shotgun education time

if I load a shell into the chamber and then for some reason can't shoot it can I just rank the pump and eject the shell without causing damage to it?

Yup you'll be good to go. May serve to rack it slow and eject it into your hand for safety/ convenience.
 
I'll try a box of the cheap stuff just to try out and if I have issues I'll start buying the better stuff.

thanks for the tips Kim. I watched a few vids today on proper stripping and cleaning of the 870 so I'll be sure to thoroughly clean and oil this thing before I use it.

thanks for all the help guys. one last thing a little off topic. if I load a shell into the chamber and then for some reason can't shoot it can I just rank the pump and eject the shell without causing damage to it?

There's a long flat "button" in the front left side of the trigger guard. Make sure the safety is on, depress the button with your trigger finger and firmly rack the slide back. You now have an empty chamber but maybe not an empty gun. If there are more shells in the magazine they will feed and you will need to repeat this process till the gun is verifiably empty. A high visibility follower is one of the best mods you can do to your gun and will cost you less than $20.Always, always make sure the gun is empty with the slide open when you are done a course of fire.
Kim
 
a quicker and safer way to fully unload a shotgun is to eject the chambered round, and then tilt the shotgun to the side and drop the next round into your hand. then when you close the action the chamber is empty. then use whatever method required for your shotgun to unload the mag tube, then pop the action open and verify that it is unloaded. my Benelli is even nicer with its shell stop over ride button on the slide. it will eject the chambered round without feeding another from the mag. makes ammo changes and complete unloading very fast. just remember all the safety points from your pal course and you will be fine
 
perfect got it thanks for all the help guys. ill look into one of those bright orange followers ive seen posted on several sites and invest in one. i wasnt sure what they were when i first saw them the other day but not its all making sense. thanks again for everything
 
Rifled choke tubes are available for shooting slugs if you want slightly better accuracy with sabot slugs. However, you may shoot rifled slugs and sabots with most choke tubes installed just fine.

Do not use any turkey chokes with any type of slug. Turkey chokes are too tight for slugs.

Do not shoot any type of slug without a choke tube in place. I would not shoot steel shot with any choke tube installed.

Play safe.

Why not? How do you think waterfowlers shoot waterfowl?
 
perfect got it thanks for all the help guys. ill look into one of those bright orange followers ive seen posted on several sites and invest in one. i wasnt sure what they were when i first saw them the other day but not its all making sense. thanks again for everything

Save yourself the money and just rack the shotgun a few times. As well as clearing the magazine, you'll work the action in a little a better and make ti smoother.
 
The wonderful thing about an 870, or HP9 is the more it gets used, the better it works.

I had an HP9 for a few years, and the more rounds I put through it, the smoother it ran. Went and grabbed an 870 Rem brand new and man... What a pain having to shoot it and shoot shoot and shooooot it to get it to where the action was on HP9. :D


I wouldn't worry about adding a choke to the 14" barrel, just buy longer barrels for it for hunting etc that are threaded. The 14 is all but useless for clays, but it's a lot of fun for CQB type stuff. You know, deadly pop cans, bottles etc.. :D
 
The wonderful thing about an 870, or HP9 is the more it gets used, the better it works.

I had an HP9 for a few years, and the more rounds I put through it, the smoother it ran. Went and grabbed an 870 Rem brand new and man... What a pain having to shoot it and shoot shoot and shooooot it to get it to where the action was on HP9. :D


I wouldn't worry about adding a choke to the 14" barrel, just buy longer barrels for it for hunting etc that are threaded. The 14 is all but useless for clays, but it's a lot of fun for CQB type stuff. You know, deadly pop cans, bottles etc.. :D

thats more or less what itll be used for, i figure if i can hit one out of 5 clays ill be happy, lol, hell if i can hit 5 in one day itll make my day. what can i expect to pay for a longer barrel? eventually id like to take up deer hunting with it so id like something that will give me a bit more stopping power, and im assuming that the 870 barrels will fit on the hp9 as most parts swap out correct?

ive got a recycling box full of pop cans that i swear walk around the house at night and go through my pockets, i think its gonna be payback time soon, now i just need to find a place to shoot in the niagara region that i dont need to pay for and that i can bring my own targets, rotting fruit, cans, the old xbox thats caused me more grief than good, you know, fun things, lol

and is there anything wrong with sitting on the couch and racking the pump to work it in? with or without dry firing it?
 
I've seen 870 barrels at Epps brand new ranging from 150 -300 depending on what you want. I got an 18" from them off their shelf for about 150 I think it was..

Sitting on your couch "pumping" your shotgun will not cause any undue issues except for perhaps the wife looking at you funny.. :D

I wouldn't worry about it, the action will improve with shooting. Although they never become as smooth as an old Wingmaster or Winchester Defender.
 
buddy, she looks at me funny as it is, me sitting there pumping the shotgun would in no way make her look at me any funnier than she already does, lol. how bad is it to dry fire a modern shotgun?

