I want to replicate this build from Chris Baker at Lucky Gunner. Article here. Video here.

Pics courtesy of Lucky Gunner. I could stare at this thing all...day...long.







The 870 platform I want to build from is a new 870 Police model - and I think [opinions welcome here] that it would be best to start with the bare bones Remington 24403 Model 870 Police Parkerized 18" Shotgun with Bead Sight (Link here) because of it's lower cost and the fact that I'd be swapping out the barrel for a 14" Remington one with rifle sights and swapping in a Wilson Combat/Scattergun Technologies +1 to ensure the barrel tip and magazine tube are matched in length. So I guess first question: which Police model should I build from? (And no, I'm not interested in starting with an 870 Express model).

Chris is running the Vang Comp Systems (VCS) +1 on his gun and I think it looks better without the dumb sling attachment, but it also costs almost twice as much and seems to have not-so-great reviews. Any thoughts here? I've also seen the Nordic Components version, but don't have any opinions on this one yet.

Thanks in advance for any constructive input you have.

I have a factory sbs set up as in the picture, but with the wilson +1.  There's a model that is only a QD sling stud instead of the sling loop, which might be closer to what you're looking for.  Mine lines up perfectly with the 14" barrel with rifle sights

Thanks for the info.

I would start with a Plain Jane police model.  No reason to pony up for a model with a different barrel, unless you plan on using it on another 870.  Like most of us, you are just going to wind up with spare parts....  LOL!  (Not sure if you are a seller or collector) You can always sell to help offset the cost.

I bought a 14” barrel with Rifle Night Sights.  They are really nice sights, but they totally F me up every time I shoulder the gun.  I am use to a certain cheek weld and looking straight down the top of the barrel and have to adjust on the fly when shooting with the “Rifle” sights.  They are good for longer shots with slugs.  I recommend sticking with the low profile sights pictured above, unless you plan on adjusting your shooting check weld on shotguns (you may shoulder different than me).  Looking back I wish I bought the low profile sight barrel for my SBS build.  I have these sights on an 18” barrel (Spare Parts now) and to me, it is more natural to my sighting stance.

For the +1 tube extender, I have one of each you mentioned:

SBS Remy - Wilson Combat +1
Mossberg 500 Breacher - Vang Comp +1
Beretta 1301 Tactical – Nordic +2

All are well built!  The Wilson and Vang are tanks compared to the Nordic.

The Wilson is a nice piece, I can’t remember if it was finished on the inside.  I guess if I do not recall any issues, it must have been GTG.  Somehow I misread the description and ordered the one with the sling on the wrong side..  I must have been drinking…  LOL!  No problem though, I few minutes out in the garage and I was able to flip it around.

The Vang was unfinished on the inside and had a good amount of surface rust when I opened the package…  not a big issue, as stated, it’s a tank.  After a little sanding and oil and it was back to new.  Although I have not checked it since I installed in about 8-10 years ago..

The Nordic is also nice, made out of Alum, at least half the weight of the other two and is a two piece construction.  This will let you clean the tube without taking the barrel off.

I don’t have any major complaints on any but I am not a 3-Gunner throwing my shotgun in a barrel..

I hope this helps!  Good Luck!

D

This helps a ton, RDeAnda! Thank you.

Currently the 14" Remington barrel with bead sights seems to be out of stock everywhere. Botach has the same barrel with rifle sights, but is that going to pose the same dilemma you were describing with shouldering the shotgun?

BTW, this is going to be my first and likely only shotgun. So I agree about getting the bare bones 4+1 capacity Remington 870 Police model so as to minimize the amount of undesired parts that I will initially pay for.

I wish I had purchased the (14" XS Low Profile with Tritium From Sight) I prefer this one over a plain bead and the Rifle sights barrels.

The XS Low Profile sights provide better accuracy than a standard bead sight, and are faster to get on target vs the rifle sights (for me).

I bought my (14" With Trijicon Rifle Sights) from this guy a couple years ago.  He has them listed on his website, but is a bit ole fashioned.  It may be best to call him:

AIP Tactical

I have no affiliation with him or his business.

Thanks,
D

That is a pretty antiquated website LOL. But sometimes those guys are the best businesses to deal with. Thanks for the referral; I'll call him tomorrow.

