Just got an 870 Police Magnum

P

p8riot

New member
I just picked up a slightly used 870 Police Magnum at my local Police Supply store for $200 out the door. The wood buttstock is scratched and the finish is worn in places, but no cracks or chips, the fore-end is perfect. The exterior of the receiver shows some wear as does the barrel.

I intend to use this shotgun as a base for modifications, and am looking for advice concerning optional stocks and fore-ends and fore-end lights, tube extensions, sights, etc... I'm looking to hot-rod it a little bit.

Also does backboring the police barrel give any benefit?
 
An excellent source of accessories, sights, extensions, and other add-ons is Brownell's.
http://www.brownells.com

In magazine extensions they carry Choate, Wilson, Tac-Star, and I "think" they sell the Remington factory extension in their parts section.
 
add-ons...

I felt I "had" to have a side-saddle for extra ammo. looking back now I see it is not for me. it seems to really mess up the balance of the gun to me. Bear in mind that this is my opinion only-they sell a ton of the units so they must be well thought of by others.
 
Not sure I want to go with a side saddle either. Been thinking about a SPEEDFEED stock or something along that line.
 
If it's your first 870, the first thing you should do is learn how to field strip it (the manual is on Remington's web site) and give it a good cleaning. It might not need cleaning, but you need to know for sure that it doesn't- and field stripping it will let you give it a good inspection. I have heard of patrol shotguns being used as ashtrays etc. while in the brackets/locks in the cars- not all of them, naturally, are mistreated this way, but make sure yours hasn't been.

The first accessory you should buy is AMMO. To practice with. If you are already an accomplished shotgun shooter, you still need to shoot/handle it enough to 'groove' the control locations on the 870 and learn its manual of arms (loading, how to unload the magazine without running rounds through the chamber, etc.). Hot rod YOURSELF as a shooter, then you can pick up ANY stock shotgun and perform with it. Nothing you can buy except practice ammo and range time will make you a better shooter, there is nothing you can buy and bolt onto a shotgun that will make you shoot it better.

If all you want is kewlpoints for how your gun looks, and don't care about how you shoot, then the world is your oyster and the only limits are your checkbook and credit card balances. You have made a great start in buying a trade-in 870P, without a doubt one of the finest bargains in defensive shotguns to be had. So you are money ahead already, and if you want to break the bank on accessories then it's your money to spend as you will.

Good luck and stay safe,

lpl/nc
 
Not my first or my only

Lee, Thanks

I have been shooting for over 40 yrs now. I have three Wingmasters (including a Classic Trap), and just sold an Express Super Mag and a HD shotgun. So this one is not my first. I bought this one specifically for the purpose of modifying it into a tactical scattergun. It is a project gun that I want to modify to get the best performance. Figured I would start with the best 870 base I could find. Looks are secondary, with the exception that I want it to be as intimidating as hell.

Kevin
 
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Congratulations on your purchase. The subject area is rather broad, however, as each accessory generally comprises a thread in themselves.

Fore-end, Light: Many people like the police or L.E. short fore-ends as there is no over-lap with the ejection-port/receiver; also they allow for the sidesaddle mounting with no cutting of the larger fore-ends. Speedfeed, Remington, Hogue, and probably others are on the market.

However, if you're going for the $200+ Surefire weapon light, then you've already decided on what fore-end to get. Decide on your HD threat scenario and plan/build-up your gun accordingly, i.e., might you be fighting at night? Food for thought: Could your Surefire weapon light fail just when you need it?

Stocks: You mentioned Speedfeed for ammo storage. Here are the considerations. Speedfeeds are great stocks, btw. Speedfeed has two which hold ammo. Both only come in the 14" LOP. If that LOP is ok w/you, then decide on whether you want a pistol-grip type or a straight stock.

Mag Extensions: I think you get what you pay for. My extensions are Remington and came with my guns. They came with barrel/extension clamps, which some of us recommend, yet others don't bother with them. I believe the Choate brand comes with a clamp, but the Scattergun Technology and Vang extensions do not, although I believe there are univeral clamps on the market which should work (see MichaelsofOregon.com).

Sights: Again, plan your threat scenario. Many people prefer just a bead sight. Others, like me, like ghost ring sights. My threat scenario goes beyond the confines of my house. Accordingly, I regularly practice with slugs out to 50 yards, with 100 yard range accuracy-capable. I have my GRS's adjusted to my point of aim, rather than holding low with a bead sight at 25-50 yards. Still others go with red-dot optics. This is a big personal preference area.

Barrel work? I'll refer you to: http://www.vangcomp.com/
for this issue. I understand the back-boring work can significantly tighten-up your 00 buck patterns improving your shooting distance confidence out at 25 yards, whereas, I'd need to be converting to a slug, which takes time. I believe Vang's work starts at $185, depending on options. For more barrel and sight work, you could be into the $600 range, just for that. Some people swear by his work, whereas, I've never heard anyone swear at his work. I prefer 18.5" barrels vs. 20"'s. I might even like 14" barrels, but that's not an option for me.

