14" or 18" barrel for patrol shotgun?

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oldpueblo

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I am considering spending the money for a Federal stamp to buy a 14" barreled Remington 870 for my patrol shotgun, but I have no experience with such short barreled shotguns. I like the idea of having a compact shotgun, but my main concern is how well such a short barrel will shoot slugs and or buckshot at any distance. Does the 4" I would be giving up even matter, or should I save my money and get a 18" or 20" barrel. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
 
I'd go with a longer barrel. 14" barrels have a well earned rep for flash. In low light, one is essentially blinded after one shot. Load selection can ameriolate this a bit, but not as much as we'd like.
 
I dont think there is much difference between the 18 and the 14" barrels to give one an advantage over the other.

With the 14", The velocity loss is minor, the patterns aren't to different as from the 18", it is a little more compact. And The 14" barrel is alot cooler than the 18";)

I dont know what the accuracy difference with slugs are though. Probably nothing major, but someone else might know.
 
I am by no means an expert but 14inch entry guns are very specialized tools. An 18inch shotty is by no means unwieldy assuming you don't hang a bunch of crap off of it and much more universal in its capabilities.

All that being said shorty shotguns do peg my cool meter.:neener:

Chris
 
18 in.

14 inch shotguns may look cool, but they balance poorly. An 18 inch (with no magazine extension :what: is a very good balance.

Four shots of .12 GA. is plenty, unless you anticipate having an armed encounter in squad strength. :D
 
I'd say it all depends on what kind of patrol car you have. The smaller cars coming online these days (impala, etc) make the 18 inchers a little unwieldy. If you've got a crown vic or similar, stay with 18 inches.

-John
 
Well the car size is the answer. I have taken several courses with local depts that use 14" RS 870s and I am not that impressed with the 25+ yard results and I watched closely. The 14" guns didn't seem as potent past 20 yards for some reason, but when you see 10 14"ers in use against 10 18"ers the results have more validity . I wanted one badly until I observed this. The sheriff told me the small cars the Dicks use was the reason they have them. They are pretty effective inside buildings however, except for the increased flash and blast which is'nt THAT bad.
 
I've used both and as far as practicality there's no real difference. There is a lot more muzzle flash w/ 14". There is also the problem of shooting your own hand if it slipped off the fore end when racking it (not likely but possible, there are handguards that go on the end of the fore end). There is no difference in pattern with the same choke. Pattern depends on the choke not the length of the barrel as many think.

The best reason to go with the 18" in my opinion is you don't have a NFA weapon to worry about and save $200.
 
Thanks to all who responded, you all raised some good points, however I am still not sure which I will buy...decisions.....
Thanks
 
One of the anomalies of Canadian gun laws is that the 14" guns are treated the same as 18" guns provided they came that way from the factory and weren't cut down.

The 14" is a handy gun in the bush and while 4" off the barrel doesn't sound like much it is noticeably more compact and easier to carry on the shoulder.

I've shot mine a the local skeet club. They are used to my occasional eccentricities.:D

Muzzle flash varies among rounds. Fortunately my favorite Brenneke slugs don't have much flash. The worst seems to be anything made by Federal including their Tactical loads.
 
If you are going to spend serious money, look at Tromix.com. Higher capacity, better sights, faster reloads, better ergonomics and a way higher badass factor.
 
Would you have to pay for the transfer tax and the shottie? Do you think your boss would sign the paperwork?
How about an 18" barrel with a folding stock? Would that make more sense?
Click to expand...

+1 on 18" w/ folding stock. This is what I did in Iraq and is compact enough
for vehicle work.
 
Unless your riding in a compact car or wandering through a sewer drain what harm is a 18 or 20 inch barrel going to do?

Like I see everyone getting 18" barrels for HD because they plan on spinning around in the hall with their gun shouldered(sarcasm) although I have noticed my 28" isnt as combersome as one might think.
 
As so well previously stated,
All cut down shotguns exhibit excessive flash and blast.
The only advantage is they are handier to store.
 
I have my Form 1 filled-out, just waiting for the Sherriff's signature and a $200 check... But I'm still debating about downsizing my 18.5" 870 to 14". I have other shotguns to play with, so I thought I'd dip my toe in the "Class III" waters. Just to do it, really. :D

I'd like to find a factory Remington barrel so I don't have to mess with getting the longer one cut-down (new bead sight, refinish, etc, etc), but that is proving almost impossible. In the meantime, I am reading threads like this one that make me wonder if my $200 would be better put towards a suppressor instead. ;)
 
Supressor. 4" isn't that much more on a shotgun, and you'll still have a short-ish barrel. Plus you'll have the supressor.

See my line of thought? :D
 
The 14" guns didn't seem as potent past 20 yards for some reason, but when you see 10 14"ers in use against 10 18"ers the results have more validity .
Click to expand...

If the 14" and 18" guns had the same choke, presumably open cylinder or maybe open, then the difference is that the 18" barrell will be effective for 4 more inches than the 14" barrel. The choke determines the pattern, not the barrel length.

We carry 14". During a few training sessions, we were dropping silhouettes at extended distances (75 -100 yards)... though not every shot as the pattern is so large and you may not even get one buckshot on the target at that range.
 
My "HomeLand Security" Maverick 88 has the 18-1/2" barrel for several reasons....

I am not inclined to spend the $$$ for the tax stamp, hours of paperwork etc.

I have tried a 14" barreled shotty, and the muzzle flash/blast was greatly more noticeable than the 18", even in daylight.

Since I put the 18-1/2" on my Maverick, it is maneuverable enough for me. Replaced the 28" Mod choke barrel....waaaaaaaaaaay too long inside "Foggy's Bunker". Another long story about nuthin' except to say that Mrs. Foggy was none too pleased with the hole poked in the wall by me, while trying out "House Cleaning" with the long tube. Funds for short tube got approved in ..... well, 'short order'
 
GRIZ22 said:
There is also the problem of shooting your own hand if it slipped off the fore end when racking it (not likely but possible, there are handguards that go on the end of the fore end).
Click to expand...

Not that unlikely, I notice my hand slipping forwards all the time. Never gone off, but found myself near the magazine cap before. Plan A is a sling-plate and a sling. Plan B will be one of those fore-ends that have a bulge and a flashlight. Other people attach straps specifically for keeping the hand on.


Obviously I vote for 14", they balance just fine.

Shotgun.gif
 
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