[BereanBrain]

Takes longer to talk about it than it does to change it :)

Video at link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYG7BS-Wntc

(cut and paste link into your browser).

I have a 870 Magnum, for home defense. If you are in a densely wooded area, and you think the shot on the deer would be < 80 yards, just get double aught (00) buckshot and use your full choke barrel or the modified choke.

You will find it slings enough pellets to stop a deer, and you have a much better chance of hitting it, at maybe 50 yards, full choke you will pattern about the size of an unfolded sheet of newspaper, give or take a little.

If you have a “small” home with smallish rooms, I might consider the shorter barrel for home defense. I use my regular field barrel.

[barb-tex]

I have an 870 made in the mid-50’s and the barrel is held by a single hand tighr nut and can quickly be removed and replaced. I suppose they atill have this feature. I now shoot a double/ The 879 is a great Piece, and it or the Mossberg
should satisfy your need for a pump Shotgun.

[Vendome]

Just get a Mossberg 500 with dual barrels.

It’s cheaper and very reliable.

Police departments and the military use it.

The barrel you care about is 18.5” and if you want to install the longer barrel for hunting it’s as simple as turning a a screw by hand.

They can be had from Big5 for less than $300 when they are on sale.

They accept all loads in 2 3/4 and 3 inch rounds.

I personally use the 2 3/4 rounds as there is no demonstrable difference in performance for home defense.

[P8riot]

As long as the gauge and chamberings match, you will be OK. For instance, you can only put a 12 GA barrel on a 12 GA, and pay special attention to the markings on the receiver. If it is marked 2-3/4”, you need to use a barrel marked 2-3/4”, if it is marked 3” use a 2-3/4” or 3” barrel, and lastly if it is marked 3-1/2” use 2-3/4”, 3”, or 3-1/2”. But you are limited to the shells that match the barrel markings. For instance, don’t try to use a 3” shell in a 3” gun with a 2-3/4” barrel, it won’t work you have to use 2-3/4”.

[P8riot]

Almost forgot. You cannot use a magazine extension on a Remington express without first modifying the existing magazine. There are dimple inside the stock magazine tube that prevent this. You first have to remove them completely with a dremel or similar tool before you can use the extension.

If you use a Mossberg 500 as Vendome stated, you won't have to modify the magazine tube, and you can also exchange barrels. There are just as many barrel options for the Mossberg as the 870, and Mossberg's tend to run less expensive and are just as reliable. The plus wit a Mossberg is that the safety is locates on the tang (top of the receiver where the stock meets the receiver, and is more easily accessed by most folks without having to adjust your shooting grip. This also makes it a little easier for left-handed shooters.

[P8riot]

One last thing. Lot's of folks advocate using 00 or 000 buck for home defense, and those are adequate rounds, but they are severely limited in the amount of lead you can put on target. #1 buck is a better round for self defense, it may be a little harder to find depending on your area, but it has the advantage of more pellets at a slightly smaller diameter than 00 buck, but if you calculate the cross-section of each pellet and multiply it by the number of pellets you will see that it is greater than the 00 or 000.

Here is a good wright up on the advantages of #1 over 00, http://firearmstactical.com/briefs10.htm

Whichever round you choose remember to practice, practice, practice.

And one last thing before I forget, the commonly reported saying that just the sound of a pump shotgun being "racked" scares off intruders is a fallacy. It puts you at a disadvantage, first it gives away you position, second it suggest that you are starting with an unloaded weapon (really bad in my book), and if so you loose the advantage of the extra round. I don't want the bad guy to hear me rack the slide. I want them to hear BOOM, end of story.

[Rearden]

The Remington 870 is the industry standard firearm for totally screwing up a bad guys whole life. There is no telling just how many reprobates either met their Maker or had a come to Jesus moment after looking at the business end of this weapon.

I own both a 870 and a Mossberg 500. Either will leave a perp just as dead as the other. Both have options available to fit it up the way you want it. If money is a prime consideration, the Mossberg will run a bit less than the 870. The difference? If you have ever fired a Colt 1911 and anything else chambered in .45ACP and really favored the Colt, you will have to have a 870. If you can’t really tell any difference, get the Mossberg and save the money.