I put together an SBS that sounds much like what you intend except I did it with a Marine Magnum.  This isn't for everyone, but I built this one by buying the pieces I wanted and assembling rather than retro-fitting an existing shotgun.  Sort of like building an AR I guess.  I bought the receiver and barrel from JD at AIP Tactical (link provided by RDeAnda above).  I already had some 870 parts but found others on eBay like the forearm slide/action bars for a Marine.  The +1 extension on mine is the Wilson/Scattergun version.  I bought it with the sling loop but took off the sling piece (not easy) when I found it wouldn't allow the forend to go all the way forward with the Inforce light on it.  The side saddle is a Mesa Tactical bolt on, but I'm probably going to change this over to a velcro type.  I've kept the butt stock in the low cheek weld config vs what the Lucky Gunner guy did as my config lets me look right down the top of the receiver and line up the Tritium site perfectly.  I intend for this to be a working home defense gun, so it has to work and be comfortable.  So far in this config I really like it.

Beautiful build! I'm curious if your Wilson Combat +1 with sling loop was vertical or canted to the left side. I just ordered the vertical one and now I'm concerned whether it will clear that exact same Magpul fore end/M-LOK picatinny rail piece/InForce WMLx combo because that's exactly what I bought.

Sidebar: Is the 800 Lumen WMLx too much for pitch black/indoors?

My extension had the sling loop on the left side like picture below.  I've looked at pictures of the one with the loop down (vertical) and it looks to me like the light would clear that one.

I think 800 lumen is too much for indoor only.  My WML is an older one so I'm not sure what lumen it is.  I see their standard model now is 400 so I'd guess that is what mine is and it's plenty.  100 or 200 in my opinion is plenty for indoor.

Thanks guys, I just ordered the 14" Remington Barrel with the XS Low Profile sights (non-Tritium) from JD at AI&P Tactical. He was super helpful and a hoot to talk to. Just as an FYI, he was saying these barrels aren't showing on the 2018 Remington 870 Parts Lists, so there may be some availability challenges in the future.

Damn...!  Just my luck...  I was going to wait to buy one but now it looks like I better jump on it...

Thanks!
D

I've bought a short barrel from AIP Tactical - no issues whatsoever.

Good to hear! My barrel should be here Thurs or Fri.

In other news, Vang Comp impressed me with their awesome customer service. I had been waiting on their side saddle for about 2.5 weeks and right when they were about ready to ship it, I asked if I could add their +1 extension and have them remove the sling mount for me. They happily obliged, gave me 15% off, and are throwing in one of their safety switches at no charge. Ships today! I cancelled my Wilson Combat order for their +1/vertical sling loop since it is on backorder indefinitely.

24403 Shotgun was ordered Monday, so hopefully it will be here by early next week.

JD is good to deal with, really knows his stuff when it comes to Remington shotguns, esp. the 870 models.
Ex-Marine too...and ex-LEO

Had a few of his very nice slings. Wish the ITAR laws didn't stop me doing more business with him as I'd have a few 870's & 11-87's as funds allowed!

Here's the shotgun I went with:



In other news, the 14" Remington barrel came in today from AI&P Tactical. She's a beauty!

The Vang Comp accessories arrived today. This stuff is top-notch!



Check out that stout +1 extension! There were absolutely no signs of rust or corrosion inside or out.

AZ_SBR:   Are you going to leave the build in the matte finish?  Or will you Cerakote it or something?

A custom color would be cool, but I do not have any plans to get this done. Just sticking with an all black gun.

My Remington 24403 showed up today.





And less than an hour after I picked it up, Wright Armory handled the laser engraving. Couldn't be more pleased with how it turned out.

Nothing like taking the majority of the stock parts off and working with a blank canvas... LOL.

Looking good there OP. I wish you a speedy ATF approval process!

Thanks hobbez, I gave the wife a heads up: "Saturday we're going to get our fingerprinting done and also filling out the paperwork." I plan to have everything mailed out this weekend.

A couple of updates:

(1) Chris Baker from Lucky Gunner responded to an email I had sent him. He's made a few revisions to the accessories his SBS is equipped with. He no longer runs the Vang Comp Systems DSAC and instead just runs a piece of 3M velcro stuck to the receiver and mated it with an Esstac shotgun card ($13). He also has been experimenting with different WMLs and is currently running the Surefire integrated light forend.

