Need advice on buying my first Remington 870

[Guest RedFive]

I'm going to buy a Remington 870 in the next couple of weeks. I'd love to get a Marine Magnum or a Tactical A-TACS camo, but they're just too steep for now. I'm pretty much down to a) the Express 18" with the 2-shell extension, or the Express Tactical.

It's for home defense, and I don't really think the extra gizmos on the Tactical are something I would need--all I really think I'll need on a shotgun is a light on the front.

If it would make a difference I would like to be able to swap out the choke, though, and if there's enough of a quality difference I would be willing to step up to the Tactical. Can anyone offer me any advice about one versus the other?

And my last question: I want my wife to be able to use it too if needed and she's 5'3" and pretty light; should I be looking at something like a 20 gauge instead of a 12 gauge?

[leroy]

Red:______________

My two cents worth:

....If it would make a difference I would like to be able to swap out the choke, though, and if there's enough of a quality difference I would be willing to step up to the Tactical. Can anyone offer me any advice about one versus the other?

I dont think so. A shotgun at close range (...less than 20 yards...) doesnt do too much spreading (...about 1" per yard of distance to target...), no matter what the choke. --- Leroy

And my last question: I want my wife to be able to use it too if needed and she's 5'3" and pretty light; should I be looking at something like a 20 gauge instead of a 12 gauge?

I would take a look at a 20 gage "youth model". Shorter length of pull on stock, a bit less recoil, still lots of shot. I like them. She will be better able to shoot it and you wont be able to tell much difference either.--- Leroy

I really like the remington 870, the mossberg 500, and the browning bps. They are all great shotguns, no matter the model. Look around at all of them. Pick the best deal. Dont be afraid to buy a "lightly used" one either. By the way, load it with #4 buck or larger. I load 2 rounds of #4 buck and the rest with 00 buck.

Hope this helps.

Kind regards,

Leroy (...with a Winchester model 12 riot pump (...lightly used, lovingly cared for...) in the corner and a 12 gage browning bps (22 inch barrel...) next to the bed...)

Edited August 20, 2010 by leroy
Spelling!!

[Guest DanE479]

Get a good old 870 Express, and throw a Speedfeed short stock on it (wether or not you pistol grip it is up to you; I use a pistol gripped short stock), and your wife will be able to handle it just fine. I would avoid chokes in an SD gun, in case you ever want to throw rifled slugs through it. Get yourself a basic model, throw a Choate +2 tube on, and have a fun time.

[Desert Rat]

Having a couple with different configurations. Order the low recoil buck shot or they occasionally have 2 inch shells. Stick with the 12 as there are more options and a greater variety of ammo/ options for either the 500,590, or 870. I agree with getting a slightly used and using the saved money to get a Knoxx Tactical stock with adjustable LOP and reduced recoil. If you get a rail fore end then you can have a light laser combo on it for night use. The Mariner or marine finish is for salt water enviorments and would be more durable here but you can later have a coating (paint) put on it as some of those finishes are for extreme use such as in the field. With either the 18.5 500 or 870 you can easily get another longer barrel for birding or hunting. The 590 comes with the extended mag and a 20 inch barrel.

The other thing is to buy lots of bird shot / target shells and practice a whole bunch.

Of course for home defense a double barrel would be enough but I would still suggest a tactical 12 configuration or aftermarket upgrades to a used weapon.

[Trekbike]

And my last question: I want my wife to be able to use it too if needed and she's 5'3" and pretty light; should I be looking at something like a 20 gauge instead of a 12 gauge?

I think she will be fine with the 12 gauge but YMMV. My wife is about the same size and handles one just fine.

[RWF]

Having a couple with different configurations. Order the low recoil buck shot or they occasionally have 2 inch shells. Stick with the 12 as there are more options and a greater variety of ammo/ options for either the 500,590, or 870. I agree with getting a slightly used and using the saved money to get a Knoxx Tactical stock with adjustable LOP and reduced recoil. If you get a rail fore end then you can have a light laser combo on it for night use. The Mariner or marine finish is for salt water enviorments and would be more durable here but you can later have a coating (paint) put on it as some of those finishes are for extreme use such as in the field. With either the 18.5 500 or 870 you can easily get another longer barrel for birding or hunting. The 590 comes with the extended mag and a 20 inch barrel.

The other thing is to buy lots of bird shot / target shells and practice a whole bunch.

Of course for home defense a double barrel would be enough but I would still suggest a tactical 12 configuration or aftermarket upgrades to a used weapon.

we had a couple of the knoxx stocks and we hated them. none of us could get the check weld right and keep getting brused checks. but i do see lots of the around.

[Desert Rat]

I use the hip shoot method for home defense and train with a laser +light. It keeps the weapon closer to the body and harder to take away from you.

[Guest RedFive]

Wow, lots of good advice, thanks!

[dlm37015]

house hold pawn had a couple of 870s yesterday for under 175.00

[Desert Rat]

Pick up any basic weapon, add the desired length barrel, then pick up a aftermarket stock, Consider a railed foregrip. Basically design your own. It would help if you could test other configurations that people have already put together for their use.

