Remington 870 Express Synthetic for self defense?

M

Mokumbear

New member
What is your opinion on the Remington 870 synthetic express shotgun for
self defense?

Is this a rock solid reliable firearm for self defense?

I have researched this online, but I would like to hear some more
first hand reports.

I currently use a Ruger P90 handgun for self defense.

Can I expect the same degree of reliability from the Remington?

Thanks!
 
let's see. ive had the win 1300 defenfer and 870 express. I replaced the 28" barrel on the remy with an 18" and it was perfect.

$230 for the shotgun, even swap for the barrel.
 
I would personally say you have good tastes in both your HD handgun and shotgun. This coming from a man who owns 3 Ruger .45's and 3 870's. :)

The 870 is the pump shotgun by which all others are measured......

The express models are just fine as is and can easily be "upgraded" with lots of factory or aftermarket accessories.
 
870 synthetic

i have a speedfeed 2 regular stock with short forearm on mine. with the express finish its all one dark color. i have a wood monte carlo type for it too. either one works fine for the slug barrels. no good for the vent rib. puts eye too high. i have a choate pistol grip buttstock on my wingmaster magnum. really good shot control with slugs with that.
 
Synthetic 870.

I just baught one today and it feels and handles great.
In terms of reliability...it's the AK47 of shotguns like the GLOCK is the
AK47 of pistols.
 
Can't go wrong with the 870 but if you want the ultimate concealable one you'll have to come up here to Canada to get it. Remmy 870 custom by Dlask Firearms in British Columbia. 8.5" barrel. Legal and non-restricted as it's barrel is made that way from the manufacturer. Google "Dlask" if you want more info.
Mike

Dlask85Shotgun.jpg
 
Any advice...

From the research I did, I saw two things come up with the 870:

1) Possible weak point with the trigger.

2) Vulnerability to rust.
Rust concerns me since I live in a hot and humid, subtropical climate.

Is a little Break Free enough to prevent rust from forming?
(The nice thing about the P90 is that it is stainless.)

Any issues you know about concerning the trigger?

Bear in mind, I am talking about the "run of the mill model", not
the "police model".

I also know that I am going to "need training" since I am experienced with
semiauto handguns, but other than reading, inexperienced with proper
use and care of a pump shotgun.
 
I certified hundreds of them for local PD's for duty. I NEVER saw any trigger issues. Period.

The real skinny on 870's?

Earlier ones should have the "flex-tab" kit installed, though after about 1990 they came that way. It allows you to *barely* cycle the gun if the round in the magazine pops past the shell stop upon firing. Always make sure to push every round as far as you can into the magazine as you load it.

Next, with TONS of use the shell stop "staking" (the way they are held into the receiver) can get beat, and require restaking. Any decent smith will have the tool, or you can buy one from Brownells.

Other than that, they are incredibly tough and reliable. I own two.
 
Magazine capacity?

Do you prefer the model where the barrel and the magazine are the same size?

Why?

Also, how can you tell that the shells are no longer "staking" properly"?

Thanks!
 
The "shell stops" rest in tracks cut into the interior sides of the receiver. You might see them protrude too far inside, or if you remove the trigger goup they may be loose, or fall in. When you unload your 870's magazine you push the shell-stops in to make the rounds opo out under the follower. On a new gun, theres no need to worry about them. They keep the shells inside the magazine tube until a ramp on the action bar pushes the shell stops out, which lets a round pop out of the magazine, and onto the carrier.

They are retained in those grooves by upsetting the metal on the sides of the tracks with a horseshoe shaped tool which has a little punch on the side/tip of one of the prongs. That allows the 'smith to re-stake them when lots of use makes them get loose. Of the hundreds we saw (many times over too- the same guns came back every year) I think I saw three get re-staked IIRC. If you go over to the Brownells site you can see the tool.

For a defensive 870, anything from 18"-24" will do. If youre buying a modern 870 Express you can't put a magazine extension on the gun without swaging out the dimples inside the tube. If you buy a clean used gun you can probably avoid that problem. I have a Choat extension on my 20" gun and my 18" came with a Remington extension straight from the used rack. If you put an aftermarket extension on your gun, put the Choat high-visibility follower in the magazine while youre at it.

