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[Strick]

I have a late 50s early 60s Remington 870 Wingmaster. It was my father's shot gun that he bought when he was a councilman in our hometown. The police delivered paper work to him and got to know him quite well. During that time period racial demonstration were getting violent and my father wanted some home defense and this gun is what the police had in their cruisers. It's about as plain Jane as you can get but it shoots well. I'd like to upgrade it. I'll need some advice and information on what direction I should go. Thanks guys.

[Synchronizor]

Well, first I would give it a good cleaning, and look for any weak springs or worn small parts that may need replacing.

If it's a 1960s or earlier gun, one good thing you can do - especially if you intend to use it for home defense - is upgrade the action with flex-tab components. Doing so will keep the gun from locking up if a shell gets wedged between the slide assembly & carrier. This thread has details on the parts you need for this update.

If the gun has an old grey or black follower, replacing that with a newer high-visibility follower is a nice safety measure.

You could also look at installing a modern recoil pad; a lot of those old riot 870s just had a hard buttplate that won't make the gun very comfortable to shoot.

[Strick]

I've been doing a lot of reading and store looking at upgrades. The first thing I think I want to do is add an extension tube. My barrel is 20" and the 8 shot tube looks to be the answer. I noticed that there are two types of extension tube designs, a one piece and a two piece. Do I need a clamp? The other upgrade I'm looking at is a pistol grip stock like the one ATI offers (T2). Being an AR15 guy, I like the pistol grip and stock design. I need some feed back on these thoughts. Maybe some recommendations on where to buy.

The gun hasn't been fired very much at all and it looks new. It was cleaned very well before it went into storage and all the parts are rust free and not worn. The wood stock and fore end are just beautiful. I almost don't want to change it, but......

Thanks guys

[Synchronizor]

The first thing I think I want to do is add an extension tube. My barrel is 20" and the 8 shot tube looks to be the answer. I noticed that there are two types of extension tube designs, a one piece and a two piece. Do I need a clamp?

Two-piece extensions usually need a clamp to keep from coming loose. You can put a clamp on a single-piece extension if you feel you need extra reinforcement, or you want to use a clamp-on sling attachment or light mount. However, these extensions are generally fine without a clamp as long as there's a detent in your barrel guide ring, and the extension engages that detent properly (some don't). If you don't have a detent in your barrel, a wave washer can be used to keep a single-piece extension in place.

[Strick]

Does anyone have a link to companies that sell two piece extensions? Thanks, again.

[Synchronizor]

The Remington factory extensions are two-piece. The aluminum Nordic extensions are two-piece as well.

[Strick]

Wow! I just finished cleaning and getting the 870 ready to fire. I loaded some #4 shot and set out to test it. Sync, you are right about the older 870's recoil pad. Might as well not be on there as this thing kicks like a 240lb linebacker. I can't imagine what would happen if you don't plant this thing into your shoulder. So, next will be a stock replacement. I'm looking at an ATI talon T2 with the better pad that absorbs a lot of recoil. Any feed back? Anything better?

[Synchronizor]

Personally, I would just get a modern recoil pad for your current stock. Those old walnut stocks are great; classic good looks, maneuverable ergonomics, simple construction, and really darn tough. With the addition of a good recoil pad, it'll serve for HD or hunting just as well as (if not better than) any tacti-cool piece of black plastic.

[Strick]

Okay, what's a good pad? I do like the look of the wood stock and fore end. It still looks sinister with the extension tube. How would I attach a sling? I have a front mount with the extension tube to barrel clamp, but what about the rear attachment? I like the dual/single point (quick disconnect) sling on my AR15 and I'd like to use it on my shotgun. Any ideas?

[Synchronizor]

I really like the Remington SuperCell recoil pads, but those are pre-fit pads, and there may not be a SuperCell version that's a perfect match for your stock since it's an older one. If you think that would bug you, several companies offer grind-to-fit recoil pads that can be custom-shaped to match a specific stock.

As for the sling, there are plenty of fixed and QD sling studs that are intended for installation in a wood stock. You may need to do some drilling, but it shouldn't be too complicated.