Just rec'd my latest purchase today - an 8.5" DA Grizzly.
Compared to the 12.5" Grizzly I purchased 5+ years ago the difference between them is like night and day.
The first DA I purchased required extensive de-burring around the bottom loading / ejection port.
The edges were so sharp that I nicked my thumb when trying to load the first shells into the tube magazine.
Racking the slide was an exercise in futility with one liking it to have poured a handful of sand into the action.
The finish was uneven and a bit thin in some areas - couldn't wait to refinish the shotgun in duracoat.
Spent a couple of hours de-burring and polishing the action resulted in a very smooth operating shotgun.
One that I still have to this day. Surprisingly it is one of my favourites (The wingmaster I've had for 35 years is my goto gun).
Fast forward 5 years.
I decided I wanted to do some experiments with a short barrel shotgun. DA Grizzly 8.5 is one of the cheaper options. I love Dlask products but there might be a chance I screw parts up and wanted to minimize the cost. However, I just purchased a Dlask forend to replace the factory DA forend. Note - your non shooting thumb comes pretty damn close to the muzzle - even with the tang used to keep your hand back from the end of the barrel. Going to have to teach myself to grip the forend with thumb down and not forward.
Not sure if I will turn it into restricted or not by adding a speedfeed pistol grip. However, I digress......
The fit and finish is better than the last Remington 870 Express I purchased.
No sharp edges, ports nicely rounded, no obvious tooling marks externally, and a deep even bluing.
The end cap looks North American made (as opposed to a bad looking copy).
Rails appear to have been de-burred - action is stiff but relatively smooth to operate (Need to wear things in a bit).
Safety is a little mushy when trying to disengage but I have Remington factory spares I can swap out if needed.
Internals (from what I can see without dis-assembly) appear cleaner with WAAAYYYYY less machining marks.
Bore and chamber feel smooth to the touch.
As an added bonus, the DA still machine the grooves on the top of the receiver (Remington no longer does this on all 870's to save money) which gives the shotgun a finished look.
Comes drilled and tapped for a rail with appropriate slotted screws filling in the holes.
Brass bead sits evenly on the barrel and appears crisp and finished (unlike the shop class gone wrong one that came with the 12.5 version I purchased).
Overall I was presently surprised at the quality improvements that were made over the course of the last 5 years.
While the finish would be qualified as "utilitarian" it by no means screams "Chinese" of years past.
FYI: The pistol grip was never screwed onto the gun and was removed after picture was taken. Blotchy fingerprints were before I wiped down the gun. This thing is short. Wonder if I can create a shoulder holster for it?
L
Compared to the 12.5" Grizzly I purchased 5+ years ago the difference between them is like night and day.
The first DA I purchased required extensive de-burring around the bottom loading / ejection port.
The edges were so sharp that I nicked my thumb when trying to load the first shells into the tube magazine.
Racking the slide was an exercise in futility with one liking it to have poured a handful of sand into the action.
The finish was uneven and a bit thin in some areas - couldn't wait to refinish the shotgun in duracoat.
Spent a couple of hours de-burring and polishing the action resulted in a very smooth operating shotgun.
One that I still have to this day. Surprisingly it is one of my favourites (The wingmaster I've had for 35 years is my goto gun).
Fast forward 5 years.
I decided I wanted to do some experiments with a short barrel shotgun. DA Grizzly 8.5 is one of the cheaper options. I love Dlask products but there might be a chance I screw parts up and wanted to minimize the cost. However, I just purchased a Dlask forend to replace the factory DA forend. Note - your non shooting thumb comes pretty damn close to the muzzle - even with the tang used to keep your hand back from the end of the barrel. Going to have to teach myself to grip the forend with thumb down and not forward.
Not sure if I will turn it into restricted or not by adding a speedfeed pistol grip. However, I digress......
The fit and finish is better than the last Remington 870 Express I purchased.
No sharp edges, ports nicely rounded, no obvious tooling marks externally, and a deep even bluing.
The end cap looks North American made (as opposed to a bad looking copy).
Rails appear to have been de-burred - action is stiff but relatively smooth to operate (Need to wear things in a bit).
Safety is a little mushy when trying to disengage but I have Remington factory spares I can swap out if needed.
Internals (from what I can see without dis-assembly) appear cleaner with WAAAYYYYY less machining marks.
Bore and chamber feel smooth to the touch.
As an added bonus, the DA still machine the grooves on the top of the receiver (Remington no longer does this on all 870's to save money) which gives the shotgun a finished look.
Comes drilled and tapped for a rail with appropriate slotted screws filling in the holes.
Brass bead sits evenly on the barrel and appears crisp and finished (unlike the shop class gone wrong one that came with the 12.5 version I purchased).
Overall I was presently surprised at the quality improvements that were made over the course of the last 5 years.
While the finish would be qualified as "utilitarian" it by no means screams "Chinese" of years past.
FYI: The pistol grip was never screwed onto the gun and was removed after picture was taken. Blotchy fingerprints were before I wiped down the gun. This thing is short. Wonder if I can create a shoulder holster for it?
L
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