SBS 870 Dlask Shorty / Grizzly 8.5 / Build with 14 inch barrel

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mellows

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Hello everyone,

I'm looking to acquire a SBS and I'm at a fork in the road. The Dlask shorty looks great but afraid of an express receiver. The 8.5 inch Grizzly at $400 looks good but unsure of reliability l. I have a 14 inch 870 barrel and maybe I should just buy a part gun.

Anyone have any experience with one of these directions?

Thanks,
 
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If you've already got a 12.5" barrel, get yourself an 18.5" Grizzly and swap the barrels. Or atleast the 12.5" Grizzly. The shorter ones take a monetary pump grip and I always preferred options personally.
 
The receivers are made of the same steel, there are only a few different internal parts and a bit of hand fitting. I'm not sure what finish they use on the police, but ya... the finish on express leaves a lot to be desired. They are better than grizzlies IMO.
 
Nothing wrong with an Express. Not the most refined but It goes bang like the rest of them. I would rate the Grizzly under and Express... by a small margin.
 
I've always had an 870 police. I've been told the fit and finish just doesn't hold up on express receivers. Are they decent?
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They are the exact same receivers.

The Wingmasters and Police models get a bit more buffing, but that's about it.

If it's a custom gun from Dlask, they probably do some buffing of their own before the gun leaves the shop.

They generally don't sell junk.
 
I've got a Grizzly and an old Wingmaster and I've owned an Express (or two) - while the dimensions are close, the level of finishing on the higher level guns is worth looking for to me. They manage to be very tight and very smooth at the same time. If the level of finish is second to the level of function, I'd get an Express, or a Norc (probably a Norc) and get it Cerakoted and maybe polish the bolt and carrier. If you're panicky about the ejector and extractor differences on Express guns, have it Cerakoted and get those changed at the same place and time. As far as barrels go 14 inches is to me, the sweet spot for a tactical shotgun, you lose nothing over a longer barrel (sometimes you gain, believe it or not) and you get much more nimble handling. It's interesting that after a fair bit of testing the US Border Patrol specified a 14 inch barrel for their first SGT orders, and that the DEA uses 14 inch Vang Comp'd Mossbergs.
 
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8.5 is just a range toy. For hunting or serious bear defense I would go with a 12.5 or 14" (my personal favorite). That said, I have an 8.5 that I built. I got an 8.5 Dlask barrel, an old wingmaster which I had sent to Casey who cut and threaded the mag tube down to fit the 8.5 barrel. He also cut down the forend slide to fit a shorter forend (which you also have to procure, I personally actually like the dominion arms forend). This would cost probably more than a Dlask in the long run. I also had dlask custom make a 14" barrel to fit the 8.5 frame which would allow use of a plus one extension. It was a fairly expensive project that I did just for the hell of it. The truth is, I shoot it now and then, but for the most part it's in the safe. If I grab a shotgun it's usually one of my 14" or one with a slug barrel
 
i have played with short barrel shotguns including dlask and grizzly . i prefer the dlask over the grizzly. lighter weight of the dlask . a better sight . a barrel that has a defined chamber unlike the grizzly. i changed out the for-end on the dlask for a Remington that i cut down to fit as i disliked the dlask as it would tear your hand up on recoil. three in the tube on the dlask versus two on the grizzly although there is a workaround on this . if you have a 14 inch Remington barrel i would be getting a good wingmaster receiver and have a gun that would in my opinion be the better option at a far less cost. far less noise , a better sight picture , and with a plus one round extension lots of capacity. the 14 inch barrel will be better velocity wise also over the 8.5 barrel .i recommend trying out one of the ultra shorts as i like to call them 8.5 shotguns before buying. as dogzilla says they are fun but are a little less practical depending on your intended use . as a side note do not fire an 8.5 shotgun without proper ear protection as these things will deafen you .
 
I found a well used Wingmaster on the EE and put a CanadaAmmo 12.5" barrel on it, then sold the original barrel on the EE for $100 so for the basic package I was into it for a bit over $400. Later on I saw some decent bargains at a couple of gunshows on well used Wingmasters.

(Like any project, the cost balloons from there with rails, optics, changing furniture and upgraded internals). But a basic package can be done economically.

Until you have tried one I would be hesitant to spend to much on a shorty shotgun. (Unless you are well set financially then by all means buy what your heart desires)

Last spring I helped a neighbour set one up, it was super handy to have in the tractor cab or on the quad and he dispatched many skunks, beaver and other vermin. However he had to give it up as the blast, without hearing protection, will do permanent damage.


Since you already have a 14" barrel I would find a used Wingmaster and install it and see how you like it. If you go another direction you certainly won't lose any money.
 
As with most here, I think the standard 870 with a 14" barrel is by far the more practical solution and will allow you far greater versatility. Stick a +1 mag extention on it and call it a day.
 
I came by the same conclusion as many people here. I had an 870 with a DA 12.5" barrel on it. But I now have a 14" and a +1 which I love!! Much more useful and the longer site picture with a proper bead on a post makes aiming easier. Not to mention the Remington barrel is awesome!
 
Check out the latest issue of Calibre magazine, they torture tested a Grizzly. I just picked it up and haven't had a chance to read it, but should give you an idea of durability.
 
Can-down said:
What ever you decide, don't mix and match between Remington and Norinco unless you don't mind canted barrels.
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This. The barrels will interchange, but they are 4 degrees out of index.

I have Remington's and Grizzlies. The grizzly is a near perfect copy of a police 870. The differences are lack of a flexi-tab elevator, no pedestal for the sight, and the slide tube is larger diameter. A grizzly finish is bead blast and parkerizing. It is actually finished better than an express.

To the guy bemoaning the da barrels, that bit about undefined chambers is total bs. Mine gauge identical to a Remington. I also put on a Remington pedestal sight. Made a huge difference. The da barrel has enough meat to install rem-chokes. Which I recommend.

An express is finished less well, has more cast parts, and is grittier all around. The receiver top is in-machined. On a grizzly, it's finished like a wing master.

I would put the order like this, from best to worst:

1) wing master
2) police
3) grizzly
4) express
 
I purchased a current production Express (marked 'Remington 870' with IR code serial) and it's actually well refined in comparison to the earlier '870 Express' marked shotguns... Comparable to my 870P
 
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