at a yard sale years ago. For those interested this VR80 is a best and works flawlessly for me .... worth every penny in my book

What kind of sling you have installed on it? Do you have a link where I can buy the sling? Also, can you move the sling mounts to the other side?

All I did was break it down and clean it. Left the bolt locked back in my safe for 3 weeks while manually cycling it everyday 50 reps and haven’t had a single malfunction yet. No need in doing all the other stuff with my experience. Thing is freakin awesome

Sounds good 🔥🔥🔥

I just got one of these, I put 70 slugs through it, then shot aboot 50 1300 FPS bird loads. Didn’t have any problems with feeding. I cleaned the gun real well out of the box and oiled it. I locked the bolt back for a week also. Gun runs great with my 5 round and 9 round mags

Thanks,I thought after that gun was turned up it was a good weapon. Personally I like it. Good job on the tune up and demonstrating of the weapon 👍

I tried to clean the 20 rnd mag. And when it came apart the spring went crazy. Anyone have a video of how to put it back together? Thanks. And i"ll never take it apart again I promise...

I did not have any issues with mine right out the box but it does cycle the high brass shells way better

im about to get this such a beautiful weapon

Great video Billy

Your northern neighbors would call this a Derya MK-12. We don't have the same shotgun import rules and get this without the fixed stock/grip otherwise must be the same gun. Derya is a Turkish manufacturer, not sure about who brands this version but seems identical. Wish we could have more than the 5+1 in the tool we are legally allowed here in the North. Glad you guys get to enjoy this as well!! Btw mine has a light/heavy load gas release to help with issues with cycling. If you don't have this go with a heavy load to break in as it needs it seemingly to work correctly.

I must’ve gotten lucky-ran 3 boxes of 1145 fps #8 out of the box the day I bought it with just one stovepipe. Though it seems to get mad when I change ammo on it and will have 2-3 fte’s within the first 50 rounds of a new ammo type, then cycle fine after. 9 rd mags are the best!

I'm still breaking my in, put some 3" slugs just to see how well it can work and LOVed it.

Never had one issue with mine out the box fired 150 rounds and never failed to feed and the locking of the bolt on safety is a good safety feature

I have one, I ran a case of 3in magnum through it to break it in and it ran fine on light loads after that.

They have extended the hand guard, removed the barrel shroud, added a flash muzzle to the barrel on the latest version and maybe some other small changes?

If you reload, a good break in load is 36 grains of blue dot with 1 1/4 oz shot. I was using #8 shot. The gun cycled every time.

That fireball would be disastrous out here in the desert. The dry brush would spread that fire faster than you could put it out.

I haven't shot my vr 80 as much as many people in this comment section, but to that I gotta say this: buckshot shells work well, high brass and low brass. But birdshot in the magazine tends to jam up the shotgun. I ussually single load the birdshot shells but mag feed the buckshots.

I just got the chance to shoot my VR80. I tried out the same 20 round drum first. Loaded with all high brass buck and slugs. I had 6 or 7 stove pipes with the drum. I switched to my 19, 9, and 5 round stick mags all loaded with Walmart bulk birdshot. I was expecting the same thing, but to my surprise, I emptied 2-19 round mags, 2-9 round mags and 2-5 round mags with zero failures. So I guess my drum needs to be broken in, because the gun runs perfect with the stick mags and birdshot. I was freaking thrilled. I did strip the gun when I first got it, and de-greased it, and didn’t a light polish on the bearing surfaces. I swapped out the factory monstrosity of a butt stock/pistol grip for a Magpul UBR, (which required a little dremel work on the end plate) and a FAB defense Gradus, reduced angle pistol grip. I really like both products, but I can’t say enough good about the Gradus pistol grip. I haven’t been a big fan of anything Fab defense has put out in the past. It all seems like super stylized mall ninja stuff that just had a look and feel that didn’t do it for me. It looks like they’re changing some things up and offering some products that I like the look of and in the. Saw of the Gradus the feel and function as well. It’s got grippy over molded rubber, which I’m not always keen on, but works for me on this application. It’s kind of funny looking at first, sporting a pronounced swell in the middle rear, and it’s bear vertical at just a 15 degree angle. Which is all the rage for AR and precision rifles and I have to say I am a fan of. Everything about the grip seems to be perfect for this shotgun. I want to try one out on an AR. I’m sure I’ll like it. I stuck one on my braced, 10/22 takedown, Charger pistol and love it. I feel like I could be effective one handed with this grip on it. I probably couldn’t, not for more than a couple shots anyway, but it inspires confidence and just feels good. Anyway,back to the VR80. Damn I really love that shotgun, and the fact that it shoots birdshot flawlessly like it did makes me a happy shooter. I had a VEPR that I polished the crap out of and did everything I could slick that thing up and I never could get it to run bulk birdshot consistently reliable. I wish I still had it though.