[Mike]

My advice would be to pick up a nice used one. It is one of the few weapons I've seen that can literally be drug behind a vehicle with little to no adverse affects on it's function. You just can't hardly bust them.

Keep it simple. Aftermarket accessories rarely add to the function of a shotgun.

Mike

[Mike]

I use the hip shoot method for home defense and train with a laser +light. It keeps the weapon closer to the body and harder to take away from you.

No.

Shoulder fired weapons are most effective when fired... From the shoulder. A load of 00 buck or a slug will keep some one from taking it away from you much better than poorly aimed hip shooting.

Mike

[Guest DanE479]

No.

Shoulder fired weapons are most effective when fired... From the shoulder. A load of 00 buck or a slug will keep some one from taking it away from you much better than poorly aimed hip shooting.

Mike

+1

I call complete and total BULL on retention being better from the hip. If you are worried about someone taking it away from you, use the shotgun as a club. It's easier to butt strike someone in the face from a shoulder fire position. THere's a reason that there are sights on a weapon; use them. I am not aware of any reputable training organizition that trains to fire from the hip. Police departments do not train that way. There's a reaon for that. If you train with the light and laser, what happens when your laser goes out? Spray and pray? A laser is not something to be depended upon. It's an additional tool, but DO NOT rely on them. Recoil management is non-exsistant when fired from the hip, therefore follow up shots are slower. Firing from the hip is a movie stunt meant to look cool.

I also do NOT like the Knoxx stocks. Cheek weld is non-optimal, and results in cool looking bruises on your cheek.

I find that Railed forends chew my hand up. The Best forend I have ever used (and I have used them all) is the good old SpeedFeed short police forend. Don't get a forend with a strap to put your hand through, because it makes it harder to get your hand away when you need to reload.

Buy a used 870 if the barrel looks OK. If the barrel looks in bad shape, buy a new 870.

[Desert Rat]

I guess that makes your combined total experience with a shotgun about what? I know you both have been shooting shotguns since you were knee high to a Grassshopper and have put thousands of rounds through them in all configurations. I will leave it to your superior knowledge of the use of a shorgun as I only have a bit of history using them since the early 70s or late 60s so lack your worldly experience of 6 to 12 years or a combined of maybe 20 if you are lucky!

I was probably practicing with a shotgun before your parents were born!

[Mike]

Take it easy.

[Desert Rat]

Two years ago I taught my second youngest granddaughter to point shoot a 12 gauge while tightly tucking in into her side as she was not big enough to fire it from her shoulder. For defensive use it is faster and easier and a laser makes it easier. Most home defense situations happen at night so having the light attached means not having to find two items in a stressful situation with pressure switches on either a vertical or ergo foregrip.

But each person needs to experiment and practice to find what works best for them.

I was just responding in kind to your comments.

[Guest DanE479]

I support my statements with over a decade of field experience and training with the Remington 870 in a LEO environment, with some world class instructors form major law enforcement agencies, the military, and nationally recognized private training companies. In that time, I have never been instructed that it is optimal to use a shotgun firing from the hip in any situation, including retention. The lack of such instruction would lead to the conclusion that firing form the hip, relying on a laser dot to make your hits, is a tactical non-starter.

What are your qualifications, or can you point to documented relevant training docterine to support your asertions about firing the shotgun from the hip? Let's lay the evidence on the table

FYI, my parents were born in the 50's, and my uncle was a world class gunsmith and trap shooter before he passed away. I learned how to shoot skeet and trap starting when I was about 8 years old, so if you really want to get technical, I've had over 23 years of relevant shotgun experience (yes, I'm 31, but that doesn't mean that I don't know anything, nor does it mean that I know everything).

If I sounded hostile, it's because someone was advocating the use of a tactically unsound docterine, that might lead to bad things happening at a bad time. Just because it works for you, doesn't man that it is correct to use for others, and should not be promoted as a correct docterine.

[Mike]

A white light should be part of anyone's home defense strategy. Target identification is supreme above all.

Aimed fire will always outperform a hipshot. There are thousands of pages of data that support that.

If the shotgun doesn't fit your granddaughter they make youth/short length or pull stocks that aid in bringing the weapon to bear. I myself use a short LOP stock and I'm 6'2".

My comments were not intended to be a personal attack, only a retort with my opinion on the matter.

Mike

Edit: Just to add I've been shooting since I was seven. My granddad taught me as much as he could. He's an Army veteran, worked for the TN Highway Patrol for 30 years, and was a competition shooter. He knows a thing or two. I am by no means an expert, but I'm no johnny-come-lately either.

Edited August 21, 2010 by Mike

[Desert Rat]

I said my piece and will leave it at that!

[eapking]

Got my wife the 20ga 870 18" bbl a couple of years back. She can take the recoil it's got. Can't imagine her with a 12ga.

There's two things I'm not a big fan of on the 870:

1. Placement of trigger safety. I like where Mossberg puts theirs better.

2. Reassembly of the foreend to the receiver. Maybe it's just this one, but it's been a real pain to get those rails back in place.

So I hardly ever take it down now. Just run a bore rope thru it.