is this a good trade?

[butcherboy]

a friend of mine asked if i wanted to do the following trade.

i have a Rem 870 express 12ga 3inch. smooth bore. 28inch barrel. turkey choke, full and mod.

he has a Rem 870 express deer slayer. 12ga 3.5 inch, rifled barrel.. 20inch?

is this a good trade.

 

[Hunterdad]

Well, do you want a deer gun or an upland/waterfowl/small game/field gun? Answer that question and I think the answer will be obvious.

Personally, keep what you have and get a slug barrel for around $100. That way, you have a gun that can go after pretty much everything.

 

[rcmodel]

Your smoothbore gun will shoot any type of shell well, except Sabot slugs.

His rifled gun will not shoot any type of shell well, except Sabot slugs.

Seems the choice would be a pretty easy one.

rc

 

[butcherboy]

heres what i was thinking. just a thought...

i was thinking of trading to get the 3.5 chamber and rifled barrel. than if i wanted to get a smoothbore barrel for it. i see them used all the time. and cheap in columbia county.

any thoughts on this?

 

[Hunterdad]

Let me ask you this......have you ever shot a 3.5" slug, turkey load or waterfowl load? I'm assuming you haven't since you're actually think about this trade. Myself and most other people agree that 3.5" is not needed.....ever.

 

[303tom]

Being you guys are buddies why don`t you just trade the use of barrels ?

 

[bowman1962]

[/QUOTE]Let me ask you this......have you ever shot a 3.5" slug, turkey load or waterfowl load?[/QUOTE] Thats Funny

If not, TRY it before ya BUY it........

 

[rcmodel]

+1

There are very few good actual reasons to even own a 3 1/2" Mag shotgun.

Heavy loads of large steel shot for long range goose hunting is the only legitimate one I can think of right off hand.

Certainly not needed for turkey, deer, ducks, self-defense, clay target sports, or upland game.

Other reasons NOT to own one is, the receiver is longer, the guns are heavier, the pump stoke is longer, and the shells cost several times more per shot.

Oh!
Did I mention they kick like a deranged stud mule on crack!

rc

 

[jmr40]

Other reasons NOT to own one is, the receiver is longer, the guns are heavier,

Not true with the Remington. The ejection port is slightly longer to allow the longer shells to eject, but the receiver length and weight are exactly the same. This is true with Mossberg and several other guns, not Remington.

You don't NEED 3.5 shells, but I can see how you might come out better. If you can trade even, then find a used 28" or 26" smooth bore barrel cheap enough it would probably be cheaper than just buying another rifled barrel for the gun you have.

The used barrel you buy will not be able to shoot the 3.5" shells through it, but it will fit and function on the 3.5" receiver. I have no use for 3.5" shells, but just because you have a gun that shoots them doesn't mean you have to load them in the gun.

On the other hand, you have a gun you know, and know it works. If you trade, you could end up with a less dependable gun. I'd do some research and find out just how much it would cost to buy a rifle sighted slug barrel for your current gun vs exactly how much it would cost to buy used a longer barrel.