Thank you for the video, glad someone decided to run cheaper shot through it. all the other videos I have watched have been slugs and high brass and it functioned perfectly in those scenarios, I always like to know a weapons limitations before I purchase one. Did you have any issues with the high brass loads BEFORE you did the modifications?

And the object you said was to keep action from moving is actually a mag plug. So that you can use it for migratory bird in US. Making the mag only hold 2 rounds. YW

Also thank you for the honest review

I have a vr80 and first shoot jammed all the time a you tuber showed factory mags need to be filed on th ears on top once don never had trouble again also bought the Sam drum but made sure it didn’t have the same problem. Love it now we own 2 boss 25 also

Yea, mine was full of problems at first! I started thinking I bought a junker but she’s sweet as could be now lol

Did you have issue during breaking it in with shrap mental and oil blowing on you hand and arm from beneath the hand guard lol . Cause after a few hundred rounds mine def was lol

...Type 3 bottom is the minimum standard to use: from 28 to 30 g for dozens of shots without problems: with 35 g the gas recovery holes are clogged after 40/50 shots. THIS is the “DERYA GOSPEL” by learning it using my Derya IPSC😉👍💪

Tough guns to break in but once it’s broke in it’s good to go

Q 1: I just purchased the Mk1919 20rd drum mag. for my VR80. I was reading on another RU-vid post that the drum needed a mod to be used in the VR80. Did you have to make any mods or file downs?

Hope to c a video on how u, troubleshoot dus issues i saw in ur video..nice video anyway 👍

Where do I get one. Can't find it anywhere. Or any semiautomatic mag

Just got one gonna shoot 2 3/4 1oz slug do i use the light or heavy piston

After the initial break in period using high brass, I still had problems with it cycling anything less than 1300 fps. Would hiccup on 1250 fps and would not run on anything less at all. Figured out as long as I use 1 1/8 oz it will run anything. I use 1145 fps 1 1/8 oz all the time now and no problems.

Is the drum more reliable or the clip? I don't want it if it jams. I only say that because I was looking at the uzi submachines with drums which in theory sounded really cool but it was not so good.

I bought one a year ago and it functioned perfectly right out of the box. Buck, bird, or slug it shot everything I put in it with zero hiccups! And that was from round 1 with NO breakin. So maybe RIA did some fine tuning? Or I just got really lucky? I don't know, anyway for mods I removed the thumbhole stock and went with MAGPUL CTR stock and MOE-K2+ grip. I also switched to the long hand guard with M-LOC on all 4 sides from Advanced Tactical (I didn't like how the factory hand guard had no PIC rail or slots on the bottom) this allowed me to put a short piece of MAGPUL pic rail on the bottom in case I wanted to attach a bipod, and also added the MAGPUL angled foregrip. On top I have a Vortex Strikefire red dot with a Vortex 3X magnifier. Out front I have a STREAMLIGHT ProTac Rail Mount HL-X Laser mounted on the left side because I am a mutant, with the pressure switch on top. I'm really digging it now that I have it setup the way I want it. It's pretty BADASS!!! FYI if anyone wants a drum I bought an actual Turkish made 20 rnd drum from Classic Firearms for much cheaper than a Promag!!!

Just to clarify... After watching other reviews the gas ports seem To be between .105-.112 new (one hunder and five thousandths to one hundred and twelve thousandths) and you first drilled yours to .112 (one hundred and twelve thousandths). Not .1200... And after you drilled it to .116 (one hundred and sixteen thousandths). Not .1600.... Not being rude Im a CNC machinist and just want to clarify because .1600 (one hundred and sixty thousands) is drilling your gas ports about 1/3 bigger than they came. If I understood correctly. Thanks for the review looking at picking one of these up soon!

Can I run that same mag in my vrpa40 pump action?

