Hello all... New shotgun user that's planning to purchase an 870 for home defense... The number of different 870 models is almost overwhelming... I like the 870 Express Tactical, but not much of a fan of the door-busting flash hider... Also not sure if I will ever add a sight to it... Anything special I should look for?
I will probably add a side saddle to hold a few extra shells and might possibly switch to a Hogue overmolded stock and forend... Does a forend replacement mean that I will need a removable barrel?
New Member Interested in Home Defense 870...
-
RaylanGivens
- Newbie
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2012 6:55 pm
- Location: Tampa Bay, FL
Re: New Member Interested in Home Defense 870...
RaylanGivens- welcome to the forum!
The 870 Express Tactical is a fine choice for home defense- right out of the box it has some of the basic HD (home defense) features that many folks are looking for when the take an older used model that started out as a hunting shotgun and convert it to home defense. Key things are the shorter barrel, such as 18.5" to 21" depending on your preference, an extended magazine tube if you like, and perhaps even a modified stock. The "flash hider" isn't really a flash hider...it's a ported tactical extended choke tube which helps prevent muzzle rise, and it simply screws out of the end of the barrel. They also make a model without it, called the 870 Express Synthetic 7 round and also the 870 Express Synthetic 18" (doesn't have the +2 magazine extension so it only holds 5 shells total). The 870 Express Synthetic is probably your cheapest option if you want an 18" barrel, and if you find later on that you need more magazine capacity, many places sell extension tube kits.
The shorter the barrel, the more maneuverability you will pick up, as well as a reduction in weight. However, if you add magazine tube extensions, those don't weigh much by themselves, but they will add weight to the shotgun when you fill that tube with the extra shells. With an 18.5" barrel, you can generally take the standard magazine tube (4 shells plus one in the chamber = 5 shells) and add a +2 extension (gives you 7 shells total) and keep the extension shorter than the barrel. With a 21" barrel, you can add a +3 extension (gives you 8 shells total) to the magazine tube.
Stocks are plentiful to choose from- some like recoil reducing, some like pistol grips, and some like the adjustable so it can be altered to fit what you are wearing (you would make the stock shorter when wearing a heavy jacket and longer if wearing a t-shirt) or it can be adjusted to fit multiple shooters (man, woman, child, and all variations of those).
Unless something has changed recently, all 870 barrels are removable, so don't worry about that if you're debating swapping out your forend. Forends are like stocks- many different ones to choose from. Some come included with certain stocks, others are sold individually. Some have light mounting options, or laser options, or extra shell holding options...the fun part here is that you can spend weeks researching the different options.
As far as a sight goes, you don't need an Eotech, but at minimum you want a bead on the end of your barrel...I'd recommend upgrading to a Fiber Optic at least...they are inexpensive (many options under $20) and don't require a gunsmith to install. You could also do ghost ring option, which gives you something at the rear of the gun to line up with the front bead/fiber option. If you add a rail to the top of your receiver, there are ghost rings that will mount to the rail, or you can leave the rail off and have a gunsmith install a ghost ring. The rail gives you flexibility to swap between sights...ghost ring, red dot, etc. Either way, I recommend a sight of some sort...shotguns, contrary to popular belief, must be aimed. You cannot simply point it around the corner and pull the trigger hoping to destroy everything in the room.
Sorry for the lengthy reply- I hope some of it helps.
The 870 Express Tactical is a fine choice for home defense- right out of the box it has some of the basic HD (home defense) features that many folks are looking for when the take an older used model that started out as a hunting shotgun and convert it to home defense. Key things are the shorter barrel, such as 18.5" to 21" depending on your preference, an extended magazine tube if you like, and perhaps even a modified stock. The "flash hider" isn't really a flash hider...it's a ported tactical extended choke tube which helps prevent muzzle rise, and it simply screws out of the end of the barrel. They also make a model without it, called the 870 Express Synthetic 7 round and also the 870 Express Synthetic 18" (doesn't have the +2 magazine extension so it only holds 5 shells total). The 870 Express Synthetic is probably your cheapest option if you want an 18" barrel, and if you find later on that you need more magazine capacity, many places sell extension tube kits.
The shorter the barrel, the more maneuverability you will pick up, as well as a reduction in weight. However, if you add magazine tube extensions, those don't weigh much by themselves, but they will add weight to the shotgun when you fill that tube with the extra shells. With an 18.5" barrel, you can generally take the standard magazine tube (4 shells plus one in the chamber = 5 shells) and add a +2 extension (gives you 7 shells total) and keep the extension shorter than the barrel. With a 21" barrel, you can add a +3 extension (gives you 8 shells total) to the magazine tube.
Stocks are plentiful to choose from- some like recoil reducing, some like pistol grips, and some like the adjustable so it can be altered to fit what you are wearing (you would make the stock shorter when wearing a heavy jacket and longer if wearing a t-shirt) or it can be adjusted to fit multiple shooters (man, woman, child, and all variations of those).
Unless something has changed recently, all 870 barrels are removable, so don't worry about that if you're debating swapping out your forend. Forends are like stocks- many different ones to choose from. Some come included with certain stocks, others are sold individually. Some have light mounting options, or laser options, or extra shell holding options...the fun part here is that you can spend weeks researching the different options.
As far as a sight goes, you don't need an Eotech, but at minimum you want a bead on the end of your barrel...I'd recommend upgrading to a Fiber Optic at least...they are inexpensive (many options under $20) and don't require a gunsmith to install. You could also do ghost ring option, which gives you something at the rear of the gun to line up with the front bead/fiber option. If you add a rail to the top of your receiver, there are ghost rings that will mount to the rail, or you can leave the rail off and have a gunsmith install a ghost ring. The rail gives you flexibility to swap between sights...ghost ring, red dot, etc. Either way, I recommend a sight of some sort...shotguns, contrary to popular belief, must be aimed. You cannot simply point it around the corner and pull the trigger hoping to destroy everything in the room.
Sorry for the lengthy reply- I hope some of it helps.