My wife got me a Remington 870 Express Magnum for Christmas. I LOVE MY WIFE!
Being that it is an Express and not a Police model, are there any upgrades that I should make to enhance its performance and/or reliability?
Also, what is the best option for adding a flashlight to the gun?
There really is no better option than the Surefire forend.
Instead of reinventing the wheel, I just cut and pasted… 
As I have taught this class for years and seen hundreds of thousands of 12 gauge rounds go gown range out of tactical shotguns, this is a topic that I feel very comfortable talking about…
Without a doubt I would recommend a Remington 870P… The Police marked 870s are assembled on a completely different assembly line than the Magnums or the Express guns. The quality control is much higher on the Police 870s and they use better quality springs in the action…
The semi auto guns are nice, but the 870Ps are work horses…
Here is the configuration I would recommend:
20 inch barrel with rifle sights and 14 inch barrel with rifle sights so you can change back and forth as needed…
Meprolight makes a factory style, set of night sights that works very well. I do not care for the trijicon “pistol” sights.
Scattergun just glues their sights on with epoxy, they end up falling off and the front blade is way too wide…
I like the vang comp magazine extension with the solid fixed front sling swivel the best. It is machined from solid bar stock. The factory Remington and the Tac-star ones work just fine too… Avoid the scattergun magazine extensions at all costs… They are silver soldiered together and with hard use they are prone to separating and launching the extension down range making your shotgun a single shot.
If using the Remington or tac-star magazine extension the scattergun stand alone fixed front sling swivel is the best. The GG&G ones do not fit correctly…
Be sure to keep the factory nut so you can take off the magazine extension for use with the 14 inch barrel. And be sure to use the long spring with the extension and the short one with out.
Some of the newer production guns have a pressed in set of ears inside the magazine tube. Be sure that these are removed or pressed out prior to installing the extension or the spring / follower will not move freely.
Scattergun does make a nice high-vis lime green plastic magazine follower with a easy to feel button.
The Surefire dedicated light fore-end is the king of the plains, but be sure to put the limiter on the pressure switch to avoid turning the light on every time you rack the action.
The factory safety works just fine and does not need replacing… The extended models offered by several manufactures are a solution looking for a problem…
Tac-star six or four round side saddle…
Fixed rear side sling swivel plate between the rear of the receiver and the stock
Speed feed youth length pistol grip stock WITHOUT the internal magazine. The magazine collects junk and the rounds are not held in securely enough. They either fall out or get hung up. The shorter length stock is the correct length of pull for most shooters using a tactical shotgun. NOTE, the washer provided with the speed feed stock is junk. With any hard use it will turn into a soup bowl and the stock will become lose and start to bite. Go to your local hardware store and purchase two thick steel washers and a split washer to sandwich between them. This is the best fix for this problem.
I recommend a padded VTAC attached to the front and rear fixed side sling points or the Blueforce if you prefer. It drives just like your carbine…
I do not like butt cuffs… With any vigorous use the rounds always fall out and leave a trail of shotgun ammo like Hansel and Gretel…
If you think you will need more ammo, I highly recommend the California Competition Works 12 gauge tactical stripper. Order it directly from CCW and ask for the black nylon cover and the Bianchi M9 holster belt clip so you can put it on or take it off without having to remove your belt.
Put it all in a short Pelican hard case and you are ready to kick doors with the best of them.
As to ammo I really like the 2 ¾ Federal TAC 9 controlled flight OO buckshot and the 2 ¾ Winchester Ranger 1oz low recoil slugs. You only lose about 200 feet per second with the low recoil slugs but the difference in the muzzle flash is dramatic when firing in low light conditions.
Just my .02
Buck
Also creates cheek-weld interference if you ever have to fire from the weak-side shoulder (ask me how I know…)
Thanks for the info.
Blackscot, nice shotgun. I like the Surefire light but $300 is too rich for my blood. Cheaper light options?
I also like the side-mounted shot shell holder on your gun. What is that?
Wow, they’ve gone up!:eek: Bought mine a couple years ago and I’m pretty sure was only something like half that.
TacStar is generally recognized as the best “sidesaddle”. See here:
http://www.lymanproducts.com/tacstar/index.htm
It will speed up your reloading, but also adds weight to the gun (significant for geek-physique types like me). It works best if you can keep the gun shouldered and on-target with just the strong hand, while stuffing shells from underneath with the weak – likewise a no-go for me.
I eventually removed it because I can carry 25 rounds on a belt bandoleer a lot more easily, and from which I can reload almost as quickly if I handle the gun the right way. This is strictly for competition though. If I was still using the gun for home defense I might have kept the sidesaddle.