Don't worry about a 3.5" gun- that's totally unneccesary. For 99% of most peoples use a plain ol' 2 3/4" gun will do nicely. Don't pimp it out- leave the factory stock on it and spend some time learning to shoot it "as-is". Get some low-recoil tactical buckshot and practice with it. Attend a local bowling pin shoot and try your hand- they're a ball.
 
Info on Ammo for new 870

I just bought an 870 Express just like what you're considering and I'm delighted with it with the exception of some ammo issues when using a type of Federal ammo. Have a good look at the post "870 Problem" by V4Vendetta. At the end of the post (# 31 & #32 I think) you will see some test results I did recently that I think you and others will find interesting. Other than the issue with the specific Federal ammo as reported, I love my 870 and highly recommend it for the money and HD. :D
 
This year or next Remington will sell it's ten MILLIONTH 870. Yes, one of these was bought by me in the mid 70's, and is still in my cabinet, working better than new. That's all I have to say about that.
 
For those interested HD Express's, a caution: Remington makes at least one black, synthetic, 18.5" Express model called something-HD, frequently found on sale at chain stores. It has the mag dimples referred to by Slopemeno, which prevent the easy use of extensions, yet it's only 4 or 5+1. Instead, I would highly recommend the model 25077, which comes with a factory extension to 6+1 on the 18.5 barrel, and no dimples, in case you wish to add a longer barrel and extension later. In the same vein, I prefer the black, synthetic, 1100 Tactical-4, model 82801, which comes factory extended to 8+1, 22" RS/VR, and rem-choked! Plus, it's cheaper than any other 12 ga 1100!
 
Rock solid reliablity. I have the 18.5 inch one with the mag tube extender. I have never had to use it and i most likely never will but if i do then there is no weapon IMHO that is more reliable then an 870 (perhaps a strider knife).

In responce to that "Dask" i think it was called, wow. It looks painful to shoot, but would be a heck of a lot of fun.

regards,
YukonKid
 
I have the 870 Express synthetic with the mag dimples.

Four in the tube on an 870 does not trouble me and I am not modifying my mag. This is the same gune I swap barrels on to shoot trap on the weekend so I know it works.

I also have more than one handgun available.
 
I also have some questions about this my questions are as follow:
1. What type of shotgun shells can i shoot in this? Since it has a fixed cylinder and i cannot change it. (Any shell 3" or under can be fired from it, with the exception of sabot slugs. You will get more open patterns with all sizes of shot due to the lack of a choke, but for HD purposes a cylinder bore works fine)
2. As it has a 3" chamber, does this mean I can shoot a 3" shell, or does it have to be 2 3/4 and under? (3" or under)
3. Also, does this have a rifled barrel or a smooth? whats the difference? can you shoot only certain shells out of either? (Likely smoothbore as all the remington rifled barrels I've seen are either 20 or 24". You would also be able to see the rifling at the muzzle if it is rifled. Rifled bores do not throw very good patterns with shot, but you can shoot lead shot out of them, I would personaly avoid steel shot out of a rifled barrel. Sabot slugs and foster or brenneke type slugs do better from a rifled barrel, but foster type or brenneke "rifled" slugs can be shot from a smoothbore barrel with reasonable accuracy to 75-100yds.)
 
expect nowhere near the same reliability of the p-90 in an express. I LOVE my Ruger autoloaders...so I'd go with an older 870 Wingmaster, and convert it, or a Mossberg 590a1.

concealing a shotgun and using it at its full potential just isn't going to happen unless you do AOW/SBS. The best you can do in both worlds (effectiveness and portability) is to look into a Hogue reduced LOP stock.
 

Attachments

  • 009.jpg
    009.jpg
    222.3 KB · Views: 70
Ask a trap shooter about an 870 I have 10,000 of rounds thur mine with out a problem. There are some out there I willing to bet that have seen over a 1,000,000 thur them over the years. Its a tried and true platform. Its hard to bet it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top