Why do I do this to myself?

I feel your pain.....I have a baker's dozen 870s, 4 of which are LE trade-ins myself.

When you get an itch, you may as well scratch it.

My suggestion would be to buy another brand, or another model. Sounds like you have the 870 area very well covered. Did any police units field 1100s, model 11s, or maybe Winchester, Mossberg, or Stevens guns?

I would pass on number 5 unless it's dirt cheap.

If those are your thing and its a good price then go for it. Nothing wrong with owning more than one of the same gun. My grandpa owned a dozen 1911's and about a dozen Garands in the 80's. To each their own.

You can never have too many shotguns. Or too much ammo. Tough choice.

Why not if it makes you happy to buy one now and maybe one more later? lol

870's are an excellent flavor. I've a couple and could certainly find room for more. Especially one in 16ga.

Well, only you know the answer to that one but I do like the 870, and I wouldn't want to be without at least one. The first gun I ever fired was an 870. I do like a little variety though and although I will always love 870's there are lots of other very good and interesting shotguns out there to sample. A5, 12, 37, 11, 1100's, and then there are the sxs's and o/u's...... "lots of flavors" as gotmine aptly put it.....

Rshooter

Actually you need to buy this one and then one more. That way you'll have a nice, even half dozen Model 870s to choose from.

Honestly I have quite a few 1911s so I would be the last person to tell you that you don't need another shotgun. Do what you makes you the happiest.

Rshooter said:

Just recently trolling the auction sites and found a police department marked 870 in deep blue with an extended magazine. I already own four police shotguns, three in 2 3/4 inch and one in 3 inch. My last one was a receiver without barrel and bad wood, I "rebuilt" it. Now I want a "new" one. It's within my budget and I love old 870's. Do I buy just one more or save the money for ammo?

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One way that usually helps people to break away from this vicious cycle is to get something better. My way out was getting nice Remington 1100. I no longer need to move arm back and forth to load the gun and eject spent cases because the mechanism does it for me. Huge improvement I don't miss any of them pump guns.

get something better. My way out was getting nice Remington 1100

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Huge improvement

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Wow, I'm glad you like your 1100, I like my 1100 too. However, as far as the 1100 being better than an 870 I have to disagree with that bold statement. The 1100 certainly is not better than the 870 at digesting a wide variety of different shells without a hiccup or working after being dropped in the mud or chugging along without cleaning or maintenance... for years.... Plus if the 1100 was really that great you wouldn't see the 11-87 and V3. The 1100 is a really good gun in 2 3/4 (which is why they use the 1100 for their auto loading classic trap model) but it just didn't work that well when they tried to get it to shoot both 2 3/4 as well as 3 inch shells. If I was forced to get rid of all of my shotguns regardless of sentiment or value and could only keep one a 12 ga 870 would have to be the one I'd keep.

I'm with BushPilot on this.
My 12ga 1187 SP CAMO is my primary shotgun (have 4brls), my backup for it when I waterfowl hunt is the Remington 870 Express, for which I also have 4brls.
I've had rare occasions where I had a minor problem with the 1187, and having the 870 in a case in the gun locker of the boat saved a hunt. If not for me more often a companion.

Before "non lethal" shot was the legal standard (what we called the early steel shot loads) and lead shot reloads were the norm, the 870 would dutifully digest most anything fed it, whereas the autos were awfully finicky. Especially on those cold damp misty mornings after 20-25rds of magnum loads with spherical powders gumming up the gas system.
My old favorite load was a 3-1/4dreq 1-1/4oz load using GreenDot. It didn't gum up the gas system of my Franchi M500 nearly as quickly as HS6 or Win540. With magnum #5's, it was sure death on ring-necks and scaup.
I've hunted waterfowl twice since a 2006 hunt on Devils Lake, N.Dakota.
It ruined me. I wished I'd taken my .410o/u with some Bismuth 6's. I could have limited every day with it! Can't see working as hard as we have to for just 2-woodys.

Buy one more, you can always sell it.