Nem, do you have more than one 870? 'Cause man, I can't imagine getting rid of mine -- it's just so solid, ya know? It's kinda like a good .30-30 or a .22LR... a gun everyone should have.
Z, I hear you.
But no, I have only one, and yes, I'm going to sell it.
I've talked this over at some length with some friends that are shotgun owners. Haven't brought it up here because we're mostly about the 336.
But since you asked, I'll explain. (We are a "club", and members have other guns that are occasionally get discussed; that's fine by me.)
I came to THR two years ago specifically looking for advice about an 870 for HD. I had one as a kid, a 16 ga, I knew their quality, had already decided 870 v 500/590, but just didn't know which 870.
I had only one gun at the time, a SW 3914 (long since gone now, replaced with revolvers after a brief time with a Kahr K9; what can I say, I'm just a revolver guy).
Long story short, I wound up with the 870P, a 12 ga.
Well, I shot it ... some, but not a lot. I'd never owned a 12 ga. I had some concerns about the recoil, even with reduced recoil loads, because I'm 50-something now, a relatively small person (140 ish) and experiencing some signs of retinal detachment, which runs in my family. Heavy recoil doesn't help that issue. (I've also discussed this with my ophthalmologist.)
I'm finding that I'm just not spending time anymore with the 870 because of that.
Plus, and equally important, since getting my levers - 336A and 39A - I've come to accept what I sort of already knew on some level: I'm a rifle guy, not a shotgun guy.
I have very limited time for practice with my guns. In part, of course, because I spend too much time on this forum - 5000 in two years - but in part because it's a LONG way out to my range, and with diesel prices what they are, and being a small business owner with tight margins, well ... money and time are tight.
Plus, now that I have understood the joy and utility of .38 spl and .357 Mag, and now own the SW 65 3" (shoots both), I want a carbine to complement it. That's going to be an 1894C. Yep, staying with Marlin. I've become passionate about Marlin levers (and SW revolvers).
I know that even though the carbine won't do for bird hunting (which I don't do anyway), it'll do fine for SD/HD/camp defense, just as good as the shotgun for what I need now. My studio is in a very isolated part of town with effectively no neighbors, so I'm not concerned about over-penetration using the rifle for "HD".
And as a camp gun, and a walk about gun for short overnight backpacks, the 1894C will far excel over the 870 for me. Lighter, smaller, fine for small game and deer at short ranges, and I can carry much more ammo for less weight than the 12 ga.
And, I can practice with it LOTS without concern about recoil, and given that the action is very similar to my 336 and 39A, the practice and training for all will be very similar. Kind of like being a sprinter with 100m, 500m and 800 m sprints, rather than sprinting AND shot put. I want to focus on sprinting now.
And, as I've said many times here and in other threads, I'm a minimalist when it comes to my gun tool kit. I want a few weapons that will cover a large range of needs, with which I can become as proficient as possible. Speaking only for myself, I know that my proficiency will be improved by having only two kinds of actions to practice with: levers and wheels, which is one less than levers, pumps and wheels. YMMV, of course, but for me, it seems to be what I need to do.
One reason for that minimalism is, I'm semi-nomadic, and don't want to be carrying around a lot of guns; I just don't have the space and cargo capacity. If I was a "home owner" who was going to stay in one place for 20 years, it'd be different. But when I'm on the road, between "base camps", I'm in a 25' cargo trailer set up as a living space, and space is very tight.
If/when I move up to Alaska in a few years (still a dream or a goal more than a plan), I'll add an 1895 in .45-70 or a 444 for those bigger critters with teeth and claws. Back to big recoil, but I can practice with it with MUCH lighter rnds than a 12 ga. And of course, it stays with the lever theme.
Plus, I'm not attached to this particular 870P. It's a great gun, but I have no emotional attachment to it. It's new to me, not a family heirloom. 870s are everywhere and not hard to come by if I ever change my mind and want one.
But for right now, the 1894C is calling me more, and they're harder to come by. My local shop only gets in about 3 or 4 per year, and they go fast.
OK, I know not all will agree, and I'll catch flack for this plan
, but I've thought it through pretty well over the last few weeks, and it consistently feels like the right decision for me.
Again, YMMV. Not saying this is right for everyone.
So, I'll probably be putting a very fine, low mileage 870P up on the for sale block in the next few days. PM me if you're interested.
Nem
