Remington 870 Express SBS Build VS Buying 870 P

[razorback2003]

I have thought about LEGALLY building a 12 GA Remington 870 Express SBS VS buying a Remington 870 P 14 inch. Here are my thoughts.

1. Buy the 870 synthetic Express with 26 inch screw choke vent rib hunting barrel. (I do hunt/shoot at range clays)..even brand new these are very reasonable and good hunting guns for the woods.

2. Get the receiver engraved by a Class 3 Dealer/Manufacturer who offers this service in TN....and of course fill out paperwork for ATF.

3. When tax stamp is received get a 14 inch 870 factory barrel with sights hopefully a good clean used one.

I think with that set up I'd have cost of engraving 75 bucks...325 for shotgun...tax stamp 200...and whatever a good clean used 14 inch barrel goes for. I could have a hunting/clays fun gun and a short gun all in one cheaper than getting the 870 P synthetic 14 inch (they seem hard to find and expensive) and getting a 26 inch barrel.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Avenger29]

Have you thought or been able to find any used 870Ps or Wingmasters?

If you do go the Express route, at least you can upgrade some critical parts (MidwayUSA sells better quality factory extractors, for instance...)

 

[yongxingfreesty]

i think form 1 is better and will be a little cheaper. the cost of engraving is about the price of a transfer here.

you can also shoot it with the 18" and up barrel, versus not having the gun while you are waiting.

 

[razorback2003]

I've seen some used Wingmasters and they all have wood stocks....and I don't want to tear up a nice wood stock and nice blued finish in the rain and swamps. I have a blued and wood finish Browning BPS 12 and also a Remington 1100 20 gauge (old one on 12 gauge frame) and no way will I cut either of those down...and I try to take care of those....I also don't want to make those Class 3 in case I want to sell them to a hunter in a swap/trade.

Friends of mine have the synthetic Rem 870 expresses for duck and goose and they say they've dropped them in water...pulled them out...take apart...wipe down good...and they keep on working fine...then they take apart when they get home to clean better...take stock off to drain water....that's much harder to do with a wood stock.

I wonder how much the 870 14 inch factory barrels run for a clean one. I picked up an 1100 barrel recently for my 20 gauge on 12 gauge frame for 100 bucks.

 

[LiquidTension]

My first thought is that you need to find another engraver. $75 is pretty high. Try a trophy shop, they do my NFA engraving $30 or less.

 

[strambo]

My engraving locally with an experienced NFA engraver was $25 and he did a great job. I gave him $30 total for a tip since the service was fast, good and he had to fuss with set up since my lower was assembled.

I like the Form 1 option, getting the 26" barrel on a used Wingmaster or express, then ordering the 14". Sounds like the best plan and you can shoot the shotgun until the form comes back.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

Maybe my parents could engrave recievers. They own a trophy shop.

 

[razorback2003]

I read a post about the differences between the 870 Express and 870 Police...and I am not that bothered that the Express is a little cheaper made. I'm not going to be firing round after round of buckshot through my shotgun. I never have through the shotguns I have now and probably never will....it's just too expensive and not really fun.

I'd just have the 14 inch barrel to slip on when the gun is under my bed or in the closet for self defense and the 26 inch barrel for hunting and clays.

The synthetic expresses are decent guns for their purpose. I do like my Browning BPS and Rem 1100 better....but no way will I take that or even a nice Wingmaster with its deep bluing that can rust into a swamp and bad weather. Wingmasters are awful nice shotguns (at least where I come from in Tennessee) and i'd feel bad dropping one in the water and mud...that synthetic Express...that's ok with me and a lot of other people...they don't have nice bluing. Synthetic Mossberg pump and synthetic 870 Expresses are awesome bad weather, swamp and water guns....they just keep on working...and if worst comes to worst that it falls to the bottom of the swamp you havent lost too much.