Recommend me a 870 Model

Tactical, combat, military, law enforcement and home defense use of a Remington 870 shotgun.
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Synchronizor
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Re: Recommend me a 870 Model

Post by Synchronizor » Sat Aug 24, 2013 3:02 am

Their website lists a version of the Big Dot bead sight meant to fit over a plain bead. The elevation might change though, that bead looks pretty low-set.

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Re: Recommend me a 870 Model

Post by Hunters21w » Sat Aug 24, 2013 3:05 am

So wait, are you saying this is from 1968?? Lol wow!

Yea I'm hoping that XS bead fits, most have some sort of pedestal to glue on to.

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Re: Recommend me a 870 Model

Post by Synchronizor » Sat Aug 24, 2013 3:12 am

It sounds like a 1968 gun at the latest. It could also be an older gun with a 1968 barrel.

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Re: Recommend me a 870 Model

Post by Hunters21w » Sat Aug 24, 2013 3:17 am

That's awesome! Can't wait to call Remington to get an exact date! I almost feel bad for trying to "modernize" it lol.

I watched a couple videos on how to disassemble and it looks pretty straightforward to me.

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Re: Recommend me a 870 Model

Post by Hunters21w » Sat Aug 24, 2013 2:18 pm

What do you think of the Wilson Combat Remington Steal Program? Just the flexitab kit is $100, and that's included through Wilson for $230.

Replace All Worn and / or Damaged Parts
Convert to 3” Magnum Chamber
Convert Shell Feed to Flexi-Tab Anti-Jam System
Install New Factory Remington ® Synthetic Buttstock and Fore Grip
Install New Factory Remington ® Magazine Spring and Follower
Replace Safety with Jumbo Head Safety
Strip and Parkerize All External Parts
Replace Trigger Assembly with a Professionally Remanufactured Trigger Unit

I emailed to see if they can reduce the price if I choose to not upgrade to synthetic stock and forend, as I'd much rather the Magpul.

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Re: Recommend me a 870 Model

Post by Synchronizor » Sun Aug 25, 2013 2:26 am

That's a lot of parts and work for just $230. I was going to call it a good deal, but then I saw this picture on Wilson Combat's website:

Image

Looks to me like they didn't do a complete flex-tab upgrade, they just replaced the shell carrier, shined up the breech bolt and slide assemblies, and called it good. You should check with them and get a list of exactly what parts they replace, because sticking in a new carrier alone is not a complete conversion, it's a simple job that anyone can do at home with a $15-20 replacement part, a thumbnail, and a Tootsie Pop stick.

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Re: Recommend me a 870 Model

Post by Hunters21w » Sun Aug 25, 2013 3:39 pm

Yea I'm not sure what exactly they do. They have a pic where it shows the "U" shape cut for the flex tab upgrade but I'm not sure if they do the rest correctly or not.

I'm trying to find the upgrade kit but Brownells is sold out of their $100 kit. Know where I can just order the same parts for a decent price? It's not a huge deal to do this upgrade soon but eventually I'd like it done for peace of mind.

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Re: Recommend me a 870 Model

Post by Synchronizor » Sun Aug 25, 2013 8:04 pm

Hunters21w wrote:Yea I'm not sure what exactly they do. They have a pic where it shows the "U" shape cut for the flex tab upgrade but I'm not sure if they do the rest correctly or not.
They've installed a flex tab carrier, but that slide assembly is definitely an older-style one, as evidenced by its thickness at the back. Can't be as positive about the bolt, but it looks like the one from the "before" picture, just cleaned up. Of course, not many people would catch that. For all I know, they just tossed this gun together for the pictures, and they do the full flex-tab upgrade for their customers. I don't want to knock WC without a good reason, I've mostly heard good things about their work. It's just a healthy rule to do your homework and figure out exactly what you're paying for before you hand your gun off to someone; and that picture definitely raises questions.
Hunters21w wrote:I'm trying to find the upgrade kit but Brownells is sold out of their $100 kit. Know where I can just order the same parts for a decent price? It's not a huge deal to do this upgrade soon but eventually I'd like it done for peace of mind.
You can always order the kit, or the individual parts straight from Remington. I always go straight to them for factory replacement parts instead of 3rd-party sellers who mark up prices for resale (such as the flex-tab upgrade kit you looked at, Remington lists it as $84 on their 2012 price list), or sometimes mix parts up.

If you don't want to shell out for new parts though, and you're not in a rush, your best bet is to keep an eye on sites like Ebay or Gunbroker. Look for the three parts you need, confirm they're new-style and in good shape, wait for good deals, and you can save quite a bit over brand new parts. You can buy and install the parts separately and the gun should work fine, you just won't have the full benefits of the flex-tab fix until you collect and install all three.

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Re: Recommend me a 870 Model

Post by Hunters21w » Mon Aug 26, 2013 1:28 pm

Good deal, I will hold out on the Wilson service and give Remigton a call today. Hopefully they can help me out!

Edit: called remington, they confirmed it was manufactured in 1968. I asked about the flexitab upgrade and he said most people just swap out the trigger assembly? He said its $87+ship through them. He said its hard to swap the individual parts. What do ya think?

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Re: Recommend me a 870 Model

Post by Synchronizor » Mon Aug 26, 2013 2:51 pm

The new breech bolt and slide assemblies are literally drop-in replacements. You just take the gun down (a basic take-down, as you would for cleaning), and then reassemble it with the new bolt and slide assemblies instead of the old ones.

Installing a new carrier assembly is a little more involved, but not by much; certainly not enough to warrant spending $90 to upgrade a $20 part. You don't even have to have any tools (aside from whatever you use to push out the trigger plate pins). With the trigger plate assembly out of the gun, use a thumbnail to slide the carrier pivot tube out, and the carrier will lift right off. Then, hold the new carrier in place, slide the carrier pivot tube back in, and you're done. The trick to this is that elements of the carrier assembly are under spring pressure when installed, so you'll want to take it slow and hold on to the carrier while removing and reinserting the tube to line things up and avoid sending other small parts flying into oblivion. If you've worked with small mechanical gizmos before, you know the kind of juggling I'm talking about.

Now, some folks are hesitant to tinker with their trigger plate assemblies, and that's a smart position to take. Monkeying with the trigger on any gun is not something to be done blindly, and people have injured or killed themselves by messing with things they shouldn't have. Swapping a carrier is not difficult, but if you have doubts, don't be afraid to take it to a professional; no one worth listening to is going to knock you for playing it safe. If they know what they're doing, a gunsmith can swap carriers for you in a minute or two.

If you buy a stripped bolt instead of the full breech bolt assembly to try and save money, you'll have to strip your old bolt and move all the parts over, which isn't exactly a beginner-friendly job. If you want to keep it simple though, you can find complete bolt assemblies for decent prices.

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