Have cash in pocket, want an 870, have some questions...

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joey93turbo

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After the incident last night I'd feel much better with a shotgun than my Sig due to the fact that the racking of a shotgun is such a well known and fear invoking sound. I think it would actually increase the odds of disarming the situation without shots fired.

I honestly don't know much about the different versions of the 18.5" 870 so I need some input. I've got around $250-300 to spend but I'd like a nice one with a good finish and an extended capacity. Is that possible? Could someone explain to me the different versions and about how much they cost? I need to know what I'm looking for before I go shopping. Doesn't matter if it's wood or synthetic furniture cause I'm going to be replacing it with a speedfeeder pistol grip + stock all in one piece. My brother has one on his 870 and I really like it.

Thanks in advance...
 
There are three basic models of the 870:
The Express.
The Wingmaster.
The Police.

The Wingmaster is the top-of-the-line sporting gun with the polished blue and "Bowling Pin finish" walnut stocks.

The Police is basically the Wingmaster with a dull parkerized finish, an oil finished walnut or synthetic stock and a short barrel.

The Express is Remington's "budget gun", made to compete against the Mossbergs and Winchesters.
The Express cuts costs by using a synthetic trigger guard, a different magazine retention system, a rough blued finish, hard wood or synthetic stocks, and a less polished, rougher finish inside and out.

All three guns use the same forged and milled steel receiver, and all three will last about forever.

In your price range, the Express would be the way to go.
Remington makes two short barreled Express defense guns, which they used to call the "HD" or Home Defense guns.

Either the standard magazine or the extended magazine model will do anything you could possibly want.
Here's a link to Remington's page on the Defense guns:
http://www.remington.com/firearms/shotguns/870expsyn18.htm

As you can see, the LIST price is in your range, and by shopping around, you should be able to get either one at a discount.

Still another option, is to shop the gun shows, pawn shops, and gun stores to find a good, used 870, and cut the barrel down.

Often you can buy a used Wingmaster or even a Police model even cheaper than a new Express.
 
Good answers all round.

Joey, don't count too much on the mere presence of any firearm to intimidate. In some cases it is actually provacative and can escalate a situation to the point where shooting is all but inevitable. in other cases it can be ignored as if it is not there. It is quite true a lot of peole have a great deal of respect for a shotgun- normal, sane people who have not ingested a load of recreational pharmaceuticals pretty much always do. But there is no guarantee that is what you will run into, it may well be some megamorph mental midget who neglected to take his lithium that day and has loaded up on PCP instead.

Study the self defense laws in your jurisdiction, and learn what you can and cannot legally do- you may be surprised at what the law requires of you before shooting is considered justified. I too like shotguns, and prefer 870s, but I can assure you they are not magic wands or talismans against all things evil- YOU have to know how to run the gun effectively and shoot it accurately, and in the worst possible situations to boot. Spend time and money practicing, take one of the shotgun classes offered in many areas- the NRA offers self protection classes, as do any number of private instructors.

Stay safe,

lpl/nc
 
i have an 870 express for sale, ive never even fired it, the original owner said he fired it 10 times. its $250+shipping or $250 ftf in AZ.
 
Just a thought-developed after 40+ years of professional use of weapons:

Do not EVER count on a specific sound or sight to dissuade a BG. If he was thinking straight he would not be in the position he is in. I have had people respond to the racking of a pump gun, and in some cases the response was to start shooting, like now. I know the sound well, and each time some rookie did it behind me on some narrow stairwell, it got my attention, real quickly.

If you are going to present a weapon, be prepared, legally, morally, and emotionally to use it, like right now. That means being properly trained. Take the money you might spend on add ons for the SG and buy more ammo, and practice. Then practice some more.
 
Listen to Mr. Lapin

Lee and Jack told you the truth. Mean people who've been in prison don't always scare that easy. Giving your position away can result in Bruno peeing his pants, running away, hiding better, or sending some bullets your way real quick. Save the racking trick for when they're still outside trying to get in.

I've hunted with a Wingmaster for years in 12 ga, and in LW 20. My HD shotgun is a Scattergun Tech/Wilson built on the Express, but incredibly smooth, and very reliable. Wilson has also rebuilt my other Wingmaster into the Border Patrol model, and I'll soon have two Combat shotguns. One with SureFire fore-end. One without. Practice enough with the Express, and it'll smooth out.
 
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