870 Express Combo Question

Is the riffled barrel for slugs only?

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yep. The rifled barrels are designed to be used with slugs. Sabot slugs work best in most and provide a longer range and improved accuracy. Unfortunately, they cost about $2 per round.
In Michigan hunting deer on public land I use a smooth bore and rifled (Forster type) slugs. I'd have no issues with taking a shot out to 75 yards. Longest shot I have ever heard of using a sabot slug and a rifled barrel was in the neighborhood of 180 yards (IIRC). The shooter is a weapons trainer for a local PD and has sent more lead down range than I ever hope to. He knows his weapons and his ability. For me, I'd have to go without venison, not being well versed in the long shots.
cs

Personally, I'd get the combo with two smoothbore barrels. While you gain some accuracy at longer ranges with the rifled barrel, you give up the flexibility (especially for using the shorter barrel for HD) of the smoothbore. Besides, with a smoothbore and careful slug selection and testing, you should get acceptable accuracy out to 100 yards or so, which should be sufficient for getting deer.

Smoothbores with the right slug can be very accurate if you spend the time to find out with brand your gun likes the most. Last year I shot a doe in head at 95 yards and she was DRT. I have an 11-87 and use regular winchester 2 3/4 lead slugs. I have been using this gun for over fifteen years and between hunting season and work I have killed over 50 deer. Spend the time to learn your guns and you won't be disappointed.

Agree completely with the previous posters. I use an 870 with the factory sights/smooth bore for my slug shooting. My personal max range is 75 yards or so, but that's mainly due to where I hunt. If slugs were mandatory, I'd simply start practicing at 100 yards.

Noted that Dicks once again has Kent K.O. slugs for about 2 bucks a five ppack.

One more ditto for getting both smoothbore barrels for the most verstility. If I were shopping myself I would look for a used Express and a used extra barrel to save money, a 'DIY' combo. I'd find an older version of the Express with an aluminum trigger plate, no 'J' hook safety and no mag tube dimples, but that's just me. It might take a bit of time to put it together but then it might not, if you get lucky.

The newer 20" smoothbore rifle sighted barrels with factory Improved Cylinder chokes are definitely the way to go for Foster type slugs and buckshot. I had RemChoke tubes installed in a couple of older cylinder bore 20" rifle sighted barrels, and that added about $70 to the package cost. Now I look for IC choked short barrels (either 18" or 20") and leave the CYL barrels on the rack.

This sort of combination takes the most advantage possible of the 870's modular design and inherent versatility- it's definitely the way to go for clay games, 3-gun, birds and small game, large game and home defense all from the same gun with one extra barrel and a couple of accessories. Good luck with it,

lpl/nc

I had the same questions as you about which 870 combo to get. When I told the salesman at Dick's what I wanted to do with the 870 (deer and HD), he said Remington only offers the combo w/ rifled bbl and then told me I needed a SxS. I knew otherwise and went somewhere else. I chose the combo w/ the 20" rifle sight IC bbl for deer and HD. I don't shoot skeet or birds (yet), so I have only used the 20" bbl so far. I mainly shoot rifled slugs through it. The gun (and I) like Winchester 2 3/4" rifled slugs and they're the cheapest when Remington rifled slugs aren't on sale. I pay $5.99 for a box of 15 at Meijer.

The first time I shot slugs w/ it I was discouraged and wondered if I should've gotten the rifled bbl instead. My groups looked like buckshot. All it took was practice and patience and I've gotten 3" groups at 50 yards crouching. I also realized the factory stock was too long for me. I installed a Hogue 12" LOP stock and the gun fits me so much better. I'm glad I didn't get the rifled bbl b/c sabots are so expensive and where I hunt I won't need to take a shot more than 75 yards.

In retrospect If I were to do it all over again, I'd look for an older Express or Wingmaster and buy the short bbl separate. I can't complain about what I have though.

In the last few years, Remington has introduced several features that are PIAs to fix - the dimples in the magazine tube (to prevent attaching an extended magazine) and the locking safety (for storage). Both can be fixed (replace safety, grind out dimples), but it's irritating.

Also, the trigger group housing is now plastic and many folks like metal better. I have one with the plastic and it seems to work OK, but I too would rather have metal.

The older 870s exibit better fit and finish, Wingmasters more so than Expresses.

As regards the DIY combo - here in South Carolina, that's a very reasonable option as shotgun barrels are common at gunshows and larger dealers. In your area, this may not be true - hard to tell from this side of the screen.

One other option that I've seen done and like, is to shorten a standard (vent rib) barrel to 22 to 24 inches while reinstalling the choke tubes and front sight. Use attachable rifle sights for slug hunting/HD, remove'em for birds/clays.

HTH!

New 870s of all types I know of have a locking safety button that is turned with a key shaped like a tiny 'J'. These buttons have been known to lock without the use of the key- I don't like them. Older 870s lack this "feature" and I prefer them, it's not expensive or difficult to change out the locking safety but it is an unnecessary hassle when there are good used guns available.

Newer Expresses have two 'dimples' pressed into the magazine tube under the barrel ring to retain the plastic cap holding in the magazine spring and providing detents for the magazine cap also. This "feature" makes it impossible to use a magazine extension without removing the dimples. Again, this is not difficult or expensive, but is an unnecessary hassle if you want to add an extension.

Keep looking for a good used 870 Express, they are out there. Try your local pawn shops also. Last one I found (about two months ago) is a 21" VR barreled turkey gun- it was $145 out the door. I see a good number of them in my area for less than $175, in good shape. An that's older Expresses without dimples and with aluminum trigger plates- not the plastic ones that are standard on new guns. No locking safeties either.

And used rifle sighted barrels are out there too- they usually go for around $100 hereabouts.

I cannot fault you if you would prefer to buy new- it's a matter of personal choice. But if you get lucky and run across a good used Express, don't turn it down just because it's used... it can save you money if you know how to pick 'em.

Best of luck,

lpl/nc (who thinks if you've decided to get an 870 you can't go too far wrong)

The trigger plate is the casting which holds all the fire control components- the trigger guard is the most visible portion of it when the gun is assembled. To check it for aluminum vs. plastic, hold the gun muzzle up with the trigger guard toward you at about waist high. Push the lifter up into the action as if loading a shell into the magazine and look at the back of the loading port where the front of the trigger plate is. If you see two small white rectangles, it's an aluminum trigger plate. I have not heard any reports of plastic trigger plates failing, but then they haven't been in use since 1950... .

lpl/nc

I was in the same position. I was looking for a do it all shotgun combo (deer, small game/fowl, and home defense.)

What I ended up doing was getting the 870 combo with the 28†remchoke smoothbore vent rib, and the 20†smoothbore rifled sights. Then I bought a 21†cantilever fully rifled barrel from Hastings.

Now I use the scoped fully rifled barrel for deer (2.5†@ 100m standing w/ no rest– and I’m not Alvin York)
The 20†improved barrel for home defense and the 28†barrel for small game/fowl.

For $350-400 the 879 express combo is one of the best values out there.