870 guru's I need your wisdom, (Paging Drs. McCracken and Lapin)

[rantingredneck]

I've got an 18" 870 express that I'm not terribly tickled with at the moment. I've come to the conclusion (after many rounds of slugs expended at the range) that I like rifle sights on any shotgun I'd grab for HD, mostly because slugs are a part of my HD plan.

So, I'm shopping around for an 18" rifle sighted barrel. Hopefully I'll find one at the gunshow this weekend. It's on my to buy list. Failing that, I might just go with another 20". My other HD 870 wears a 20 and I've been happy with it's performance.

Now to my question gentlemen, what to do with this 18" barrel. I was thinking of simply trading it toward the rifle sighted one, or selling it here on the forum (or one of the others I frequent) after I get the one I want. But I've had another idea. Is it possible to have a smith tap this barrel for remchokes?? I've heard mossberg Cyl bore barrels are considered too thin walled for this, but what about 870 barrels?? Can it be done?? How much should I be looking at here??

The reason I'm considering this is that I have a 18.5" Mossberg accuchoke heavy wall barrel that I've fallen in love with for deer hunting. I tend to hunt thick country and tend to walk a lot so that lighter faster handling package is nice. And with a tighter choke it's done real good with buckshot patterns. I'd like to make an 870 barrel that would work for the same thing.

 

[Fumbler]

Your barrel can be tapped. A short barrel might have enough wall thickness for tapping, but more likely a gunsmith would want to install Tru-choke thin walls.
I had mine tapped for $50. I believe there's someone over the net who will do it plus give you three tubes for $80, that's a heck of a deal.

As far as your current barrel, I'd just find some nice sights and add them. It'd probably be cheaper.
I have a Mossberg 500 that started off as a 24" vent rib.
I hacked it down to 18.5", cut off the rib, and silver soldered a Mossberg front sight. The rear sight is the Mossberg ghost ring that screws into the reciever.
Ghost rings are nice. Target acquizition is fast and it's almost as accurate as typical rifle sights. I can hit 10" steel plates regularly at 100 yards with those sights.

 

[rantingredneck]

Ghost rings aren't a viable option for me. All of my pumpguns have extra 28" barrels for bird hunting. Lots of nephews and nieces in the family to lend guns to when hunting trips call. For that reason I keep my receivers unencumbered by the rear sight.

also, if it can't be done with remchokes, then I'll likely pass on it and sell it after I find the rifle sighted barrel I'm looking for.

A gunshow I was at last year a guy had the barrel I wanted for 100.00, but I'd already bought two guns and was cash poor. Hoping to find another deal like that.

Thanks for the info.

 

[PRCalDude]

The advantage of shotguns is speed and power. The speed comes from the ease of sighting in using the bead sights or simply the barrel. The power, obviously, comes from the 8-9 30 cal pellets stuffed into one load, or the 1 oz slug. Now, for home defense, you're talking about shooting at most about, what, 20 feet? I could see wanting rifle sights for shooting slugs at distances greater than 30 yards or so, but all rifle sights will do for HD situations is slow down sighting in and target acquisition.

My instructor had a ghost-ring set up for awhile and got rid of it because it slowed him down too much. Bead sights are all you want, IMHO.

 

[rantingredneck]

This ain't a thread about bead vs. sights. or HD shotgun ammo. I only mention those things as background info to my question. I've worked those out for myself.

So to my original question, is it possible to tap an 18" cyl bore Rem barrel for Remchoke?? and if so, cost?? and a question further, who would you recommend??

 

[Fred Fuller]

RR,

Whover does the work will want to examine the actual barrel to be sure there is enough metal there to hold the choke tubes. I've had half a dozen or so CYL bore Express barrels threaded for choke tubes, never ran across on that wasn't thick enough.

Any good 'smith can put Remington iron sights on a Remington barrel for you- it's just silver solder and a reblue job. The only 18" RS factory Remington barrels out there I know of are parkerized Police barrels, and they are f e w and far between. You can call Remington parts dept. every few weeks for a few years and see if any 18" RS Police overrun barrels ever show up in inventory- I finally got two of them that way.

But if you want it fast, getting a 'smith to get it done is likely your best bet- unless you get lucky. Hope you do,

lpl/nc

 

[rantingredneck]

Thanks Lee. That's what I was afraid of (the rarity of the 18" rifle sighted). I knew I should have whipped out the plastic for that one I saw at the gunshow last fall. But I was trying to be good, dangit.

May make sense to just have the smith put the rifle sights and choke tubes in one barrel. I'll check around locally and see who can do what for how much. Any good NC smiths you can recommend since you're a fellow tarheel and all??

 

[Snarlingiron]

I had the same dilemma. I found that I could buy the Remington 20" rifle sighted barrel for less than I could buy the sights and install them myself. I bought the barrel for $120.00, if I remember correctly. I have been very pleased with it. I just kept the 18" bead sighted barrel, and hope to someday find a very used beater 870 (read cheap) to put it on.

 

[rantingredneck]

Yeah 120.00 is what I paid for the 20 on my other gun. I like how much handier the 18 inch is. It's not worlds of difference, but noticeable. I just don't like the current sight setup when using slugs.

On the other hand I'm not going to be clearing my house in case of bumps in the night anyway. I'm a hunker down between the BG and the kids kinda guy . So the 20 is not that much of a disadvantage in weight.

 

[flip180]

The 20" RS IC barrel really isn't all that bad. I have one on my 870 with XS sights installed. XS sights are really fast to pick up. I used that barrel in a recent shotgun class with Louis Awerbuck and I did fine compared to all of the 18 inch barrels that were used in the class. I'll also be using the same gun but with a three round factory Remington LE extension kit in another shotgun class at the end of this month at www.tacproshootingcenter.com.

Flip

 

[Fumbler]

rantingredneck, where in NC are you located?

 

[rantingredneck]

I'm between Burlington and Chapel Hill.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Some short 870 barrels do not have enough metal to allow Remchokes, but may allow the thinwall systems, like the old Truchokes. Those are a .795"X 44 TPI IIRC.

I'd settle, RRN, for the 20" RS RC barrel. I have one on my deer gun, and use a Skeet or Mod tube for HD and a rifled tube during the season.

If you do rework your 18" barrel, I'd suggest, Vang, Nu Line, Simmons, Carlson's or Briley. Not necessarily in that order.

 

[rantingredneck]

Thanks Dave. I'm not in a huge hurry to do this as this is my "backup" HD shotgun . If that makes any sense. My primary is that 20" as It's the one with the most wear marks....

I'll see what I can find this weekend at the funshow. May just settle for another 20" and call it done.

Thanks for all the info guys.

RR