870 Police questions

[Lightsped]

I have an 870 Police (linked below). It has an improved cylinder.
http://www.remingtonle.com/shotguns/870standard.htm
Two questions:
1. Can I shoot sabot slugs through this gun with improved cylinder?
2. The mag spring is much stiffer than my 590A1. Will the mag spring loosen up or do all 870s have a stiffer mag spring?

 

[Panzerschwein]

Not sure about the mag spring but yes, you can shoot sabot slugs through this gun.

However, most sabot slugs I know of are meant for rifled shotgun barrels... and this gun does not have a rifled barrel. This is a police style shotgun, meant for shot and less lethal munitions, not sabot deer slugs. Sabot deer slugs will probably not be very accurate, and since there will be no rifling to spin them they won't be your friend for hunting because the actual slug might be tumbling through the air.

Don't fret however... get you a pack of Remington slugger 1 oz. rifled deer slugs and see how they pattern in the gun. You may be pleasantly surprised and this setup could be very useful against whitetail out to 75 yards or better. You don't need sabot slugs, or a rifled barrel, to get meat in the freezer.

 

[Lightsped]

My 870P has a very tight mag spring. As a comparison shells simply slide into my 590A1 with no effort at all.

Yeah, a friend of mine had sabot slugs with us at the range the other day and he fired a few (just for fun) through his Mossberg 500 which has no choke to my knowlege. He asked if I wanted to try a sabot slug through my 870P and I declined as I wasn't sure. The sabot slug was just for fun. I have never hunted with a shotgun before.

Thanks for the info.

 

[mnrivrat]

You can shoot the sabot slug but it will generaly not be accurate in the smooth bore. The standard rifled slugs are much cheaper and designed for the smooth bore - use them.

Order a standard 870 magazine spring and install it if you want a lighter magazine . The Police guns may have stiffer springs for more positive feed or someone may have had an extended magazine tube on yours at one time which takes a longer spring.

Don't forget to clean and oil the tube and follower as well.

 

[Inebriated]

You CAN shoot sabot slugs, it won't hurt the gun or anything, but you won't get very functional accuracy. Nice thing is though, if you ever want to, you can just throw a rifled barrel on it. That said, rifled slugs will be fine through an I/C choke, and I've had better luck with most slugs through an I/C choke than Cyl anyway.

As for the magazine spring, it'll break in some.

 

[Field Tester]

http://www.remingtonle.com/shotguns/870synthetic.htm
The website above gives a few details about the Police model.
As others have said, yes you can shoot sabots, but you're probably better off with a rifled slug. Luckly there are tons of options to choose from. A name you'll hear often is Breneke, and that is with good reason.

Your chamber is also 3 inches, so again you'll have many options on shot size, dram and length.

Is the shotgun fairly new? Was it previously used?
The mag spring may weaken a bit with use, but nothing like an Express model. It's stout for reliability. You can change it out if you want an easier pump.


Also just an FYI. Your model isn't specific to use certain Less Than Lethal rounds. Most shotguns can as they don't require any special modifications. The Military likes to see certain items be metal, but police forces are able to use most models. But whatever you can put through an 870, you can put through most pumps.

Enjoy yours!

 

[Grumulkin]

I've shot a real 870 police shotgun; a cast off of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. I could be wrong but I don't think it has any choke at all.

Anyway, in testing, with bird shot it shot very adequately at 25 yards for use on birds. I don't think I tried it at a longer range. I also ran slugs through it; both sabot and rifled types. Plain jane Remington rifled slugs shot pretty well for me; quite a bit better than the sabot variety.

 

[dogtown tom]

Grumulkin I've shot a real 870 police shotgun; a cast off of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. I could be wrong but I don't think it has any choke at all.

A "real 870 police shotgun"...........is it an 870, 870 Police or an 870 Wingmaster? All have been issued to police departments.

An 870 Police usually comes with an Improved Cylinder choke. Some are shipped with Modified chokes.

 

[Lightsped]

Yes, mine is a 870 Police Magnum as that is what is stamped on the reciever. Mine has the wood furniture and parkerized finish. Says "Imp Cyl" on the barrel.

 

[Grumulkin]

I'll have to check the barrel; maybe it does say it has a choke.

What I know, is it holds 5 shells, is parkerized, has a side saddle shell holder and is quite heavy.

 

[Walkalong]

My old Sheriffs Dept 870 is a Wingmaster (2 3/4"). The barrel is not marked, but has a .720 ID at the muzzle, making it an Improved Cylinder. It shoots buckshot well, but I have never shot any slugs through it, although I do have some I have been meaning to try. I see no reason it would not shoot the old standby Foster type slugs reasonable well.