870 Tips & Tricks #3: The Care and Feeding of Choke Tubes:

[Synchronizor]

It’s finally done! The “lost” 870 T&T # 3 video fell victim to hardware failure back in January, and the final render of the video and most of its constituent files could not be recovered. I have re-shot the missing video, re-wrote and re-recorded the voice-over, and re-assembled the piece. I’m still not entirely happy with the result, as the differences between the old and new footage are noticeable. However, I feel this video does effectively convey everything I intended it to, and I’ve decided to stop fiddling with it so I can move on to other things.

Click for video:

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Dusting a case of clays is an enjoyable and relaxing way to pass a beautiful January afternoon. If you neglect your firearm however, that afternoon could take a turn for the frustrating.

In this video, I’ll go over proper cleaning and lubrication of screw-in choke tubes, and give some tips for speeding up cleaning, safe handling of lead residue, tool-less installation & removal of choke tubes, and how to use a paste lubricant to pre-lube the threads for easy switching in the field.

I recommend watching this video with the annotations turned on. I'll be adding various notes to provide further details, or answer questions you might have. I've tried to keep them unobtrusive; no giant flags blocking the video, no begging for subscriptions or likes.

This continues my series of how-to videos with the Remington 870 shotgun. There are a number of other topics I have planned for future videos, but it’s a fluid list. I’d love to hear any suggestions you might have for video topics. If it’s something that I feel has already been thoroughly covered, I may point you elsewhere, but if it’s an interesting and feasible idea, I’ll add it to the list.

I’d also appreciate any comments on the format of this series; things you liked, things you didn't like, things you’d like to see done differently, etc. I’m still playing around with styles and programs, figuring out what works, what works well, and what doesn’t work at all, so any input would help me out.

[jet66]

I watched all of the videos, very well done and informative. I think I'm going to use anti-seize on my choke, that seems like a really great idea. The 870 Tactical Express is the first shotgun I've ever owned with a choke and didn't know about the potential problems of too little/no lube on the threads, so I will definitely be addressing that before shooting it a whole lot. A semi-related question: It has the 'door breaching' choke tube from the factory. Nifty looking, but I don't plan on breaching any doors in the foreseeable future. What standard flush choke type/size (I don't know how they are rated, measured, etc.) would I use to keep it fully open, for using slugs? I think a slightly shorter overall length will be more beneficial/practical.

Oh, and the tips and tricks about the trigger pin detent springs was great, too. I plan on adding a shotshell saddle on the side, the idea to remove the detent springs sounds like the way to go with the mounting bolts.

[Synchronizor]

A semi-related question: It has the 'door breaching' choke tube from the factory. Nifty looking, but I don't plan on breaching any doors in the foreseeable future. What standard flush choke type/size (I don't know how they are rated, measured, etc.) would I use to keep it fully open, for using slugs? I think a slightly shorter overall length will be more beneficial/practical.

A Cylinder choke tube (no constriction, just bore diameter all the way through) would give you the same constriction as the breacher stand-off. However, if you want to tighten your shot pattern, most slugs can be fired through lighter chokes without any issues (though it would be wise to check the packaging to see if the ammo manufacturer recommends a specific choke for the slugs you're using). Improved Cylinder and Modified are common constrictions in police shotguns, and these tubes will likely be easier to find on a store shelf than a Cylinder tube.