More project 870's

[Bastard File]

Picked up two more project 870's from a local pawn shop...both are Express models...one is a black synthetic Express Magnum stamped receiver with 28" barrel. Good condition, but in bad need of cleaning....$170

The other is an Express as well...26" barrel...about the same condition...$130

I'll have my gunsmith cut the synthetic stocked Express to 20" and lengthen forcing cone..re-thread for choke tubes...Trijicon Trak-Loc sights...jumbo safety...plus 2 extension...combat follower...parkerized finish...I plan to use this as a training/practice shotgun....

I'll have the other cut to 18-1/2" and add all the above...I'll Dura Coat the wood Coyote Brown...

I recently purchased a new Nutmeg laminated Express & added a 20" IC rifle sight barrel...had the forcing cone lengthened...jumbo safety...Wilson plus 1 extension...

Have another Express that I had the barrel cut to 20" forcing cone lengthened and re-threaded for choke tubes...Trijicon Trak-Loc sights...Wilson plus 1 extension...jumbo safety...6-round leather lace on shell carrier...

Also have an Express that was another pawn shop save...26" barrel left as is...forcing cone lengthened...Trijicon Trak-Lok sights...Choate 9 plus 1 extension w/Tac Star clamp...jumbo safety...combat follower...parkerized...wood painted OD Dura Coat green...

I have a 870 Marine Magnum with Trijicon Trak-Lok sights & jumbo safety that stays behind the drivers side rear passenger seat of my pickup...

My 18 & 15 year old boys each have a factory parkerized Police Model with 20" cyl. bore rifle sight barrels...I had them threaded for choke tubes...Wilson plus 1 extensions...jumbo safety....6--round leather shell carriers...

We live in a rural area with law enforcement not around the corner. We understand our personal situation & are prepared to handle what may come along. My wife...who is not a real gun person has a 870 Express 20 gauge youth I bought for her...it wears a full length extension & a Meprolight front sight...she can shoot it and load it very well!:-)

[DaveC]

That's great! Is it cheaper to have a smith lop off the barrel length, or to get a new replacement barrel? I kept my "fowling piece" barrel, but installed a Rem 870 18-1/2-in. cylinder bore barrel manufactured by Mossberg.

My wife dislikes pump action. I really, really like the Rem. 870 in 20-gauge with a shorter length-of-pull stock. If I didn't already "build" my Express Synthetic into a defensive gun, that is where I'd "start over" on HD that is for sure... I hope you can give us some pictures when these builds of yours are complete!

Good luck tinkering with those!

[Synchronizor]

Those sound great, some nice prices as well. I'd love to see pictures of the project.

...forcing cone lengthened...

Have you done patterning to see what difference that makes compared to your unmodified barrels? A lot of gunsmiths and manufacturers are pushing those lengthened cones, but I haven't really seen anything to show that they offer a real improvement.

That's great! Is it cheaper to have a smith lop off the barrel length, or to get a new replacement barrel? I kept my "fowling piece" barrel, but installed a Rem 870 18-1/2-in. cylinder bore barrel manufactured by Mossberg.

If you don't care about chokes, you could probably save some money by just cutting a barrel down (or finding an inexpensive used barrel and cutting that down). Vent-ribs are great for this because you don't have to worry about installing or remounting a sight pedestal. Of course, one of the 870's biggest strengths is it's versatility, so it's nice to keep the hunting barrel intact and get a second one for HD.

My wife dislikes pump action. I really, really like the Rem. 870 in 20-gauge with a shorter length-of-pull stock. If I didn't already "build" my Express Synthetic into a defensive gun, that is where I'd "start over" on HD that is for sure... I hope you can give us some pictures when these builds of yours are complete!

A 20ga semi-auto is a great choice for an easy-to-handle HD weapon that any member of the family can use effectively. Pumps are fine if you practice with them, but a less-experienced user can easily fumble or short-stroke one under stress. A gas-operated action also bleeds off a noticeable portion of the recoil.

[Bastard File]

For me having the barrels cut down & threaded for tubes again is far cheaper than a new barrel. I like vent rib barrels as well. My gunsmith is a close friend & very talented. His refinishing is top shelf & his attention to detail is impeccable. The work he's done on my 870's rivals that of any of the high dollar professional combat shotgun builders. As for lengthening the forcing cone...he does that as a matter of practice for me & to be completely honest I can't say with any degree of certainty they pattern any better than a barrel that has not been modified. I'm just an old country boy...not very high tech! I use IC Rem-Choke tubes exclusively in my combat 870's. I dropped the two project 870's off to him today matter of fact. Also brought him another H&R Topper Model 88 12-gauge that I found a couple of days ago for $60...having it cut to 20" & threaded for a choke tube...adding a post front sight & parkerizing it. He's done a couple others the same way for me as I usually buy them when they turn up in decent condition which is not often.They make great stash/work shotguns & I keep one in the cab of my tractor when working with it. I put Limb Saver slip on recoil pads on them to increase the LOP & to aid in recoil as it can be a tad brisk with 3" shells & leather lace on shell carriers. You'd be surprised how "handy" they are & just how fast they can be loaded with practice. I can fire a round & have another shell in the chamber before the spent hull hits the ground. That ain't brag, just lots of practice!:-) My boys are faster than me! I'll attempt to post pics with the assistance of my boys who are far better equipped to perform such tasks:-)

[Bastard File]

Additionally, Synchronizer is correct regarding the 20 gauge semi-auto. I initially bought my lovely bride a Remington Special Field lightweight 1100...she however never became comfortable with the European stock. It wore a full length mag tube & was one really sweet shotgun nonetheless. I still have it, but bought her a youth Express 870 20 gauge with laminated furniture...added a full length mag tube & a Meprolight front sight which replaced the factory bead. She likes it much better. I just wanted her to be comfortable with whatever it was. She's a small, 5-2" woman who tried my 870's with low brass field loads & low recoil buckshot...too much weight, LOP too long & recoil for her to deal with...she's tough though as she's surrounded by relatively big boys...I'm 6-2" and go about 235...my 18 year old is 6-6" and my almost 15 year old is 6-1"!:-)