Hey guys,

I’m looking to order a new 870P and I’m trying to decide if I should order one with the factory +2 ext or just get the standard model and buy an after market ext.? Cost is not the driving factor here. Quality and reliability is.

Here are the options I know of…

Factory Remington – I’ve seen a lot of people recommend against these but without giving any reason why other then cost? Its hard to imagine that the factory ext. could be that bad?

Wilson Combat – These seem to be the most often recommended but honestly, these seem to be the one I’m least interested in because 1. No barrel clamp and 2. I do not like the built in sling mounts.

Tacstar – Haven’t heard much about this one. I’ve always had the impression that Tacstar makes mosltly low quality stuff but these seem pretty good? They come with a barrel clamp and in a parked finish but I don’t know if they come with a new spring and follower?

Choate – Seem fairly comparable to the Tacstar. They are available in a parked finish and do come with a new spring and follower.

I would appreciate any of you with first hand experience with any of these models to chime in and share your thoughts. If you are going to say one of them sucks, please explain why you think that. If you are going to say one of them is the best, please qualify that answer as well.

Might look at the Vang Comp one too.....

I don't have one (yet), but pretty stout....

www.vangcomp.com

edit for double post

i was told from my local delaer that remington's mag ext spring has a  tenancy to bind.

The Remington factory extension is probably the best.  

The factory magazine follower is believed to be "weak" by some people so you might replace it with a Choate or Wilson.
The factory is the only extension made with a groove in the extension tube that the clamp screw interlocks into.
This prevents the extension from moving under recoil like all the others can and do.

Other extension are:
Choate: www.riflestock.com/
Wilson.
Vang.   https://www.vangcomp.com/accessories.html
Tank's Rifle Shop.   www.tanksrifleshop.com/remshotgun.htm
Tac-Star.
ATI Plastic.

The best all around after-market unit is Choate from the stand point of quality, price, and availability.
The Choate comes as a complete kit, with the extension, spring, stronger follower, sling swivel, and the all important barrel clamp.
It's available in more sizes than all the others put together, and comes in black or parkerized.
The parkerized matches the Remington Parkerized finish.
Quality is HIGH, and the Choate has been around a long time and very thoroughly "road tested".

The Wilson is good, and EXPENSIVE. It does not come with a clamp.

The Vang is good and expensive. Also, no clamp.

The Tank's Rifle Shop version is a close copy of the Remington factory. Good, and expensive.
The Tank version is listed just under the Choate model on their web site.

The Tac-Star usually doesn't come with a clamp. They have some past history with quality problems like out-of-round magazine mount collars or tubes that are out of line.
Tac-Star is available in parkerized.
Quality seems to be lower.

The ATI plastic unit.  This is a plastic extension molded around a steel coupling.  Works, but the quality just isn't there.  Also some reported problems with defective molding around the coupling.

Whatever you get, GET A CLAMP.
It doesn't matter if the extension is a solid steel bar, it's still screwed onto a thin magazine tube, and a good bump will knock it off the gun, damaging the gun's magazine tube.
This means a trip back to Remington for an expensive replacement.

If your extension doesn't come with a clamp, the best one is Uncle Mike's close copy of the Remington factory clamp.
www.unclemikes.com/adtemplate.asp?invky=9004490&catky=1465723&subcatky1=4548843&subcatky2=2000180


My recommendation:  Buy the factory unit.  These have the best reputation of any extension.

I just put the +2 Wilson on my 870 and I must say fit and finish is nice.  I considered the Choate, but I liked Wilson's reputation and it seems to be better built.

Factory Remington. The only way to go, IMO. Brownells has them for a decent price with the discount.

Factory Remington. hands down

Thanks everybody but especially dfariswheel. That was exactly the  kind of info I was looking for!

I wish I would have waited and bought the Remington factory extension, but I bought the Choate instead. I say that not because of quality but because the parkerized finish of the Choate does not match my 870 Police Magnum. The extension is black whereas my gun is gray and it just doesn't look right together.

Quoted: I wish I would have waited and bought the Remington factory extension, but I bought the Choate instead. I say that not because of quality but because the parkerized finish of the Choate does not match my 870 Police Magnum. The extension is black whereas my gun is gray and it just doesn't look right together.

The Remington extention unit when bought seprately from the shotgun will probably not match either. I have sold more than a dozen of them. The finish is kind of rough, splotchey, and non uniform.

I'd have to go with Wilson (from experience)

im gonna say factory or a Vang Comp tube.

SPTiger:
It's possible you didn't GET a parkerized Choate extension.

The Choate standard is a satin black sulfate finish.  
The Choate parkerized finish is a gray color that very closely matches the Police parkerized finish.

I had problems in the past with ordering Choate parkerized extensions and getting black sulfate by mistake.
Other people had similar problems getting Tac-Star parkerized extensions.  
Ordered Park and got black.

A lot of companies picker-packers can't tell the difference.

Quoted: I just put the +2 Wilson on my 870 and I must say fit and finish is nice.  I considered the Choate, but I liked Wilson's reputation and it seems to be better built.

I didnt think that Wilson made their extensions........I had a hard time finding anything that Wilson actually made for shotguns