Nice video would love to see more semi auto shotguns I subscribed

Being it's an AR platform, could you drop in a binary trigger?

Just got this drum. I can't even load more than 13 shells before it just gets stuck and won't take anymore. Any ideas what to do? Thanks

So which one do you feel is most reliable, the Panzar Gen 3 AR 12 or the Rock Island VR80 12?

Gotta get one

That large tab you are talking about, holds the bolt open on last round. And when you have a failure to eject. Try racking the bolt before you put the safety on. You are locking the bolt. Just saying. Thanks for the video. 🙏🕊🇺🇸🦅🐘

Great review, best I have seen. Changed my mind about purchasing one, I want something more reliable.

Great video, and thanks for the upload. I was wondering why you needed to drill out the holes in the gas ports? It is my understanding from other review of this gun ( THANKS Sootch00) that there are different gas ports available for different kinds of loads. Did you swap out the light load gas port for the heavy one and try running different types of ammo? Nearly every review of these box fed guns seems to have the same failures with light loads unless they are set up specifically for the light stuff. I JUST bought one of these and have yet to even get ONE round through it, but I THINK if it feeds and runs heavy loads with the heavy gas port in it, that is the way I will leave it. After all this is more of a home defense set up for me. Just curious on those mods, seems way to much to get the gun to run right, but I am not an expert by any means. THANKS again you got a new subscriber out of me. Looking forward to more.

Does this use a standard AR trigger group?

Did you have to do any modifications to that promag 20 rd. drum in order to get it to work in that vr80?

Love the details, TJ. Did u switch to a hotter loads in the beginnning or gradually?

I've got an extreme version of those problems plus more. I'm probably around the 250-300 shell count through it, but today was just awful at the range, had 50 shells and it only fed the last few without a screw up. Been shit and cleaned thoroughly after each time out, light primer strikes also, ive cleaned it but can't figure out how to take the firing pin out, and did get that better but still cycling is an issue, Winchester aa superhandicap was the best but still issues

I was getting ready to buy one, but certainly won't now, as I think all of the problems that come with the gun 'right out of the box" make it something I don't need. They also make a pump gun, so maybe that will be a little more reliable with out all the work to get the thing to function. Thanks for a great video!

Where do i find this drum mag? Cant seem to find one!

Does this magazine work with 2 3/4 load?

How did you get the drum to fit?

Yep, you gotta shoot a lot of heavier loads to break in this shotgun........Sounds like fun to me.

Between this vr80 and the panzer ar12, which is the better semiautomatic??

Where did you get the sling?

What sling are you running w/ the VR80?

What's the break in time look like? Looking to get one here soon. Thanks!

Could have saved you a ton of ammo. Lock the bolt back for about two weeks out of the box. You will have next to zero problems. I think I stove piped once after I did that. Their forums are full of post saying the same thing. Cuts down on break in by locking the bolt back and just letting it sit for a while. Mine sat for three weeks then shot like a champ except one shot. Have put about 500ish rounds through her and LOVE IT. Up next the VR82 ;)

Nice video, I was wondering if the trigger group the same as a standard AR-15 🤔? I would love to put a Binary or Forced reset trigger on one.

Would someone post a video with this gun with a Silencerco Salvo 12!!

Iv had mine for about 2 months and iv never ordered anything from pelican I just want to know if it’s Secure

no noticeable deformations... What about the dent at 5:47? is that out of the box or something you made getting it out?

That link to the 20 round magazine doesn't work. Can't get it to pull up the site on Google, too.

Had my VR80 for a year and didn’t no you can change the charging handle to the other side

Get a small tube of graphite powder from the parts house pour it in your drum will improve cycling.

Does anybody know what type of sling that is!? Would like to buy one like it.

I purchased this shotgun and I noticed it only cycles if it has 1300 FPS high velocity shells it won’t jam

Love my vr80 would like to change the butt stock and hand grip tho

When you get the VR80 lock the bolt back and store locked for 30 days it will loosen the spring up and it will fire fine

I have one of these and have had zero problems with it. Your adjustment and mods to it aren’t needed to make it run if you’re using quality ammo rated at 1250fps or greater.

How much was yours? I tried to buy one pre corona for 650 but all where out of stock. Now they are either 800+ or out of stock cause people panic buying. So I'll have to wait a few months

The link for the 20 Round Drum Mag is broke