To drill and tap, or not to drill and tap?

[wcoop]

I just picked up an 870 Super Mag, and love the feel. The barrel is 28" long and tipped with a metal bead sight. I've been a rifle shooter, and not having a rear sight is very very strange to me.


I know that drilling and taping the receiver for a scope mount is an option, and that some barrels come with a set of iron sights attached. What I am wondering is if drilling and taping the receiver for a weaver mount will make it impossible to use barrels with the iron sights (are they mounted high enough typically), and will it (the mount) be difficult to remove if I decide to not use it on some occasions?

[Synchronizor]

It really depends on what exactly you're looking to do with the gun, and the reason you want to go with a scope over something more traditional. I will say that drilling and tapping your receiver may not be the best choice for multi-role shotgun, but I'll go into more detail once I know what you want the scope for (and when you don't want to use it), because that does change things.

[wcoop]

Thanks for the reply Synchronizor. What I had in mind was something like http://www.midwayusa.com/product/787138 ... uctFinding

Something to get as long of a sight picture as possible out of an 18-20" barrel, mount some fancy shmancy sci-fi red dot, scope for slugs, etc. But still be able to remove it to throw back on the 28" bead tipped barrel and get back that classic look to be less frowned upon at a skeet and trap club/less conspicuous hunting birds and other things.

[Vitaly]

Here is my post which will be useful for you:
Drilling and Tapping Remington 870 Receiver to Install Rail

[Zebra62]

I chose not to drill and tap, not because I am opposed to it, but becasue I went a different way.

I installed a Mesa Tactical side saddle with integrated rail. 5 inch Piccatiny rail on top, 6 extra rounds on the side for home defense....
http://mesatactical.com/products/suresh ... 2-ga-5-in/


...and it is raised so you can still see the front pin. Frames it nicely. A poor man's Ghost Ring. A Ghost rectangle if you will.




You can get the side saddle in 4, 6 or 8 rounds, 5" 8 1/2" or full length piccatiny rail/heat shield. I got mine from Amazon for a little over a hundred dollars.

The stock of the shotgun is angled to place the average eye at the correct level to sight down the barrel to the front pin. By screwing a rail to the top of your receiver, you will have to look over it to get the pin in view, thus changing the angle the shotgun is aimed. It may be only a degree or two if that, but it is not what it should be for accurate aiming. You can get piccatiny mounted ghostrings, but you would need to get a raised front sight of your favorite flavor to match the hieght of the ghostring.

With an optic mounted on the rail you will not be using the front pin, but your cheek weld will need to be adjusted up approximately an inch (making it a jaw weld) to get your eye back in position to sight through your optic.

As Synchronizer has already stated, its all about how you wish to use your weapon. Reconfiguring a single weapon for multi-purpose rolls is an expensive option but can be done with the correct accesories. I prefer having my dedicated "keeping it simple" HD gun seen above and a second shotgun (currently my Dad's old '56 model Browning A5) for skeet/trap/hunting.