Is a charging handle available for the 870?

[superzoe]

Hey dudes, I'm looking to get my first shotgun and I want one with a charging handle. Can you add one to the 870?

[Chief Brody]

Hi, welcome to the forum - Let me clear something up for you: The 870 is a pump-action shotgun - Semi-autos are the ones with charging handles, so that would be the Remington 1100, 1187, VersaMax, and the V3. All great firearms, but just apples and oranges compared to a pump. Hope that helped!

-Steve.

[Synchronizor]

Like Chief Brody said, the 870 is not a semi-auto, you don't charge it and then shoot until the magazine is empty. It's a manual action, you have to cycle it yourself after every shot. This is the advantage of a pump over other manual designs like bolt-actions, lever-actions, etc; you don't have to move your hands from the shooting hold to work it, you just move your support hand back and forward. In a way, you could view the gun's fore-end as a charging handle.

I suppose if you really wanted an AK-type charging handle, you could install a fore-end with side rails, and then attach a vertical grip so that it sticks out horizontally. It'll slow you down and get you weird looks at the range, but it'll work.

[superzoe]

Good to know. I just got myself an 870 on Friday. I have a thing for charging handles, but the mossberg 930 was way more expensive. So I joined 870 club for $300. Yeehaw! Going to be fun.