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Remington 870 Mod's

2846 Views 15 Replies 1 Participant Last post by  ShotgunPro, 
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Did some trading and acquired a Remington 870 Wingmaster with 28" barrel with bead sight. Got lucky and found a buddy with an un-fired 18.5" barrel with bead that he traded me for my 28" barrel. So, now you're probably guessing I'm going HD, and you would be correct. At present, I'm looking at a quick, inexpensive conversion. I can either add more later or just find a dedicated weapon.

I'm guessing I don't want a magazine extension that extends past my 18.5" barrel . . . Seems like that won't look right. Magazine, unplugged, holds 4 rounds . . . how big an extension can I add with an 18.5" barrel?

I'd really like some type of pistol grip stock . . . that may be an on-down-the-road item.

A light is a necessity. I have a SureFire XP6 that I've converted to LED, with a wired/pressure switch tail cap. I'm looking for an inexpensive way to mount it. I suppose a Barrel Magazine Clamp would be workable if I had a magazine extension?


Other than that, there is the Weaver No Gunsmith Shotgun Mount type with Picatinny rail, that replaces the trigger group pins. Then I'll need to add some 1" rings for the flashlight. Any problems with the light over the receiver? I can imagine an area of shadow under the barrel. Maybe glare off the top?

Would mounting one of these prevent me from also mounting something like a side saddle ammo carrier?

A couple other little things to add in the near future are to replace magazine cap with swivel type and add a high vis magazine follower.

I know you can throw a lot of money into doing this and I'm not just going to go stupid with it. Looking more toward 'practical'. <grin>

Cheers!

John
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You can do a +2 extension with an 18" barrel without sticking out past the end of the barrel.

Look at a Nordic or Mesa Tactical barrel clamp. They cost more, but they offer a small rail that works well for mounting your light out front and to the side.

Side saddles are a personal thing. I like them on HD shotguns, but I'm finding that I don't much care for them on "fighting" shotguns. Get a cheap TacStar one to try out. If you like it, good. If not, you're only out $20.
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Hooz said:
You can do a +2 extension with an 18" . . .

Look at a Nordic or Mesa Tactical barrel clamp. . . .

Side saddles are a personal thing. I like them on HD shotguns, but I'm finding that I don't much care for them on "fighting" shotguns. . . .
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Thanks for the reply Hooz. I was watching History channel last night. Right after the sniper segment they had one on guys doing 'exhibition shooting'. First guy shot Benelli's and had an extension that went past his long barrel (he's shooting 100's of rounds per show); didn't like that look. <grin>

Looks like Mesa might have exactly what I need to hang my SureFire.

So, thinking that something like 7 rounds may be adequate for basic HD . . . what's an alternative for a 'fighting' shotgun? Just as a little something to tuck away . . .

Cheers!

John
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For an HD shotgun, you pretty much get what's on the gun when you pick it up (shells, light, etc). So, a side saddle makes sense. Balance and weight isn't as crucial because you probably won't be lugging the gun around for a long time. That also means that a sling could be a liability (swinging around and getting caught on stuff in your house), and rifle or ghost ring sights are overkill.

I've been watching Gabe Suarez's "Shotgun Gunfighting" DVD lately (on my third time through), and it's got me looking at "HD shotgun" and "fighting shotgun" as two completely different weapons.

On a fighting shotgun a sling is a must. But the weight and balance of the gun are critical, so the side saddle might become a liability. Chances are, if you're bugging out you'll grab a bandolier or pouch full of shotgun shells (if your shotgun is your bug-out weapon of choice), so the side saddle makes less sense.

Gabe has also got me looking hard at ghost rings sights (I'm a BIG fan of the simple bead sight).

If you only have one shotgun you can find a good balance of both HD and fighting gun. But, if you can, having two shotguns setup for distinctly different roles makes sense... Or at least it does to me.
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I'm not familiar with Gabe Suarez, hmmm. So, what are the major differences between an HD and fighting shotgun? Sling. Sights. Ammo carry. Looking at W&B for longer range shooting? Slugs?

Looks like it will be really easy to put a lot of money into one shotgun, much less two. I imagine I'll be trying for a good balance and this will be a work in progress.

Cheers!

John
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not an 870 but they are related

H&R Pardner Protector 18.5" barrel I have a scatter gun technology +1 extension +2 went past barrel(not pictured) now it hold 6+1
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Here's another question . . . assuming a right handed shooter. Left handed or right handed shell storage.

Do you take your finger away from the trigger area to reload with shells on the right, or your left hand away with shells from the left. Shells in a side saddle on the left; shells on the the left or right side of the stock? I've gotta get out and shoot my new 'zombie slayer' wanna-be soon.

AKSpraya, are you right or left handed? Hooz, does Saurez talk about this?

Cheers!

John
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If you're right handed, the shells should be on the left side of the gun. Since you'll almost always be holding the gun with your right hand and loading with your left, you don't want to reach in front of your face (with your left hand) to get the extra shells (if they were on the right side).

Make sense?
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Slings on a HD shotgun? The only thing that's going to do is get caught on a door knob or anything else you DON'T want it too. KISS is always best in HD weapons.
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laserrs said:
Slings on a HD shotgun? The only thing that's going to do is get caught on a door knob or anything else you DON'T want it too. KISS is always best in HD weapons.
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I have slings on all my long guns. Different strokes.
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For what, packing them through the woods? Are you on patrol at your house? In any HD situation, my weapon will be pointing down range.
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This guy is a member at shotgunworld.com. I've heard great things about his products.

CDM Gear Home Page for Tactical Shotgun Accessories
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laserrs said:
For what, packing them through the woods? Are you on patrol at your house? In any HD situation, my weapon will be pointing down range.
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Like I said. Different strokes. Lets leave it at that, shall we?
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laserrs said:
In any HD situation, my weapon will be pointing down range.
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You hope. Truth is, you don't know what will happen in any situation. You only hope it goes down as you hope it will.
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The barrel clamp will work with a 1" flashlight. I did that for a while on my 870.

I see the argument for the shell carrier on the opposite side from your trigger finger, but I put mine on the same side. I can reload faster with my dominant hand and still keep the gun up on my shoulder while holding the fore grip with my left.
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with a light mount, you dont want something too bulky, or mounted out too far from the weapon. I like the idea of keeping it far out front, reachable with the forward hand. Mesa Tactical makes a nice little barrel clamp (you need one anyway) with a rail that sits between the barrel and mag tube. You can use this for a flashlight, laser, sling swivel, whatever you want.

Here's what my 870 has and wants:

Have:
-6 shot side saddle, mounted on left side, shells in brass on bottom. I can twist it clockwise, pulls shells from bottom, and load directly in to mag tube.
-2 shot extension (factory on Tac Exp)
-ghost ring sights with pic. rail (factory on tac exp)
-micro dot 4moa. Still have yet to sight it in and see how I like it, but it's very small and light weight with a wide field of view.

Want:
-extended safety
-stainless follower
-mesa barrel clamp w/ light mount and LED light
-sling point sling mount and sling.
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