OK you Kimber, Springfield, Glock, etc. shooters, let the flaming commence, lol.

[Rearden]

One more thing, what ever “gauge” you choose, Brownell’s.com is a great place for barrels, magazine extensions, etc.

[Joe Boucher]

I have an 870 synthetic like you iquire about.
Changed the grip to a pistol grip and the barrel to a 19 incher.
Easy to do and then look in to Centurion ammo for it. A large ball bearing surrounded by ten small ones. They will stop a bull of a guy.
Also it takes an allen wrench and screwdriver to change back so you can still use it to trap shoot.

[harpu]

Some good feedback...

[savedbygrace]

I have owned this shotgun for more than a year now:

http://www.maverickarms.com/pages/88security.htm

It is a cheaper version of the Mossberg 500 series, but with the 18.5” barrel. If you remove the wooden dowel from the magazine, it will hold 5 in the magazine and 1 in the chamber, 6 total. But the dowel is required by federal law to make the maximum load be 3 shells for bird hunting, IIRC.

If you are caught bird hunting with a shotgun that holds more than the maximum, you will be fined big time.

[WakeUpAndVote]

An 870 is a good platform to build upon. Great for small game. Barrel change outs are just a twist of the knob in front of the pump.

[OKSooner]

" Is it as simple as buying any 870 express and just swapping out the barrels? "

Piece of pie. Easy as cake.

Note that you can't do this with most autoloaders - each new barrel needs to be headspaced by a gunsmith just like a rifle. With the 870, or any pump action (but why buy any pump action, or any shotgun, except the 870?), just switcheroo. Don't torque it down too much... you'll know what I mean when you do it.

Happy shooting. Use eye and ear protection, use AA target loads for practice and save your empties.

[762X51]

You can swap barrels to your heart’s content. You proposed getting the 7 shot 870 Express synthetic with the extended mag, which is a great idea. As someone else mentioned if you get the non-extended mag version it has the dimpled mag tube which makes it hard to add a mag extension, but if you get the factory extended mag version (model 25077) it doesn’t have the dimples. To change barrels you’d just remove the mag extension/barrel nut and replace it with a regular barrel nut and you may need a shorter mag spring. Another good thing about the 7 shot 870 Express Synthetic is that it can be had in 20 gauge too, if you’re so inclined.

[archy]

What I am hoping is that I can buy one shotgun, and by purchasing a couple of additional barrels, I can have a true multi-tasker. Can I, for example, buy the 870 with the 18 inch barrel, and the magazine extension so that I have a 7 shot, home defense shotgun, then remove the magazine extension, and replace the barrel with a 22 or 24 inch barrel to have a fowl and small game shotgun, then swap the barrel again with a rifled slug barrel (with gun sights) and have a deer gun?

Is it as simple as buying any 870 express and just swapping out the barrels?

Almost. There should be no problem with the barrel swaps, and that idea is so popular and there are so many 870s out there that some other manufacturers sell accessory barrels for the 870.

You may have a minor problem adding the magazine extension, however. Some of the Express versions have had *dimples* pressed into the sides of the magazine tube, apparantly to drive customers desiring the guns for security purposes to other manufacturers or to Remington's more higher-priced security models. Not a problem.

The dimples can be either pressed out with a swedging tool, or simply drilled out, and the mag extension will then work fine. Some of the Express 870s lack the ball-bearing detent used to latch the barrel in place, but this can be easily overcome by adding an accessory magazine tube clamp, which both better supports the front of the mag extension and provides a place for a front sling swivel. BTW, the Choate mag extension kit comes with the clamp included.

[MileHi]

I purchased an 18” rem-choke barrel with rifle sights for my 870. With a rifled choke tube it puts slugs on target at 100 yds handily, and patterns buckshot at 25 yds. That barrel with an extra full works well for turkeys.

The original long barrel gets the nod for clay pigeons and pheasants.

No mag extension, but it hold 4+1 with the plug removed.