For side saddles, you may want to give mesa tactical a try too…
If you diligently search the internet auction sites, you can find the surefire fore end light assembly slightly used in the $150 range… It really is the best game in town…
Buck
Mesa Tactical 4 shot side saddle
trijicon night sights
Surefire forend
enlarged safety
+1 mag’ extension
Should do it, or you can throw on a stainless steel magazine follower.
Lots of options and opinions out there. So you don’t get overwhelmed and “Broke” all at once, let’s take a stab at prioritizing them a little:
You need a shorter barrel for SD. I suggest the least expensive route, and one is preferred by folks like Randy Cain. An 18.5" Improved Cylinder bore Remington Factory barrel with rifle sights. Some like Ghost Rings, many do not, and I’m one of them. They are NOT faster than Rifle Sights and they are a lot less accurate. Cost for this would be around $130.00. (Quality Ghost Rings from folks like Hans Vang will cost over $300.00 alone after installation and barrel refinishing!) If you want a barrel that is shorter than 18", you must pay the Federal Tax of $200 (plus the cost of the transfer and barrel.)
IF you’re going to possibly use this for SD in the night…you have to have a light, and I hate to say it, but there is only one quality option here, and that is Sure Fire. You can get the dressed down version for around $200.00. I got the “Dressed Up” version Like New in the Box for $200 on the ar15.com Equipment Exchange.
Self Defense Ammo…Federeal has came out with a load over the last year or so that redefines “Tight Patterns”. It’s called the “Flite Control Wad” load, and it comes in couple of different loadings in 00 buck. From an 18" Improved Cylinder barrel, this load will pattern about 3" at 21 feet, and ALL 8 pellets will be in th 5 ring of an IPSC/ IDPA target at 25 yards! I list this as the 2nd thing you should get after you get a shorter barrel. IMHO, with this load, there is no longer a need for any barrel modifications at the forcing cone a.k.a. the “Vang Comp Modification”.
Now let’s talk about the weakest part of the “Shotty System”…Small Ammo Capacity. The Side Saddle (Either Tac Star or Mesa Tactical are good options) for adding ammo to the gun. They run around $30-$40. (Mesa is aluminum versus plastic if that tells you anything). Many like the 6 round Models. Many like the 4 round models to keep the weight balanced, because the next thing to consider is an extended Mag Tube.
IMHO…We could stop here, and you’d spend around $410 for the above (50 rounds of Federal Flite Control 00 Buck). Again, I know the light is a Bitch, but if you ever think you will grab this gun in the dark, you have to be able to ID the target with a light that won’t break.
Let’s take a look at the other goodies you can add, again in what I would consider to be a priority of need…
FYI…there is a little modification that is needed inside of the factory 870 Express tube for a Extended Tube to work, but it’s no big deal. You have to remove a couple of “Dimples” with a Dremel Tool or Fine Round File that will interfere with the new Mag. Follower’s travel inside the tube. Again…this is normal and not a big deal. We can help you if you need it. A quality Mag Tube will cost around $75.00 form Vang Comp Systems. It includes an extended spring and new High Vis Green follower.
Enhanced Mag. Follower…This is something you should get when you get your Tube Extension. It can be “High Vis Green” which is standard when you get a new tube, or you can get a Stainless Follower from Hans Vang which is nice, but not necessary. Both have a hollow end that you can feel when you place your thumb inside the Mag Tube letting you know you’re out of Ammo. The Stainless Follower is $22.00.
Many (like me) prefer an enlarged safety. I feel there is none better than the one from Hans Vang. You just can’t miss it when inserting your finger in the trigger guard. That’s it. Hans Vang’s Safety is $15.00.
Replacement Stocks…Again this is a big personal thing, but many will advocate a Stock that is 1" shorter on a SD piece. It’s just easier to manipulate the slide and trigger with a shorter stock. I have the new Remington “Youth Model” stock with the “Limb Saver” recoil pad that really cuts down on the recoil from Slugs and Buck loads. These can be found for around $40.00. I don’t like any of what I would call the “Gimmick Stocks” with shell carriers inside of them etc.
Slings…By all means stay away from the tactical 3 point slings! They only get in the way for cycling the fore-end. I have used 1, 2 and 3 point slings on a Defensive SG, and have settled on the Single point sling mounted at the receiver plate. A sling a quality adapter will cost around $60.00.
Well that’s about it. I hope this helps you a little with the many choices out there. Take some time. Try to read things on this site by guys like Rob Haught, Randy Cain etc. You can also find a lot of info. at the 10-8 forum where a lot of the REAL Gu-Ru’s hang out.