870 Express Tactical limitations?

[spacecowboy237]

Hello Again!

So far the board has been really helpful and from asking questions, naturally more questions arise.

This is the version I own.



This is my first and its a no frills version, which is what I wanted. Looking to the future of this weapon, however I get the feeling I may have some issues with doing certain upgrades. The mag tube has these dimple that I keep reading about and from what I gather if I were to ever opt for extensions, i'd have to get some work done. Would this also cause an issue if I were trying to attach a light or a bayonette? What about connecting a sling to something other than the little swivel tip on the cap?

Also, is there anything I should be aware of in regards to barrels? Its currently equipped with an 18.5 in fixed choke so it works for what I need but i can see myself getting into mods and so on.


By no means am I disappointed with anything about my 870 and it performs great for a gun thats hardly broken in. Look, style, feel, quality and price all meet my expectations currently but i'm wondering how far I can go with what I have.

TIA for the comments.

[Chief Brody]

If yours really is the same as the one in the photo, the issues with the dimpled mag tube doesn't apply to you - unfortunately, neither do the vast majority of barrels you may want to swap on.

The dimpled mag tube is on 870s with 4-round mag tubes. That type of gun is often the candidate for a 2-round extension. Yours has a six round one-piece mag, so nothing to worry about there. You may be able to install a one-round extension (bringing capacity to 7+1, pretty nice), adding a sling plate/mount won't be a problem, but the bayonet you mentioned probably isn't going to happen. There are several flashlight mounts that clamp to the magazine tube, some also double as a sling attachment point.

It's a bummer that with the one-piece six-round mag tube, barrel swapability is basically killed - but aside from that you've got a great shotgun that will be a great platform for lots of mods in the future. Have fun!

Steve.

[Synchronizor]

Though the length is different, long-mag-tube 870s use the exact same magazine thread & cap design as standard 870s, so magazine extensions will work fine with them. Anything longer than a +1 will stick out past the muzzle, but that's not going to cause any major problems, you'll just have to do a little more cleaning. You will have to drill or press out the dimples to get most magazine extensions to function properly, but the same goes for many current-production 870s with standard 4-round mag tubes, too.

Really, barrel interchangeability is the only thing affected by the extended magazine tube. Everything else regarding function & parts interchangeability is unchanged from standard receivers.

You can even get a bayonet mount for these long-mag Tactical models; S&J Hardware recently introduced a special magazine cap that provides the front attachment point normally built into magazine extensions. When paired with S&J's 1/2-mount clamp-on rear bayonet lug, any M16 bayonet can be attached to a long-mag 870 Tactical. As far as I know, this setup is only available as a full kit that includes the cap, rear lug, and an M7 bayonet, so it's a little spendy if you already have the bayonet.

[spacecowboy237]

If yours really is the same as the one in the photo, the issues with the dimpled mag tube doesn't apply to you - unfortunately, neither do the vast majority of barrels you may want to swap on.

The dimpled mag tube is on 870s with 4-round mag tubes. That type of gun is often the candidate for a 2-round extension. Yours has a six round one-piece mag, so nothing to worry about there. You may be able to install a one-round extension (bringing capacity to 7+1, pretty nice), adding a sling plate/mount won't be a problem, but the bayonet you mentioned probably isn't going to happen. There are several flashlight mounts that clamp to the magazine tube, some also double as a sling attachment point.

It's a bummer that with the one-piece six-round mag tube, barrel swapability is basically killed - but aside from that you've got a great shotgun that will be a great platform for lots of mods in the future. Have fun!

Steve.

Yep. That is the exact model. Like you said , having a 6 round mag doesn't really require me to have more rounds. With that said I guess the dimples aren't really an issue.

yeah its a bit of a about the barrel limitations but this was completely purchased with the intention of it being a home defense model. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to get another for Xmas HA!!

Thanks Cheif.

[spacecowboy237]

Really, barrel interchangeability is the only thing affected by the extended magazine tube. Everything else regarding function & parts interchangeability is unchanged from standard receivers.

You can even get a bayonet mount for these long-mag Tactical models; S&J Hardware recently introduced a special magazine cap that provides the front attachment point normally built into magazine extensions. When paired with S&J's 1/2-mount clamp-on rear bayonet lug, any M16 bayonet can be attached to a long-mag 870 Tactical. As far as I know, this setup is only available as a full kit that includes the cap, rear lug, and an M7 bayonet, so it's a little spendy if you already have the bayonet.

I suppose the only reason I'd want a different barrel is to experiment with chokes or sights. The more expensive version of my 870 has the breech choke so I can only assume that there are other 18.5 "tactical" barrels with the guide ring way up front.

That's a nice bayonet set up too, but a little usky on the price ATM.

[Synchronizor]

There are a few other 18.5" barrels made for the long-mag-tube receivers that have different sights and/or chokes. You can also have a gunsmith thread your current barrel for choke tubes if that's all you want. Interchangeable choke tubes come with some negative trade-offs though, like reduced durability and added maintenance requirements. If this is just going to be a close-range home defense weapon, the fixed cylinder bore should work just fine.

[DaveC]

If bayonet-equip-your-shotgun-you-must, be attentive to the subtle details provided by the photos up post... Namely, the old-skool AR/M16A1 M7 bayonet is a real bayonet While the current M9 bayonet is an excellent field knife.

Also, you should know that most bayonet-equipped shotguns were intended to also have a heat shield on the barrel, with the idea that you would have been shooting the shotgun furiously before coming to grips mano a mano at extreme-close-"give-no-quarter" bayonet distances. Usually these heat shields are of the perforated sheet metal variety. The old WWI-era Remington Model 10 had an elegant and practical wooden upper hand-guard, that, sadly is not made by any aftermarket stock designer for more modern shotgun designs.

Also, in researching the Model 10 from Remington, I made the interesting discovery that Remington had on hand a variety of bayonets already from past contracts. So... Remington took all the rolling block 7x57mm rifle bayonets that it had once sold in Mexico and other Latin American nations--a handy knife bayonet with a hooked quillion-- and developed a mount for the Remington Model 10 to accept the bayonet--otherwise useless after the mass adoption of 7.65mm and 7mm Mauser rifles throughout the Américas. And... wait for it .... All the old Russian Czar-contract M91 lock-ring socket bayonets from the Bolsheviks-in-power-stop-sending-Mosin-rifles laying about the Ilion, NY factory. Now, the spike bayonet on a shotgun has salient drawbacks, namely, that it can be grasped by a zombie, erm, uh, I mean assailant and wrested from the intended user's grasp, which a blade bayonet typically precludes...Ouch!... But I have to say that installing a Russian Mosin-Bayonet, a pointy 17-inch steel spike--would be a heck of an accessory, even if of limited utility and a liability in defensive or tactical terms. As you might expect, I have contacted aftermarket parts folks and asked that they develop, or redevelop, just such an accessory for the modern Rem. 870... They have been polite, although once I'm off the phone, they probably think I'm a bit deranged or mad....

Anyhow, a drill will remove the dimples, and some dribble-on blue will prevent the holes from rusting constantly... In my case, a 4+1 guy, I don't worry about the dimples. Older shotguns, fortunately, don't have 'em.