870 Police Magnum..."Tower Gun"

[G23/40]

That's Tower as in Guard tower.
28"bbl/full choke
Looks like any other parked 870 except for the POLICE MAGNUM stamp and the ramped front bead sight.
I picked up one a lightly used one at a local fun store this past weekend with the box.
I had never heard of such an animal. Thought it was kinda neat and just had to bring it home.
Anyone have any info on this critter? My searches didn't come up with much.

Thanks
G23/40

[30mag]

Reminds me of my 870 wingmaster which has a full choke and super long barrel.

[jaholder1971]

IIRC these were made for prison guard tower work. They were designed for very tight buckshot patterns, something like all 9 00 bucks pellets from a standard 2 3/4" shell inside 18" out to 100 yards.

I remember seeing these listed in some LEO dealer catalogs back in the 90's, don't have a clue if Remington still markets them.

[dogtown tom]

"Tower Gun"?:scrutiny:

Sounds like "gunstore marketing" of a Police Magnum receiver with a replacement hunting/skeet barrel on it.

[Virginian]

Anyone know how much you need to lead those guys?

[66912]

I may be with Dogtown tom on this one. I cannot seem to find any other info on "Tower Shotguns" besides blackpowder British smoothbores.

[G23/40]

Sounds like "gunstore marketing" of a Police Magnum receiver with a replacement hunting/skeet barrel on it.__________________


I have the box and it is labeled Tower Gun.:p
The bbl has a ramped front sight with a bead on it.

[dogtown tom]

G23/40: I have the box and it is labeled Tower Gun.
The bbl has a ramped front sight with a bead on it.

No kidding! I can't imagine that many of these were produced.

Any idea whose "tower" it was intended for or who ordered it?



I guess I should have known better. Remington has to have at least a dozen different or new models every year.

Give them enough time and they'll have a "Tactical Police Express Super Tower Magnum" in the catalog.:D

[AcceptableUserName]

I thought a tower gun was a Mini 14!? That'd be a much better "tower gun" one would think. I'd take that barrel off and put an 18.5" cylinder on it pronto. If it's stamped police magnum, then you have a damn competent framework. Just switch the barrel already :>


just my .02

[1KPerDay]

I thought a tower gun was a Mini 14!?
Except the shotgun will pattern better at 100 yards. *rimshot*
:D

[Lee Lapin]

During business hours (in NC) tomorrow, call Remington at 1-800-243-9700. Gice them the model (870 Police) and full serial number of your gun. They can tell you when it was made, and most likely what configuration it was in when it left the factory.

lpl

[G23/40]

Will do and thanks for the number.

[jaholder1971]

Quote:
I thought a tower gun was a Mini 14!?
Except the shotgun will pattern better at 100 yards. *rimshot*


Word, YO.

[Mike U.]

OK, this thread is utterly worthless without pictures!:neener:

Shotgun and box showing the wording would be cool. Thanks in advance.:D

[Hungry Seagull]

I think I smell a towering line of bull. :neener:

I think either a Police MAG or a Police long barrel 870.

I hate to eat 00 inside 18 inches at whatever distance from the tower.

I still prefer my black bear Brennekes for tower work, but I doubt that the Prision will hire me for that work; smearing escapees all over the wire.

[Mike U.]

Black Bear Brennekes?

Are you referring to Black Magic slugs by chance?
If so, how do you like the kick from'em and how's the accuracy from your gun?

[Hungry Seagull]

PM sent, dont want to hijack thread.

[JimmyN]

They probably didn't work well for guard tower use, too much collateral damage potential to guards and other inmates from the pattern spread, due to the longer distances when shooting down from a tower.

A full choke will produce about a 40" pattern at 40 yards. At 100 yards that pattern size will obviously be more than double. I've never tried it, but after shooting shotguns for 50 years I'm gonna guess that at 100 yards probably 6~7 out of the 9 buckshot pellets will hit somewhere within a 10' circle with the other 2~3 pellets hitting outside that.

The long barrel will greatly improve velocity, so the buckshot could still have lethal energy at 100 yards. But the longer barrel has no effect on the size of the pattern, that's determined by the choke value.

[G23/40]

OK I just got off the phone with Remington.
The fellow I talked to had never heard of it either but after a few minutes of searching he found it.
Other than the label on the box it's a 1996/870 Police Magnum with a 28"bbl. and it was for the guard towers.
If you really want pics of the label I'll get them.

[Lee Lapin]

G23/40,

If you could post pictures of the gun and the box label that would be great for future reference. Seems like you have a fairly limited prodution item there, at least one that most folks didn't know about. Be sure you take good care of both the gun and the box- might be worth your while down the road a ways.

Thanks for sharing your find with the board- it's always good to learn something new.

lpl

[KevinAbbeyTech]

The police models have a few manufacturing differences.
They are made with a higher level of care than the others.

Does the safety feels different when you turn it off?

