Pistol Grip vs. Not - access to slide release

[SignessSG]

General opinions. I'm looking to gear up my used stock 870P for HD use, and just general fun / plinking. My 870P has a stock police synthetic stock (whatever stock is...13-3/4" LOP?). I want a slightly shorter LOP. Originally I was leaning towards the Mesa Tactical Urbino with the combo-pistol grip. Sort of having second thoughts though. Wouldn't that grip arrangement make it more difficult, or at least un-natural for quick & easy access to the slide/action release lever? I'm a lefty; but, with long guns, I do shoot right-handed.

So, if clumsy access to the slide release is the case with the Urbino, I'm more inclined to go with a Magpul SGA, or Hogue stock, with a slight advantage to the Magpul for adjustable cheek riser / comb height. I am planning on eventually adding a Scattergun Technologies/Trijicon Tritium ghost ring sight (receiver mounted...drilled & tapped), so comb height is a consideration. Thoughts....never having actually tried any of the above, I'm sorting of leaning toward the Magpul SGA.

Other than that, I'm planning on swapping out the 20" rifle sight barrel for an 18.5" IC bead barrel, then drop on the front Tritium sight, a 2-shot Nordic Components mag extension for 6+1, a Mesa 6-Shot side saddle, and some sort of a simple rail for a tac light, probably off a front barrel / mag extension clamp. Not really interested in spending the dough for a Surefire forend. I may replace the Police forend, not sure yet. Maybe a more grippy Hogue forend. Anyway, looking forward to getting started.

[Synchronizor]

Have you taken the gun out shooting yet? That stock is perfectly serviceable for HD, I use a set that's essentially the same thing, except it's wood, not synthetic. There's nothing universally superior or more "tactical" about a pistol grip stock, it's just a matter of finding something that feels comfortable to you, and then practicing with it.

[Zebra62]

Not sure a pistol grip is going to have any effect reaching the slide release. When reaching for the slide release on my 870 Tactical, I do have to move my hand forward a bit the get there as my fingers aren't that long. Don't know if having a pistol grip would be an advantage or disadvantage in that aspect.

As far as the pistol grip or no pistol grip issue, we lean towards the no pistol grip side for one basic reason. We use 870's stictly for home defense. The barrel on mine is too short to use for hunting and my wife doesn't hunt. In an HD roll, NOT having a pistol grip gives you the option of using the stock as another part of the weapon by clipping a home invader across the chin without having to reposition your strong hand. You only need to extend your strong arm sharply and twist your torso in the direction of the strike and you can knock his bottom jaw completely off its hinges. If he is still standing, you can use the barrel of the weapon as a club and clip him on the other side of his head as your body returns to its shooting position. Not so easy a manouver to do with a pistol grip. It's not right for everyone, it's not wrong for everyone, but it is right for us.

[SignessSG]

Thanks for the Replies. I think I'll lean more toward no pistol grip, and probably pickup a Magpul SGA stock and use the spacers to adjust the LOP to my liking. The cheek risers are an added bonus. Not sure if I'll need them or not; but, I'm eventually planning on something other than the stock rifle sights on the 20" police barrel I have now...leaning toward ghost ring sights with tritium inserts.

I haven't done anything at yet for this project, nor have I shot it yet. To date, I've stripped it down, cleaned it up and oiled, and determined that I do have the new style bolt carrier, bolt, and flex-tab shell carrier. I think I've nailed this one down to being from 1997. Just some pics of the raw platform before any changes...

[Synchronizor]

I would strongly recommend shooting your gun before you spend any money on upgrades or add-ons. It's very difficult to gauge what you should change on your gun without any actual trigger time. You may discover that the current stock or sights fit you fine, or if they don't work for you, at least you'll have a better idea of what you want to change. The "armchair" approach is one of the worst ways to go about building a serious defensive weapon.

As for the Magpul SGA stock, if you don't think a pistol grip is for you, you may want to rethink the Magpul stock. While it is a semi-grip stock, its grip angle is a lot closer to that of a pistol-grip than most semi-grip 870 stocks.


After you put in some trigger time with your gun in its current state, I'd suggest looking around in your area for an Express Tactical Magpul 870 so you can handle it and decide if that stock will be a good fit for you or not. That's all I needed to do to figure out that the SGA stock was not a good fit for me (my preferred HD furniture is the exact same style as yours, just made from wood). You may like it, you may not, but you should get some practice with your gun and find some way to at least handle an 870 with that stock before you spend your money.

[SignessSG]

I would strongly recommend shooting your gun before you spend any money on upgrades or add-ons. It's very difficult to gauge what you should change on your gun without any actual trigger time. You may discover that the current stock or sights fit you fine, or if they don't work for you, at least you'll have a better idea of what you want to change. The "armchair" approach is one of the worst ways to go about building a serious defensive weapon.

As for the Magpul SGA stock, if you don't think a pistol grip is for you, you may want to rethink the Magpul stock. While it is a semi-grip stock, its grip angle is a lot closer to that of a pistol-grip than most semi-grip 870 stocks.


After you put in some trigger time with your gun in its current state, I'd suggest looking around in your area for an Express Tactical Magpul 870 so you can handle it and decide if that stock will be a good fit for you or not. That's all I needed to do to figure out that the SGA stock was not a good fit for me (my preferred HD furniture is the exact same style as yours, just made from wood). You may like it, you may not, but you should get some practice with your gun and find some way to at least handle an 870 with that stock before you spend your money.

I agree, I don't intend on doing any armchair upgrades. I'm hoping to take it out this weekend, weather permitting, and put some rounds through it to get a feel for how it is now for LOP and overall sighting. At the very least, I will be adding a mag extension and a new follower. (probably Nordic). Hell, I may even keep the 20" barrel on there and just add a +3 mag extension and a side saddle and call it good. I'm not after tact-cool, just functional and comfortable for mostly HD and recreational.