Rem 870 vs DA Grizzly

[randyhub]

And yes when in the woods I carry it and not in a backpack.

I don't like wrap it is a sleeping bag inside a garbage bag to keep it safe, it is a reliable tool that puts slug where I need them but hey want do I know after having shotguns for the last 30 years......

R

 

[Adam134]

"...a 12.5 DA..." High priced, big kid's, toy. Totally useless as a hunting tool and worse when carried in a backpack. You will never be fast enough to defend yourself with any firearm that is tucked away in a pack. You won't with a 20 or so inch 870 either, but having one in your hand will enhance your chances.

What? How is a 20" 870 a useless hunting tool? I'm hoping you're referring to the fact that the gun is "tucked away" vs being carried? My buddy dropped a black bear last year that charged at him while in the bush with an 18.5" 870 tactical shooting a 1oz slug.. I'd say if it can drop a mature black bear on a moments notice it can be relied on for protection in the bush..

 

[tholiver]

I'm contemplating buying a 12.5 DA 870 with the Ghost ring sights. Whats the quality like on the ghost ring sights? Are they similar to any particular brand of sight design? Most importantly can somebody post/link some good images of the sights? Thanks!

 

[Madmardigan]

The 870 Express is an excellent, US made shotgun, with a receiver milled from a solid block of steel. I would not feel poorly equipped with one in any way. I will take the worst one ever made over the best Grizzly ever made. In fact, I will not own a Chinese made firearm.[flame suit on...hahahahahaha]

That said, the Expresses are not parkerized, they are matt blued and they will rust at the drop of a hat, in the presence of moisture. It's happened to a lot of people. They are made to a low price point, with features economical to deliver at the price.

It might be well worth it actually parkerizing the receiver.

Yep, my only complaint with my express was the finish. Get a drop of water on it and it would rust right before your eyes. But it has functioned flawlessly. Not a single issue with thousands of shells ran through it, everything from target loads to 1 1/8 oz 3" slugs. And the lousy finish can be fixed with a $35 duracoat kit from Laurer Weaponry.

 

[tholiver]

Love my 870 Express, reliable gun bought back in the 90's. The reasons i'm looking at the DA 870 is because i like that 12.5 barrel and the ghost ring sights. To buy and have ghost rings installed on my Remington 870 would be 1/2 to 2/3rds the price of just buying the DA 870. If i can find pics of the sights i'll probably end up buying one.

 

[grelmar]

sunray:

You will never be fast enough to defend yourself with any firearm that is tucked away in a pack.

True, that's why you need to African Carry: (not my video)

Practice with snap caps, a LOT, (100+ snap cap shots) before even thinking about loading with live ammo. And something almost none of the training vids are clear on (at least none that I've seen - and this vid gets wrong) - your trigger hand does NOT touch the gun until AFTER you are shouldered and pointed at the target - you use the rotational momentum to get it up in place. You're pretty much slapping your hand around the receiver as you jack the slide, finger on the trigger at the moment of shooting. It takes a bit of practice to get right, but once you know it, you can do it with any long gun and be up and on target and pulling the trigger in the 2-3 second range very consistently. (The difference with bolt or semi autos is you use your trigger hand to work the action at the moment you buttplate hits your shoulder).

As for the safety Sally's out there - if you keep your off hand on the for-end where the sling connects, while you have it in carry it naturally points about 15 degrees ahead, and your body motion prevents it from ever pointing at your feet. Also, your bicep covers the trigger so you reduce the chances of a twig/branch catch on the trigger.

Carry magazine loaded and chamber empty anyway.

As for 870 v. DA Grizzly:

I have a 12.5" cylinder bore DA, tube mag and bead sight, and it's true, the finish will blow off in a stiff breeze. But otherwise, it's a tough, durable workhorse. I was actually out this afternoon blasting patterns, and with 7.5" bird or 00 buck, you're looking at 25yard (tops) effective range before the pattern is so spread out you don't have to worry about hitting what you're pointing at so much as the stuff around what you're shooting at. It is very much a "up close and smelling the bear farts" gun. Bird shot is not only useless vs. Bear, it will most likely just serve to piss it off.

Personal choice: Salt and pepper load. Load it so your first (panic) shot is 00 so you increase your hit probability, followed by slug, followed by 00, followed by slug, followed by "Oh crap, I just blew my wad, missed everything, and am about to become grizzly snack."

DA reliability/Quality:
Had zero problems with mine, and it runs smooth as butter. Mind you, when it arrived in the mail, the FIRST thing I did was strip it right down to nuts and bolts, gave it a thorough cleaning, which washed out a surprising amount of filings and grit, and that crappy preservative/lubricant/ectoplasmic goo that Norinco likes soak all their guns in. Then lubed it, shoved it in the safe, and clean it after any day I fire it. And that's pretty much what you should do with any new gun, or turn in your license because you don't deserve to own a boomstick.

I like the DA because it's a beater, and it likes the abuse. I don't care about mis-treating it in the bush.

 

[rgallant]

I like my DA, I sling it when working my way along creeks and lake shores so it is handy to grab with my right hand. Feeds everything I toss at it, no problem putting slugs into to a 2 in circle at 25 or so meters shooting pretty quickly. It did take about 30 rounds to smooth out.

 

[Can-down]

Barrels between the 870 and DA Grizzly are interchangeable, so that would leave me to believe that pumps/stocks/receiver shell saddles/other accessories are interchangeable as well? Yes? No?

For the most part the barrels will swap though some are too tight and all the ones I've seen were slightly out of index.
The other difference is the mag tube O.D. is different so 870 foreends need to be sanded out a bit to fit.

 

[mosinmaster]

If I were to protect myself from a bear, I think a 1895 GG in 45-70 would be my top choice. XS Lever rail with a red dot, you can take down pretty much anything. It's a slimmer package and weights about the same as a SBS. Better ballistics and penetration too!

 

[grelmar]

If I were to protect myself from a bear, I think a 1895 GG in 45-70 would be my top choice...

You know, I've been seriously considering that. I have my doubts that 00 would really do much against bear, and once you head to slugs, you've basically turned your shotty into a large smooth-bore. 45-70 is a known bear/large game stopper. And the 1895 GG is THE choice for an awful lot of northern guides who know what their doing and have the most experience, and that's a pretty solid endorsement.

 

[BL89]

well i sorta have to give one to Remington. at least a new 870 express can make it a couple hundred rounds without the slide assembly "peening out" and chipping. about 100 rounds in, the action started becoming noticeably tighter after every shot fired. i "borrowed" my girlfriends slide assembly and everything is all good. i tried filing down where it got peened out and bent but the chips cause it to ride up on the action bars and jam, making it hard to rack the pump forward.

 

[hauseye]

What he said. + there is this crazy new invention called oil - it will help prevent guns from rusting. I've owed every type of Remington 870 and a Chinese clone. Stick with the real thing; finish is no reason to abandon the platform. It’s a tool and should be used as such.