Newby question

[YA HUCKLEBERRY]

Hello,

Quick question for you guys on your opinions. I am new to Remington shot guns and "tactical" shotguns so I wanted to ask you guys about the barrel. The factory barrell is really long and so is the tube to hold the shells. I know it holds 8 which is awesoe, but was thinking of shortening the barrell. Any opinions on this? Doesnt seem practical for home defense to have such a long barrell. I thought I may hunt with it so I would keep the long barrell but what do you guys prefer?

[dharbert]

The standard barrel length for home defense shotguns these days is 18.5". Legally, the barrel cannot be cut down shorter than 18" without having to register it with the ATF. The easiest route to go would probably be just to order a new 18.5" barrel for it rather than cut yours down.

[Synchronizor]

If you want to keep the long barrel for hunting, you'd be best off getting another barrel. Either find one in the length you want, or buy a longer one and cut it down.

What barrel/magazine setup are you running now? A lot of people go with minimal 18-18.5" barrels for HD, perhaps imagining some Hollywood-style running close-quarters action scene, but a shotgun in any configuration is a rather poor choice for mobility in tight spaces. A handgun is far better for hallways and tight spaces (although actively seeking out an armed threat in a home isn't always the wisest tactic, as the intruder will tend to have the advantage).

The best HD tactic (and of course there will be exceptions and special circumstances) is usually to take a defensible position where you have the advantage, and let an intruder come to you (if they do at all). This is where the "artillery" of a shotgun really shines, and a hunting barrel isn't a huge negative if you're just waiting for someone to try to break down the bedroom door. Of course, a shorter barrel is still nice to have for handling and storage considerations if nothing else, but you don't need to have it down to the legal minimum by any means. If you want to use a slightly longer barrel in order to match a magazine tube that can hold one or two extra shells, go for it. There're usually no problems with having a magazine tube extend past the end of the barrel either, but if you have the choice, it's best to get a barrel long enough to match your magazine tube.

[YA HUCKLEBERRY]

I appreciate the information guys. I dont really want to cut down the barrel which is the 20 inch stock one. Guess I will by one.

[Synchronizor]

If your barrel is just a 20" one, that's a perfectly functional length; I use a 20" barrel for HD myself. Making the gun an inch or two shorter isn't really going to make it a significantly better defensive weapon. It's probably not worth spending the money and losing the magazine capacity unless your current barrel has sights, a choke, or some other attribute that doesn't work for you for HD.

[mercman]

My HD weapon is an 18" 870 with a +3 shot mag extension. To offset the length I mounted a shorter length of pull butt stock. Some folks use a folding or collapsible stock but those can make the SG difficult to control when folded. If you are going to use a SG for your HD weapon you should practice with it in your home (unloaded, of course).

There are advantages and disadvantages to using SG's for HD. Definitely superior stopping power vs any handgun.

When I need a long gun in my job I am most comfortable with my 870 and the is what I tend to grab. Pretty disconcerting for some of my younger coworkers who grew up with carbines.

[Zebra62]

The factory barrell is really long and so is the tube to hold the shells. I know it holds 8 which is awesoe....

What version of 870 do you have, Huck? Do you have a magazine extension? Not trying to yank your chain, just curious. Most 870's come standard with a 4 round magazine +1 in the pipe for a total of 5 rounds. The Tactical comes from the factory with a 6 round magazine +1 in the pipe for 7 rounds. The Tactical comes stock with an 18.5 barrel and the mag cap is just a fraction shorter. Curious how you have yours set up.

The best HD tactic (and of course there will be exceptions and special circumstances) is usually to take a defensible position where you have the advantage, and let an intruder come to you (if they do at all). This is where the "artillery" of a shotgun really shines, and a hunting barrel isn't a huge negative if you're just waiting for someone to try to break down the bedroom door. Of course, a shorter barrel is still nice to have for handling and storage considerations if nothing else, but you don't need to have it down to the legal minimum by any means. If you want to use a slightly longer barrel in order to match a magazine tube that can hold one or two extra shells, go for it. There're usually no problems with having a magazine tube extend past the end of the barrel either, but if you have the choice, it's best to get a barrel long enough to match your magazine tube.

I agree with Synchro in all points he makes here, especially the defensive position. For any home defense plan to work, you must first have a plan. Share it with your family. Practice the plan. Your wife may think you are nuts. Convince her it is in the best interest for her to practice also. Prove you are not going to go John Wayne and shoot the house up. Identify a room you can have your family fall back too and barracade the door. CALL THE POLICE!!! With your family safely behind the barricade you may kill anything that tries to come through the door until the Police arrive. DO NOT SHOOT THE POLICE.

Shotguns are limited to the amount of ammo they can carry. Magazine extensions are the best way to add rounds to your 870 and it is perfectly fine if the magazine extends past the muzzle. My wife's 20 gauge has a +5 extension that sticks past five full inches. There is a risk of it getting damaged from a door frame or something else in the night, but you will not damage it by firing the weapon. The more rounds you have, the less time you will take getting round #6, 7 or 8 down range. After that, you will need to practice your reloads. Practice breech loading - placing a round directly into the chamber through the breech opening - so you can get a bonus round or two down range in quick succession. Practice feeding your magazine with strong hand and weak hand. Get some sort of ammo storage device to have full od shells which you can grab and have with you ready to feed your machine. Side saddles and buttcuffs are the preffered choice by most. We have buttcuffs on both of our 870's but no side saddles. Yet. There is also a wide variety of pouches and shell carriers on the market you can attach to a belt or vest. We use the California Competition Works speed strippers and I have a couple of homemade strippers on a belt attached to a vest that work pretty good. You can find a tutorial for the homemade stripper on the rem870.com homepage.

Pratice, Practice, Practice.