150-300 isnt that bad of a price range, i was expecting it to be around there. ill keep my eyes open for a good used one but if nothing comes up ill end up buying new. what would you recommend as a good all around barrel for hunting deer, shooting clays and possible even turkey?
 
That's a good question. I just have several different ones for each particular purpose.

My 870 I use for clays has a 28" barrel. I have an 18" and a 12" for my other 870. The 18" has rifle sights on it and would be ok for hunting as well.

Maybe others can help you out for an "all round" barrel. But remember, when you want one barrel to do several things you may find it only does all of them half assed... :)
 
yeah i know thats the only downside, you cant have one thats perfect for everything and if such a thing existed it would be worth more than all 3 combined. i figured a 28" would be the best bet as an all around good barrel, better too long than too short right :)
 
Do not shoot any type of slug without a choke tube in place. I would not shoot steel shot with any choke tube installed.

Why not? How do you think waterfowlers shoot waterfowl?

We use quality "waterfowl choke tubes" with a bit of anti-cease grease on the threads.

Perhaps "any" choke tube was too much of a broad brush stroke. I was referring to the tubes that would have come with his HP9.

Steel shot is harder on shotguns than lead shot and patterns differently than lead. Waterfowl choke tubes are made stronger than traditional choke tubes that are only for lead shot.
Waterfowl choke tubes are built so that steel shot, which doesn't pattern as well as lead shot, will hold a tight pattern.

Steel shot will transmit much more energy to the choke when it strikes the conical portion and if the tube is not sufficiently strong, it will deform, known as “choke creep”.

Over time, choke creep will lock a choke in the barrel making it almost impossible to remove. I strongly suggest to only use the correct type chokes for steel shot. They will throw a better pattern with steel shot as well.
 
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We use quality "waterfowl choke tubes" with a bit of anti-cease grease on the threads.

Perhaps "any" choke tube was too much of a broad brush stroke. I was referring to the tubes that would have come with his HP9.

Steel shot is harder on shotguns than lead shot and patterns differently than lead. Waterfowl choke tubes are made stronger than traditional choke tubes that are only for lead shot.
Waterfowl choke tubes are built so that steel shot, which doesn't pattern as well as lead shot, will hold a tight pattern.

Steel shot will transmit much more energy to the choke when it strikes the conical portion and if the tube is not sufficiently strong, it will deform, known as “choke creep”.

Over time, choke creep will lock a choke in the barrel making it almost impossible to remove. I strongly suggest to only use the correct type chokes for steel shot. They will throw a better pattern with steel shot as well.

Only if you go tighter then Mod. Any normal choke mod or less will be fine with steel. I also hunt waterfowl, so im not talking out of my ass. If hes going to be using 870 barrels, then he'll be using rem-chokes. They are all fine for steel (except for the full+ turkey chokes).
 
am i safe picking up a factory 28 inch barrel that i can swap chokes on? ive looked around and ive found some with fixed chokes and some that are that cant take a choke
 
I have an HP9-1. It feeds and extracts everything, even cheapo ammo.

I had it threaded for Winchokes and have modified and cylinder chokes for it.

It's a great little gun for the price, have fun with yours.
 
I also had my 14" tapped for chokes. I had it done for invector/winchoke as I already own a shotgun that takes that style. They work and pattern fine in the 14". I also have a 21" vent -rib that takes the same chokes. That is my turkey/upland barrel and I find it to be as long as I would need a barrel. Maybe a 26-28" for waterfowl, I haven't hunted them in years, or trap but the 21" is great for skeet.
Kim
 
a quicker and safer way to fully unload a shotgun is to eject the chambered round, and then tilt the shotgun to the side and drop the next round into your hand. then when you close the action the chamber is empty. then use whatever method required for your shotgun to unload the mag tube, then pop the action open and verify that it is unloaded. my Benelli is even nicer with its shell stop over ride button on the slide. it will eject the chambered round without feeding another from the mag. makes ammo changes and complete unloading very fast. just remember all the safety points from your pal course and you will be fine

I find the pump till empty method of unloading to be the safest for beginers as you empty the gun completly each time. I use the tip and dump method but I have shot enough to treat all guns as loaded all the time. I have seen people use the tip and dump method and forget there is still shells in the magazine more than once.
Kim
 
how much did it cost you to get that 14 inch threaded? hows it shoot clays with a choke?

I got a screaming deal from a member on here but he says he doesn't want me passing his name around, sorry. $50 and he had to actually blend a piece into the barrel because he hit a void in the stock barrel, really well done and you can hardly notice the repair. He also added a block for the bead to sit on. I also got the 21" vent rib which he cut and threaded for me for $150 from him. He also threaded my Model 37 barrel to take the same chokes. He had to add a piece to that barrel also as the stock barrel was to thin for threading but again a beautiful job.
Kim
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