Home defense

[Chief Brody]

There are several ways to solidly mount a light to your 870. The SF forend is probably the most expensive. If that's not an issue for you, go for it. I have a Streamlight mag tube mount for my TLR-1 it gives me no problems whatsoever.

[M1AG30]

No 870 has a plastic trigger. What's plastic is the trigger plate, which is the frame of the trigger assembly that contains all the parts, and incorporates the trigger guard.

Express and some special-purpose 870s have plastic trigger plates, while Police models and (last I looked) Wingmasters have original-style metal trigger plates. However, it's important to point out that that metal isn't billet steel or anything, it's compressed, powder-cast aluminum, which does not have very great structural properties. Powder-cast aluminum is especially known for poor toughness (impact strength/resistance). While the old-style compressed aluminum 870 trigger plates aren't really known for being fragile, a lot of folks - myself included - prefer the newer plastic ones.

Here's a video that shows some testing that compares aluminum trigger guards to modern polymer trigger guards in impact tests.

this is actually great information and the video was very eye opening!

[Deuce]

Is there a quality problem with the standard 870s such that the Police model is a better choice?

[Chief Brody]

The benefit of the Police Mag over the Express models is a significantly better finish, better springs, and an overall closer attention to detail at the factory. Many Express models (everything except Wingmasters and Police models) over the past few years have been known to sometimes jam up while using cheap ammunition. The problem being the shells get stuck in the chamber, won't extract properly.

My Police Mag did the same thing when using the cheap Winchester bulk stuff. I've got well over 2,000 rounds through the gun at this point and you know what I've found? If I use crappy, cheap shells... they get stuck. While I'd love to say my gun will eat anything I feed it, I'm ok with saying with good ammunition my gun runs flawlessly. Extremely smooth and slick action. Every so often, I do shoot the trouble brands occasionally, just to check.

There are a heck of a lot more model options in the Express line than the Police line-up. My opinion: find the one you like, take good care of it, feed it good ammunition, and shoot the snot out of it. It will serve you well.

[Synchronizor]

The Police model mainly gets you a much tougher & more protective finish, and heavier-duty (but also heavier-weight) stocks if you're comparing models with synthetic furniture. There are some minor differences in sights & accessories, depending on which packages you're comparing, but the guns are mechanically identical, so any accessories that come on Police guns can also be installed on an Express or Wingmaster. Nearly all internals are identical, though there are a few heavier (not better, just stiffer and intended specifically for fighting roles) springs, and Police guns have a machined extractor & powder-cast aluminum trigger plate, rather than the MIM extractor & polymer trigger plate of the Express. Again, parts are interchangeable if you want to "upgrade" a civilian model, though both work just fine.

More details here.

As far as quality, they're all 870s. Both Police models & Expresses occasionally show up with defects or out-of-the-box problems that need fixing, but not usually. It's really more a matter of whether or not you want to pay for the extra features of the Police model - or if it's worth it to you just to know you have it.

[Deuce]

Thanks for the information. Glad I found this site