(2) I made my own assessments of the VCS parts and determined that the Wilson Combat +1 with vertical sling loop would look better (IMO) and sit flush with the end of the 14" barrel - more so than the VCS +1. I also test-fitted the DSAC and didn't love how the anchor screws with serrated heads stuck so far out and dug into my trigger finger when it was off trigger and resting against the receiver. I will not be installing this after all and will be looking into the adhesive-backed velcro/Esstac shotgun card instead.

(3) I completed my Form 1 and my Responsible Person questionnaires last night; just need to get the two sets of fingerprint cards for my wife and I

(4) I picked up this inexpensive, but surprisingly great value for the money, gun case from Amazon. It's the NcStar 2906 Gun Case 38" L x 9" H, Tan.  Link. Since the OAL of the shotgun will be just a hair under 33", this case seem to be the best bet and I can tell you it will fit it perfectly once the 14" barrel and +1 extension are installed. I had a $10 Amazon credit, so this only cost me $12.

Looking good!  I like the carrying case.  I may have to pick one of these up.

D

Some goodies arrived.

60 rounds of HD ammo...



Wilson Combat +1



Seems like the dimples will interface better with the detent on the barrel and not get chewed up vs. the grooves/serrations on the VCS +1. Feels equally-as-stout and the machining work inside is actually "finished" (that's a light glare/oil on the inside left). Plus, it costs almost half of what the VCS did.

Ost

Ended up picking this side saddle up for <$20 shipped from Brown Coat Tactical. Trimmed the Velcro backing to allow for access to the front trigger pin and viewing of the gun's serial number.

Here is mine...

Very nice. Wish I could post up pics of mine, but "pending" status. What +1 did you go with?

Vang Comp. I removed the sling attachment point.

Awesome. I also found that the .25 comb height add-on to the SGA stock didn't work for me, so I'm running just the SGA stock as-is.

+1, I ordered the taller inserts but when I assembled the SBS I found the shorter setup to be a perfect height for me.

Just a note for anyone reading along, I'm using the Vang velcro shell carrier and and had to dremel the metal plate a bit to fit around the Magpul SGA Receiver Sling Mount.

I find it perplexing that even with a 14" barrel, these shotgun setups are still longer than my DDMK18 SBR with the buttstock extended to the desired position. Yet, still need ATF approval and $200 donation to the gub'ment.

I know this is a clone gun and the newest /coolest thing is to use Velcro shell holders but realistically, how many of you are using these to 3 gun??

Why not 8 on the side saddle??

Attached File

No 3-gun here. This is my first shotgun, so I went with Velcro/elastic combo based on Interwebs searching and others' experiences and opinions. Read that the plastic/rubber shell holders can deform or at least get loose in the sun. I live in AZ, so seemed reasonable.

Like the setup and really like the shell holder you picked up.  Might have to do that myself.  I’ve got a factory Remington 14” SBS (as well as a 10” AOW) and I put a Wilson +1 I had laying around on it,  love the “mag flush with the end of the barrel” look.

Thanks compuvette. Nice guns in that pic! I agree about the mag flush look. That's part of the reason I ditched the Vang Comp +1 - it didn't quite meet the end of the barrel and the WC looks more stout.

Here is my clone build on an old 870 Wingmaster police trade-in.

Attached File

Nice build!

Yes, it does look the same. I went with the Mesa Tactical shell carrier.

Thanks.

Update:

Remington 870 Police Magnum SBS, Form 1, trust w/2 RPs

2/24/18 - Completed paperwork delivered to NFA
2/26/18 - Payment taken
3/26/18 - Called; not in system
4/18/18 - Called; pending
6/29/18 - Approved
7/6/18 - Stamp received in mail

132 days total

Happy Independence Day!

Very Nice!

Thanks superdoc!

Here's an IG pic I posted up today.



I'm looking forward to shooting this thing...for the first time. Unfortunately, summer heat, a new job, plus business travel have made that tough as of late.

That came out great. Makes me want to build one.

I'm building a similar gun and I just ordered a 14" XS barrel from AIP. FYI... I talked to JD on the phone and he directed me to his new website linked below for ordering. It was much more modern than the other one, easy to use, and had pictures of all the barrels.

tacticalgunsling.com