Remington 870, which one?

870 Police is the one you want - about $100 more but way worth it, much heavier duty action. I have a 870P and 870 Express. Two completely different animals.
 
Ditto that. 870 Express is great for skeet, trap, and even bird hunting. But for home defense you will notice the differences.
 
The recommended 870 for Home Defense is the 870 Home Defense:D
Seriously I believe that it is still on the market. If not, it was just a vanilla 870 that sold for considerably less than the other models and had no functional differences. I had heard that the 870HD would not accept mag tube extensions, but they do not belong on a fighting gun anyway.

b
 
Forgot one REALLY important thing - make certain that whichever one you get has the short forend, otherwise just bandage your left little finget now.
 
Originally posted by kinzli
870 Police is the one you want - about $100 more but way worth it, much heavier duty action. I have a 870P and 870 Express. Two completely different animals.
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In what ways a heavier duty action. Is it the metals etc?

Also, save your $100, a standard 870 has proven it self to the extremes allready. No need for tougher.

Unless of course your idea of fun is hooting 1000 rounds of slugs every day.

Now if the actions have been worked, barrels ported or some other enhancement your hundred is welll spent.

Paul
 
Originally posted by W.S. DeWeese
I had heard that the 870HD would not accept mag tube extensions, but they do not belong on a fighting gun anyway.
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I had no problem putting a standard 870 magazine extender onto my 870HD. Mine came from Scattergun Technologies.

Personally, I want as many rounds as I can get in a home defense gun. As long as you use a quality extender I don't really see any downside to it.

--Bob Q
 
Originally posted by bquinlan
I had no problem putting a standard 870 magazine extender onto my 870HD. Mine came from Scattergun Technologies.

Personally, I want as many rounds as I can get in a home defense gun. As long as you use a quality extender I don't really see any downside to it.

--Bob Q
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Bob,
THe last couple of HDs I looked at had a little dimple in the end of the magazine tube that would keep rounds from passing, effectively limiting the mag to four rounds. An extension could be put on, but rounds could not feed into it. I think that it may be possible to drill it out, which would make extensions feasible. If you need extensions Scatterguns/Wilson's are probably as good as any out there. I have seen enough extensions fail that I would prefer not to have one on a fighting gun. Watching it happen on the range is a hoot with springs and shells flying everywhere, but I dont think it would be amusing in a gun fight (unless the spring shot the bad guy's eye out) I also find that they kludge up the weapon and I don't handle them as well as I do a nekkid gun. I train shooters to keep the tube topped off continuosly, and to transition to the handgun if the shotgun runs dry.

Where a short extension can really shine is to keep the tube short-loaded by one round while maintaining 4 rounds in the gun. The operator then has the ability to load a different type of round first up in the tube when needed.

I'm jealous. I have had scattergun rebuild a bunch of 870s to stock, but havent gotten a full-house model - yet.
 
Originally posted by W.S. DeWeese
THe last couple of HDs I looked at had a little dimple in the end of the magazine tube that would keep rounds from passing, effectively limiting the mag to four rounds.
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Okay, I have to make an embarrassing admission... You were right and I was wrong. Mine was like that too. It has been so long since I got it that I had completely forgotten. I had a gunsmith straighten out the dimple when I bought the gun.

Originally posted by W.S. DeWeese
I'm jealous. I have had scattergun rebuild a bunch of 870s to stock, but havent gotten a full-house model - yet.
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Mine isn't either. I looked at their full conversions, but couldn't afford one. Bit by bit I have added features to mine until it is now pretty similar to theirs and includes several of their accessories. They build nice, heavy-duty stuff.

--Bob Q
 
I recently purchased an 870 Express (Synthetic) with 18" barrel and factory installed 2 shot extension.

A sweet shotgun at a very nice price.
 
870 Express is a great, reliable shotgun. Easy to work on, simple to up-grade. My sons have been through the youth models, and one sits beside the bed. My wife has one too. Highly recommended, about 6,000,000 sold.
 
The 870 Express is a nice gun but, beginning with the old "special purpose" designation ones, I would have to lean toward the high end models. I had been told that these actions were more "fitted" and the result is less slop in the slide, no forearm rattle, and a better grade stock. The difference is similar to the wuality difference between the standard 870 in wood and the 870 wingmaster. It is the same action but cleaned up with upgrades. I still carry an 870 special purpose black hunting and would highly recommend the 870 police if you can afford the difference. If nothing else, I would pay the difference to have the better stock and tighter forearm fit . . . MUCH less rattle in the slide on the police on the models I have tried.
 
Is it better to get two seperate shotguns, one for sport (skeet/clay) and one for home defense?

How are the internals different for each? I guess what I am trying to ask, is it only the barrel length that's different? Would a sporting (again, not hunting, but clay) shotgun have any internal differences versus a short barreled tactical home defense shotgun?

Would a 870 for home defense equipped with a longer barrel be competitive for sporting?
 
Originally posted by sygyzy
Is it better to get two seperate shotguns, one for sport (skeet/clay) and one for home defense?

How are the internals different for each? I guess what I am trying to ask, is it only the barrel length that's different? Would a sporting (again, not hunting, but clay) shotgun have any internal differences versus a short barreled tactical home defense shotgun?

Would a 870 for home defense equipped with a longer barrel be competitive for sporting?
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Sir,

The mechanicals are going to be identical. I claim no expertise at clays but typically skeet guns at least seem to have relatively short barrels anyway, at least compared to trap guns. I would bet that the main difference would be in choke and sights. I am guessing that sporting clays demands an open choke gun whereas a buckshot or slug gun is typically cylinder bore or the like. Bead sights would work for either.

Short barrel shotguns have broken plenty of clay birds and protected the hearth. You are going to be more "competitive" defending your home with the experience you get on the clays course.

I have shot clays with a fighting shotgun and got hits, along with funny looks, but I would have gotten those irregardless, the looks that is. I doubt I would have done much better with a dedicated clays gun, given my low skill level.
 
Originally posted by sygyzy
Is it better to get two seperate shotguns, one for sport (skeet/clay) and one for home defense?
Click to expand...

The only differences are going to be the choke and possibly the barrel length. There are various systems that will allow you to change out the chokes. On the 870, at least, you can swap barrels in about a minute. A lot of folks keep one 18" open choke barrel for defense and another 24" or 26" with a full choke for hunting. Remington sells extra barrels for just that kind of thing.

--Bob Q
 
A choke fits in the end of the barrel and changes the pattern of the shot. An open choke produces the broadest pattern. A full choke produces a narrower pattern, which is therefore effective at greater ranges. Modified chokes fall somewhere in between. There are also chokes that change the shape of the pattern as well as its rate of spread.

--Bob Q
 
Are there as many types of chokes for each type of barrel? Or are some limited to certain lengths?
 
I think all the interchangable chokes fit. Wingmaster has a little better fit and finish and a little better wood and checkering for 2+ X the price. Performance is the same. You will get a good one out of the box, or you can go to walmart and ask to see several NIB and get pick of the litter. The trend for the big boys is to go to longer barrels, but they have custom fitted elite guns that swing on rails like a feather. In general, sporting clays use shorter barrels, ducks need longer barrels, and country boys get 28 inchers.
 
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