Home Defense Barrel on 870 Express

[Mendel5]

I know this has probably been discussed ad infinitum, but I can't find it, and it's been driving me crazy. I have a Remingon 870 Express and want to turn it into a primarily home defense shotgun, thus I'd like to get a shorter barrel for it than the 28 inch that came with it. That being said, I'd also like to use it to hunt deer, so a rifled barrel would be the best option for that.

Questions:

1. Can a 20-inch rifled barrel be used for home defense if you want to use 00 buckshot for that purpose rather than slugs? or ...
   
2. Do I need to use a smooth barrel in that instance (I'm trying to avoid that if possible because of the desire to hunt, but I don't want to spend a fortune on 15 different barrels or even different shotguns ... wife DEFINITELY wouldn't go for it)?

I hope these questions make sense, and thanks, in advance for any help.

 

[556A2]

If you shoot buckshot in a rifled shotgun barrel it will "swirl" the shot. Basically you will have a circle around your target, similar to a doughnut.

I think you would be best served to buy an 18" or 20" 870 Police barrel. Some will have rifled sights instead of a bead, and they have fixed I/C chokes which is usually the best choke for slugs. A good rifled slug will be plenty to drop a buck, and it can double duty for buckshot since its not rifled.

ETA: 20" Rifle Sight Fixed I/C Police Barrel is Item Number: 242542 and is $152 direct from Remington

 

[22-rimfire]

For me, I'd just get a 20" smooth barrel and use it for both home defense and deer hunting. Shots beyond 100 yds usually require a rifled barrel. Just depends on where or how you plan on hunting. The rifled barrel is not the best choice for home defense and buck shot is not necessarily the best choice either. Look at No. 4 shot and No. 4 buck mix. Shot pattern is so tight that you really don't need buck shot for home defense.

 

[kmrcstintn]

guess I did this one backwards...

I snagged a clearance shotty from Gander Mountain...

an older black synthetic Remington 870 SPS-T that has a 20" barrel with Hi-Viz adjustable sights and interchangable choke capability...needed something easy to set-up for deer season in 2006 and I didn't want to mess with any combos at the time; it came with a factory x-full turkey choke and I added a selection of used chokes @ $10/ each (full, modified, & improved cylinder); other goodies included with the gun from the factory are sling studs, high comb buttstock, and a padded sling for $299.97

I recently patterned my beast at 10 yards with Sellier & Bellot #4 buckshot & reported the results here:

http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=241478

I just had a local shop order me a Remington 26" game barrel w/ choke set for $199 since I want to expand the usage of my shotty...guess I did it backwards...

 

[sm]

Folks I know use a bone stock 870 Express with 26" or 28" barrel and after using the Pattern Board to determine what loads the barrel/chokes like - use those loads for various tasks

Mine I kept the Mod screw in it with the plain old Forster slugs from Federal for serious situations.
I now use a NEF Youth 20 ga single shot with fixed modified choked barrel with slugs for serious stuff and whatever ammo is handy for whatever else...

Most of my kind are in the "just gimme a gun and some ammo" . Don't matter, whatever we see is gonna fell anyway...

 

[Fred Fuller]

The 20" rifle sighted smoothbore barrels for Express guns are pretty common, and are a much better bet for 'generalist' use. They will as a rule perform adequately with rifled slugs out to a hundred yards or a bit more, if the shooter holds up their end. And they will do MUCH better with shot loads than a rifled bore. The newer ones are all made with a factory fixed ImpCyl choke, which helps performance with both slugs and buckshot.

In shopping for barrels make sure you get one that matches the magazine cap retention method of the gun you have. Older Express guns use the spring-loaded detent set into the barrel ring, newer ones use the plastic magazine spring retainer to keep the mag tube cap in place.

Good hunting,

lpl/nc

 

[Kimber1911_06238]

buy a smoothbore 22-24" barrel with rifle sights. That way you can use buckshot for home defense and the federal tru-ball slugs shoot damn good out of smoothbores for deer.

 

[distra]

I have a used 870 police version, magnum, 18" barrel and mag extension for HD. I also have a 28" barrel for bird/clays. Whole package was less than $400. 18" shoots a bit high at 15yds, but will do the trick as a HD weapon. I changed the stock to a Remington synthetic black and put a little fluorescent paint on the bead.

 

[jnormanh]

<<Mine I kept the Mod screw in it with the plain old Forster slugs from Federal for serious situations.>>

 

[Glockfan.45]

jnormanh you have gone from just being a pest to being a full fledged troll. Why dont you go back to D.U? Why you have yet to be banned is beyond me.

 

[mbt2001]

jnormanh you have gone from just being a pest to being a full fledged troll. Why dont you go back to D.U? Why you have yet to be banned is beyond me.

Seconded

 

[Slater]

Hell, I didn't realize that Diane Feinstein frequented these boards

 

[sm]

jnormanh,

Your comments were brought to my attention.
It is customary to volunteer one's credentials first, when questioning those of another.

Now Staff members Jeff White, Dave McCracken, Larry Ashcraft, P95Carry and Preacherman know of me, and my "resume'" along with a very small group of trusted non-staff members around here on THR.


Now I would - and do prefer to keep my Resume' private for my Security.
I will not publicly reveal mine, nor will I respond to you privately.

PM one of the Staff of THR I mentioned above and one or more will most assured give you a "yes" in regard to me having to be very concerned about my security.

Regards,

Steve

 

[Correia]

Tell us, how many "serious situations" have you ever faced?...other than the ones in your paranoid head.

I don't know, usually when you have to kill somebody it seems serious at the time.

Can't speak for the other members of the board, obviously, but I've faced a couple I would consider "serious".

My wife has had two. One ended with a would be rapist scrambling out of her apartment.

Of course, if that isn't good enough for you, you can crawl back under your bridge. Have a pleasant day.

By the way, you've been warned. Insult another member and I'll be scraping you from the bottom of my shoe.

Got it?

 

[bpisler]

I put a 20" barrel with rifle sights and rem
choke on my 870.I could then use a mod
choke for buckshot and a rifled choke for
regular slugs.The rifled choke would give
me 50% tighter groups out to 50 yards,
which is as far as i ever tested it.I recall it
was close to 200 dollars from midayusa.