I would be interested in seeing pictures.

[Hungry Seagull]

I think we have something very special here.

Pictures please. :D

[Mike U.]

G23/40,

If you could post pictures of the gun and the box label that would be great for future reference. Seems like you have a fairly limited prodution item there, at least one that most folks didn't know about. Be sure you take good care of both the gun and the box- might be worth your while down the road a ways.

Thanks for sharing your find with the board- it's always good to learn something new.

lpl


My sentiments exactly. Thanks Lee.:)

[Dave Markowitz]

I remember seeing these advertised by Remington in the late 80s/early 90s.

[toivo]

I thought a tower gun was a Mini 14!?

That's what I thought. This might have a been a marketing strategy by Remington that didn't pay off.

[G23/40]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/EGT/100_1113.jpg

Batteries died right after taking this pic.:cuss:
I'll get a pic of the shotgun tomorrow.

[ReloaderFred]

You made an excellent find with that gun.

Fred

[HuntAndFish]

Batteries died

Two is one, one is none.

[Mike U.]

Now, that is cool.
Whoda thunk it?
An honest to God "Tower (Shot)Gun". :cool:

Man, I can hardly wait for the shotgun pics!

Thanks for sharing, G23/40!

[Hungry Seagull]

Ah well... It wasnt those CR123A batteries was it that died?

Now you have something here.:)

[Dave McCracken]

New one on me, but....

When I started at the MD House of Corruption in 1977, the tower guns were M1 carbines and long barreled, Full choke 1200s. In inventory were some 97s and 12s with long, Full choke barrels as well as "riot" versions of each.

The 1200s didn't stand up to the abuse and neglect common then. Neither did S&W's 3000 series 870 clone.

The M1s were replaced by Mini 14s around 1980 and the system went to short barreled 870s exclusively.

The mission for the shotgun had changed. From the towers, the shotguns were to create suppressive fire in the event of a mass escape attempt. The Minis (Which I have mixed feelings on) were to stop an individual from escaping or assaulting someone in the exercise yard.

Lots of resistance was there from the old guards about giving up the Full choke shotguns in the towers, but by and large the change went smoothly.

And, the couple of Tower guns I had to pattern had lots of flyers, not a good thing with collateral damage possible.

As for the OP's query, betcha some prison systems wanted these and were willing to buy in bulk to get them....

[G23/40]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/EGT/100_1115.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/EGT/100_1114.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v209/EGT/100_1116.jpg

[AcceptableUserName]

Ok, that is cool. As much as the temptation would be to put a smaller barrel on, it'd almost be sacrilegious.

[Hungry Seagull]

Naw, leave it just like that. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Whadda fugly thing.

Love it.

(Yes a shorter barrel would be good, but why mess with something like this gun?)

[proud2deviate]

I'd like to see it dressed up in some walnut. Never could stand plastic, practical though it may be.

Very cool findhttp://i274.photobucket.com/albums/jj241/proud2deviate/thumbsup.gif

[Gordon]

Just put that puppy back in the box after you pattern some different size buck and post the targets. It's bound to go up in value!

[armoredman]

In my corrections career, I have never heard of a dedicated factory built tower shotgun. Ours are 870s or Mossy 500s, standard config with 00 Buck, and AR15s.
Interesting find!

[Mike U.]

Man, I agree with Gordon. I'd keep everything on that gun, and put it in the very back of the safe for, say, 20 years or so.:D Might be worth getting another Police Magnum for use and keeping that baby pristine.

VERY cool shotgun. Thank you very much for sharing it with us.

[toivo]

Except for the lack of a vent rib, that looks just like my 870 Express.

[Gordon]

Except for "Police Magnum" on the side!:rolleyes:

[Owen Sparks]

It looks like you have some sort of special small contract run made for a state prison. It would be easy for the factory to stick a longer barrel on as the 870 is a modular design.

[G23/40]

It does have the ball detent under the cap.:)

[Ohio Gun Guy]

I like it! Dont change it (Or at least not perminately)

[toivo]

Hmm.... Full choke? That might make a decent trap gun.

[KevinAbbeyTech]

+1 on wooden stocks.

I know, I know, don't change it. :rolleyes:

[G23/40]

Update...
Range report.
40yds with...
1-Winchester low brass #8/2.75/Dove load
Massive hole in the center. 80%-85% of the shot in a 12" circle.
2-Federal High brass 00 buckshot/3"mag.
I was really surprised at how bad the pattern was. It was not a very tight pattern at all. At least a 2ft spread with a blank spot about 4-5" in the center.:confused:
You would have most likely missed your target from a guard tower.:neener:
3-Federal High brass #6/3"mag(turkey load)
Another gapping hole in the center. Very similar to the dove load. I think the dove load would have been better for a headshot on a turkey.;)

[Hungry Seagull]

Number 6 at 40 yards gaping hole in center... oooo me like!:D