Looking to get a skeet barrel for my 870..

[monduconstruct]

Hello!

I recently got into skeet, and would love to casually pursue it. Before I go buy an O/U double or something, I'd like to modify my existing 870P for the sport and take the slow approach.

From what I've read I should look for a 26" vented-rib (no idea what this is) barrel with a front bead (as opposed to the middle bead on Wingmaster barrels). I guess the finish doesn't matter too much - probably something matte would be best to match the parkerized finish on the rest of my 870P.

Not sure if a choke is necessary? Would the RemChoke be what I would want?

Can anyone make some suggestions of where to look for such a barrel? Would an Express barrel fit my 870P, which I believe is a pre-2000ish model, maybe even mid-90's? I wouldn't mind getting a used barrel too if folks know of a place to get good used barrels.

 

[oneounceload]

26 or 28 inch will work fine; I prefer a mid bead, but not absolutely necessary. For skeet, you'll want a skeet choke, which is .005".
Remington, Midway, many others sell replacement barrels

 

[Virginian]

Cheapest route is probably to look for a used 26" or 28" fixed choke, vent rib, skeet barrel. if you don't like it you can sell it for what you put in it. I like 26" for skeet, but longer is more fashionable these days.

 

[rcmodel]

barrel with a front bead (as opposed to the middle bead on Wingmaster barrels

All barrels will have a front bead.

Some barrels will have a middle bead too.
Just about all high grade trap & skeet guns will have a middle bead. (and a front bead too)

A vent rib is a raised rib down the top of the barrel you look down when shooting. It has cut-outs every so often to "vent" heat away.
A solid rib has no cut-outs under it for heat to escape, or for weed seeds & mud to collect in like a vent rib.

It give you a flat surface to avoid distration while looking over the whoopDdoos on a tapered plain barrel.

If you hve recently got into Skeet?
I bet you could learn a lot just walking around the skeet range and looking at skeet guns, and asking questions of the other skeet shooters.

rc

 

[NoAlibi]

When I decided to start shooting skeet I did exactly what Virginian suggested: a used Rem. 26" vent-rib bbl with a fixed skeet choke for my 870 which I had been using as my police shotgun (it originally had a 20" bbl with rifle sights). The skeet bbl also served me well for quail and early season doves.