870 Sight Advice

[357wheelgunner]

I've been thinking lately of getting another short range shoulder arm. I settled on either a Vector Uzi or a 14" 870. Then I realized that I haven't finished my 20" 870 Police:



It's my only "serious" long gun. I keep it near the bed, it's job is home/yard/neighborhood defense.

It currently has wood stocks, with a 4 shotshell carrier on the butt, a 7 round magazine tube, and rifle sights. At first I was thinking about spending a ton of money buying a set of ghost ring sights, then having the old rear sight base cut off and the barrel refinished. Now I'm thinking of just getting a factory set of tritium 3 dot sights and leaving it alone.

What do you guys think?

 

[Gordon]

I agree! Add a Sure fire Foreend of your choice and a short Houge rubbercoated butt stock (slip a small size Limbsaver slip on over the short 12" Houge rear stock and you will have 12 3/4" of wide comfort !) add a GG&G singlepoint spacer hook and you are there!

 

[357wheelgunner]

Funny you mention the Surefire forend and the stock.

I was also planning on buying a Speedfeed regular stock and a Surefire forend.

Edited to add:

Are those XS sight inserts, or stock factory night sights? Also, is your barrel 18 or 20 inches?

 

[Gordon]

Those are XS Big dot tritium. You need a stock around 13" or less to work the gun indoors or CQB, unless you are over 6'6" and even then 13" will be good. That is a Factory 18" barrel with the 7 shot factory extension.

 

[Rshooter]

I have always thought a true combat shotgun needed less gadgets that could break and pockets were for shells. Lights are also great for giving your location away and losing home turf advantage. As far as sights, I personally believe nothing comes down quicker on the target than a good bead. They may not look pretty but they are all business.

 

[Gordon]

"Lights are also great for giving your location away and losing home turf advantage. As far as sights"

I couldn't let this piece of errornet info slide,although I agree with most else you said. Lights blind an opponent when they are turned on at the proper time if you are liyng in wait as your home defense tactic. Most importantly they let you see the almighty bead sight in the darkness and IDENTIFY your family or neighbor you almost shot from your ambush! :banghead:

 

[Gordon]

Actually your wood police butt stock is pretty and cut to 13" with a Limbsaver would prolly be better than any plastic stock! The police pump handle is also pretty and a mounting solutions barrel clamp with a clicky capped Surefire in the right position would work pretty darn good too! And you can remove the flashlight with a twist.

 

[Bix]

I've got an 870 set up very similar to Gordon's (not surprising, as I believe we have at least one instructor in common ).

I've used them in a couple classes and many matches, and I really like the XS sights. When shooting quickly, the big dot acts like a huge bead sight on the front of the gun, and the wide, shallow rear provides a very unobstructed, uncluttered sight picture. The sights sill provide enough precision for me to keep up with other students using GRs and traditional rifle sights when doing distance slug work (or extremely close range work, or shooting from unconventional positions, etc....).

I think they're great compromise. I have some experience shooting GR-equipped shotguns, but the bead-esque big dots feel more 'right' to me on the platform.

 

[wingslevel]

do any of you have experience with the XS dot that goes over the existing bead with epoxy? love the XS on my M&P340 and would like to add something to my 18" 870 as well without having to do (or pay) a lot of gunsmithing.

 

[357wheelgunner]

Thanks for the advice guys.

The reason I want to ditch the wood stocks is because they get slick if my hands sweat at all (which at 2am with an intruder in the house, they would be doing). I'm going to get the Hogue grip because it feels "sticky" compared to the Speedfeed solid stocks.

I will be getting the Surefire light, because I can't find a way to carry a flashlight and a shotgun with just my hands, and I don't want to do things cheap anymore.

I'm also going to order the XS Bigdot sights. Thanks for the information on how they work.

In addition to all that, I will be buying a few hundred rounds of reduced recoil buckshot (it patterns the best in my gun) and 250 reduced recoil slugs, both from Remington. A few friends and I are probably going to be attending a shotgun class this summer.

Thanks again, I'll post pics when I'm done in a few months.

Edited to add:

Bix, what kind of stock is that on your 870?

 

[Bix]

That's the Ram-Line/Outers 'cadet' stock with a Decelerator pad. It's got a 13" LOP. I ran a Hogue 12" for a little while, and while it had a nicer 'feel' than the Outers stock, it was just too short for me.

 

[geologist]

Here's what I keep in our bedroom closet.

Wilson ghost ring sight, tritium front sight.

 

[Rshooter]

Call it errornet if you wish Gordon but while you are trying to figure out friend or foe with your light you might get an incoming load of buckshot or some pills.

 

[Sir Aardvark]

do any of you have experience with the XS dot that goes over the existing bead with epoxy? love the XS on my M&P340 and would like to add something to my 18" 870 as well without having to do (or pay) a lot of gunsmithing

I put one of these on my 870 Marine Magnum.
I roughed up the inside of the mounting hole just a little bit with my Dremel so that the epoxy would have something to bite into when it dried (it looked too smooth for my tastes).
Then, after swabbing everything down with some acetone to degrease the surfaces, I just epoxied the sight right onto the existing pedestal-mount bead sight.
Hasn't fallen off yet.

 

[ugaarguy]

Call it errornet if you wish Gordon but while you are trying to figure out friend or foe with your light you might get an incoming load of buckshot or some pills.

Yes, that must be why nearly every Army MP or Air Force Security Forces personnel I saw in two TDYs to Iraq had a light mounted on his or her M4.

The trick is employing it properly. Quick press of the momentary on switch to ID friend or foe. Move while foe is disoriented by blinding white light. Light on again to ensure you're aiming at foe and shoot as the light again night blinds him. You don't walk around with it turned on. That's a very cut and dry summary.

ETA: Learn to shoot the weapon (be it a shotgun, rifle, or handgun) before hanging stuff off of it. If lights aren't your thing that's fine; we all have our preferences. However, claiming that lights are a disadvantage when used properly isn't right.

 

[Roccobro]

Criminals like the dark. Take that away with a healthy amount of light and you just might avoid a gunfight altogether as they run. They definitely understand self preservation well. And they have this uncanny ability to know when they are "out gunned" so to speak with a prepared "victim" that has the tools to send them to the next life.

Train with what your comfortable with. But don't discount the tools that can stop a gunfight from ever happening....

Geologist- Is that a Knoxx stock or a mesa adapter? If a Knoxx, how does it feel?

Justin

 

[geologist]

Justin

It's a Knoxx Spec-Ops and it really does reduce felt recoil.

I like it.

 

[Roccobro]

Cool. I've been thinking about one for a while. Thanks.

Justin