What else? Ammo, slings, storage, training, books, safeties, transitioning to handgun, flashlights, moving in close quarters, how about a rifle instead?

P.S., That Surefire light is nice to have when you need it, but it sure does add some extra weight to carry when you don't.
 
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got an 870 too

hey newbie here.
just scored an 870 mag for $150 near new cond!
cant figure out how to remove the round mag cap to remove the plug.please help, 2 just aint enough.
 
Here's my 870P Magnum:
entry8223.sized.jpg


The base gun cost me $175 OTD, used. I've added a SF618A, Mesa Tactical stock adapter with M4 stock, M/T sidesaddle, Scattergun Tech. ghost ring sights, big head safety, and hi-visibility follower, as well as an Advanced Technology +2 extension and barrel clamp.
 
First, buy ammo, use up, repeat. Once you've gotten the moves down, you'll be in a better place to decide what's needed and what's just bling.

BTW, good deal on a great shotgun....
 
Kevin,

Good, you already have the basics pretty well covered it seems.

Number one, ANY shotgun is going to be plenty intimidating as is. Changing its outline won't make any difference. I'd say worry not about how it looks. Just set it up to be as practical for its intended purpose as possible.

As for stocks, I like conventional style stocks on shotguns and don't care much for shoulder stocks with pistol grips. YMMV of course, use what you like. I like the thick walled Speedfeed II conventional stock on a working gun. It has enough 'meat' to be shortened and have a recoil pad fitted just as a wooden stock does, and it doesn't make all the noise that a thin walled synthetic stock does. I don't care for the magazine type Speedfeed stocks. I suggest if you plan on using one of those that you get a spare magazine spring or two and cut them down a bit longer than the issue versions to replace the springs in the Speedfeed stock magazines as the ones I have seen tend to weaken fast. I like a Sidesaddle for on-gun ammo storage and don't care for butt cuffs, again YMMV on that issue.

I do agree that a white light is very useful for a working gun and prefer to have one on board. I prefer Streamlight M3s on any one of several available rails to the SureFire forearms, as the SureFire leaves too little room on the fore-end for a good hand grip for me. Again, YMMV on preferences there, I have no issues with SureFire quality and have them on several 870s.

I like sights on a working gun. Specifically I like ghost ring type aperture sights with a stout front post, and prefer the MMC version with a soldered on front sight http://www.mmcsight.com/shotgun.htm . For a dual purpose gun or for the 'one shotgun' household, the factory issue sights on a 20" rifle sighted smoothbore barrel are perfectly adequate, but for a dedicated single purpose working gun I want ghost rings.

Magazine extensions I can take or leave, as a rule. I see no downside to a high quality properly fitted magazine extension with a proper spring and follower that adds capacity of one, two or three more rounds. Longer extensions than that and you are getting into 'game gun' territory and risking functionality IMHO. It is good to be able to load four rounds into a magazine, leave room for one more round and still have some 'slack' in the magazine spring so that it isn't crunched all the time the gun is sitting there. I have magazine extensions from Remington, Wilson, TacStar and Choate on various 870s here. I have never had a problem with any of them in some 20 years of using them. House guns here are fitted to my wife, and she doesn't like a lot of weight added out front. So the guns I shoot in practice most often have no extensions, and are fitted with 12 1/2" LOP stocks, 20" rifle sighted barrels, full length field type forearms and four shot SideSaddles. I do believe that if you are going to affix a magazine extension to an 870, you should use a clamp to brace it to the barrel.

I don't know what barrel your gun came with. Remington has been using IMP CYL fixed chokes in a lot of its shorter (18- 20") barrels for some years now. If you have a barrel with an IC choke already, that should get you useful buckshot patterns out to any reasonable range. You can do a lot by selecting your buckshot and slug loads based on what your gun likes. The new Federal low recoil offerings are producing -Very- tight patterns for a lot of users even in CYL bore barrels. I like to have the forcing cones extended in barrels that will shoot a lot of buckshot, I see no real reason for a complete backbore but again YMMV. Uncle Hans is a nice guy and can always use the work if you insist on getting your barrel Vang'ed. I'd leave off the porting if I were you though... .

I'd save refinishing for last and get the other metal work done on a one-step-at-a-time basis. Phosphate finsish/parkerizing is a good working finish, one of the good spray'n'bake finishes applied on top of fresh parkerizing can be nearly bulletproof.

I like having the option of using a sling on a working shotgun, I don't see any need to be harnessed to your gun with more straps than a mule to a plow so I just use a carrying strap. Again YMMV, you might want/need a full blown $50 3-point assault team style sling. No argument there, I like a $3 GI 'silent sling' on QD swivels myself tho.

No matter what you bolt onto the gun, the best money you spend will be on improving yourself as an operator.

I'm a little jaded by all the "I've been spending every spare penny building my brand new Combat Assault HD Tactical Police Fighting Shotgun for eight months now and as soon as I get my newest Sooper Tacticool XYZ accessory bolted on I'm finally gonna go shoot it for the very first time ever" threads on various shotgun forums, so please understand my initial answer in that context.

hth,

lpl/nc
 
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