Remington 870 must have upgrades?

Polar Man

Polar Man

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Just picked up an 870 express 20" bbl with rifle sites today, very pleased with it, I had a maverick 88 security and this thing is leagues ahead so far (without actually shooting it:redface: that maverick was dead reliable with all ammo)

I like the length of pull so I wont be putting a Hogue short stock on it, but
I really want to try a Hogue forend, how tacky feeling is it? Would a regular length Hogue stock be worthwhile as well?

I haven't even had a chance to really look at it yet let alone shoot it (girlfriend doesn't know about it so it's still hiding in the trunk :D) but it has a short magazine, 6+1 maybe? I would like to get a 2 shot mag extension, or whatever brings it flush with the barrel end. Where can I find a good quality one without breaking the bank?

I won't have many bells and whistles like pistol grip and flashlight (it will play a home defence role, but it's mostly a do all kind of gun, (with a 26" barrel coming somewhere down the line)
But I would like to upgrade some parts if possible, aluminum follower? Better mag spring? can I get one of those funky magazine caps with a smiley face on it for the 870 express? What are some good up grades I may not even know about?

Thanks in advance.:)
 
There is a more regular length Hogue stock which has a 13.75" LOP, which is only a 1/4 inch shorter than standard. The advantage there is that the grip shaping and texturing is much better than a factory stock.

Anyway, the one "must have" for these guns IMO is a better magazine follower than the gummy plastic bottlecaps they come with, an aftermarket plastic or aluminum piece just looks and works much nicer, for not much money.
 
Yeah I am happy enough with the factory butt stock, maybe I will upgrade the recoil pad.
I might try to make a follower, I'm a machinist and it doesn't look to difficult.
I am also thinking of making a new rear sight to interchange with the standard one, with a 1/4 peep site, kind of a poor mans ghost ring, just for fun to see how it goes.
 
Ix said:
I like oversize safety too
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:agree:

Shotshell holder too... usually what ever you have in and on the gun is what you'd run out with... I like my Mesa 6 shot carrier... mounts on super quick, won't mark the finish on the gun and has a few replicable parts, for when it wears down and the shells to stay put no more. Of and a good sling mount... depending on what time of sling you run with.

The rest are more for ergonomics and stuff... you don't 100% need a flashlight, unless it's planned as a home defence gun, or you do lots of night shooting.

Pistol grips help the ergonomics, and it's operator dependant, and the same go with stocks... if you're a large person, and the stock... uh, stock works for you, then keep it.
 
The 2 upgrades i did to mine that I like best are the Hogue Forend and the oversized safety. I also kept the factory stock as you are doing.

I have a bunch of accessories in stock for that gun if you are interested (Hogue stock, forend, +1 extension, +3 extension, sling plate, followers etc.) A lot of the prices are reduced right now to move some stock.
 
Polar Man said:
Yeah I am happy enough with the factory butt stock, maybe I will upgrade the recoil pad.
I might try to make a follower, I'm a machinist and it doesn't look to difficult.
I am also thinking of making a new rear sight to interchange with the standard one, with a 1/4 peep site, kind of a poor mans ghost ring, just for fun to see how it goes.
Click to expand...

Actually that would be my first, Limbsaver is the way to go!
 
recoil pad recoil pad recoil pad recoil pad recoil pad recoil pad recoil pad recoil pad recoil pad recoil pad recoil pad recoil pad recoil pad recoil pad

then other stuff as you like.

a recoil pad is a must.
 
forbes/hutton said:
with a 20" you could go +3 on the mag.

+2 is at the muzzle or just behind it on a 18" depending on the design.
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To confirm, the 870 tactical comes with a +2? Because I can currently fit 6 in my magtube with the factory extension. I'm thinking of upgrading to a +3 to sit flush with my breecher choke and give me one more shot....
 
greg11 said:
To confirm, the 870 tactical comes with a +2? Because I can currently fit 6 in my magtube with the factory extension. I'm thinking of upgrading to a +3 to sit flush with my breecher choke and give me one more shot....
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A 870 with the mag tube extended out to the end of a 18" or 18.5" barrel (give or take, I remember the Marine about 10 years ago had a tube that was .25"(?) longer than the barrel, the barrel has since soon from 18" to 18.5") should hold 6 rounds.
 
A three shot extension and a steel mag follower are the only add-ons needed..and even those aren't neccessary! Everything else is a waste of money and will actually make the gun heavier and harder to handle. Invest in some ammo and learn how to shoot the gun and work the action properly.

On a side note..if the safety is overly stiff from the factory the ball detent spring can be replaced easily with a lighter one.

And the Flexi-tab as been standard on 870s since the mid to late 1980's so your gun probably has it. Turn the gun over...if it has a "U" shaped cut in the shell carrier...that's a flexi-tab.
 
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VLT79 said:
And the Flexi-tab as been standard on 870s since the mid to late 1980's so your gun probably has it. Turn the gun over...if it has a "U" shaped cut in the shell carrier...that's a flexi-tab.
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My express has that. What is it and why is it a good thing it has it? I never noticed before.
 
ndb86 said:
My express has that. What is it and why is it a good thing it has it? I never noticed before.
Click to expand...

Nevermind. I googled my own answer.





The Flex Tab Carrier allows the carrier to flex in the event that a shell would slip past the primary cartridge stop while loading the mag tube.

This shell would be pushed onto the top of the carrier and jammed between it and the closed bolt. This stuck shell will prevent you from pumping the action. This type of jam requires you to remove the magazine cap, remove the spring and push the shell back up into the tube to free the action. This type of jam can also be cleared removing the trigger assembly and dropping out the offending shell.

The Flex Tab on the carrier allows the carrier to flex enough to still allow you to pump the action and clear the jam.
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ndb86 said:
Nevermind. I googled my own answer.

Quote:
The Flex Tab Carrier allows the carrier to flex in the event that a shell would slip past the primary cartridge stop while loading the mag tube.

This shell would be pushed onto the top of the carrier and jammed between it and the closed bolt. This stuck shell will prevent you from pumping the action. This type of jam requires you to remove the magazine cap, remove the spring and push the shell back up into the tube to free the action. This type of jam can also be cleared removing the trigger assembly and dropping out the offending shell.

The Flex Tab on the carrier allows the carrier to flex enough to still allow you to pump the action and clear the jam.
Click to expand...

Bingo!!!
 
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