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Posted: 2/11/2008 5:30:09 AM EDT
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http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d120/thesingedsoul/SHOTGUN1.jpg Have about 200 dollars I am willing to put in this project. Remington 870 Express Magnum 2 3/4"-3" Knoxx SpecOps Stock. Surefire M69 Railed Forend. Blackhawk sling and sling mount. Tacstar +2 shot extension. TangoDown Battlegrip. Uncle Mikes Cartridge Belt. What would you put $200 towards on this? It was originally a $190 28" barreled clays gun with beat up wood furniture I purchased on my 18th as a present to myself as a first project. I had a local recommended gunsmith cut it down to 18" and round the edges of the vent rib, refinish it, and mount a silver bead. Would getting the barrel threaded again be possible/worth it? |
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What would I do to your gun with $200? Step 1, Buy: Hogue youth stock: -$45 Marbles/Trijicon bead sight: -$25 SGT/Wilson 1 round extension: -$45 VangComp safety: -$12______________ Total: -$127 Step 2, Sell: Knoxx SpecOps: +$100 SF Rail: +$90 TD Vert Grip: +$40 Tac Star magazine: +$25______________ Total: +$255 Step 3, Take a shotgun class ~$500 for a good, two day course from many quality trainers. Step 4, + $200 cash on-hand - $127 in new parts that are practical + $255 selling impractical stuff_________ New total cash on-hand: $328 - $500 for quality training_____________ Total spending: -$178 Getting yourself squared away: Priceless ======================= Spend the extra $22 you saved by taking my advice on ammo.  |
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FMD and others have taken the time and interest to offer you some very good advice in answer to your question, "What would you do next?" In spite of all this, you maintain that nothing you've done to this gun is impractical while having overlooked really important features of any tactical shotgun, such as sights and lights. Without even mentioning those items, you want to throw $200 more dollars at it "to top this off" and possibly do things like thread the barrel. Unfortunately for you, I believe sights and light would put you well over your $200 limit. Given all this, I'd either lose the TD foregrip and use the real estate for a solid light assembly or just spend the cash on ammo. Since it sounds as though you don't have much time for practice anyway, then why not "top it off" with a light? So many times I've read thread starters on Arfcom soliciting advice who, when they honestly get some, bristle, bitch, and then bash the forum. You haven't yet and I'm hoping you won't. Some practical questions you should ask yourself include: what's my application for this gun?; what's my application for this gun given its present "features"?; what's my proficiency with it as is?; what do I want to hear that hasn't already been offered? |
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Brother, you asked for opinions, I gave you mine. I'm a fan of keeping things simple, and I wish I had the internet to get good advice from when I was that age. The above was the best advice I could come up with. If you don't want the advise and just want to hang some more cool-guy crap on your gun, consider a TLR1 weaponlight, a Trijicon bead, and a MesaTactical shell-holder. You could do worse for $200. If you have an open mind, and would like to know the reasons why I advocated what I did, read on: Re: Training: You don't know what you don't know. We all (at least those of us who might wish to defend our lives with a firearm) need training, and after training practice. When you've practiced things till you can't get them wrong, it's time for more training. Taking a class will also show you what works and what doesn't. "Youth"-sized stocks fit even 6'6" gorilla-armed folks if they are shooting "squared up", which you will do when confronted with a threat. They also allow you to move naturally when you are shooting. Recoil reduction can be accomplished other ways than going with a Knoxx stock, which I find to be too long even fully collapsed, as well as introducing an undesirable dynamic to malfunction clearances. I actually like a small stubby VFG on my pump. What you have with the full-size TD is big enough to get in the way, and long enough to work against smooth action (twisting the fore-end). Quality and reliable components are just that. Stuff on sale from CTD not so much. The Wilson +1 extension saves weight, doesn't require a clamp, and allows for an extra round. It is a quality item that serves as a good compromise for having the capacity to slug-select in a "fighting" shotgun without making it nose-heavy. Which brings us to the fore-end: The SF unit only serves to allow you to mount extra crap on an already muzzle-heavy gun. Outside of looking like Billybadass at the range, you'd be better served by a short length of rail mounted to the stock forearm for mounting what you need to. Bead over ghost rings? ALL survival shooting comes down to "Front Sight, Press". The Marbles/Trijicon bead is a less-expensive alternative to an XS BigDot. Both are bomb-proof, and have nothing to distract you from concentrating on the FS, and pressing the trigger. Under stress, not having to think about all the other crap pays off with hits on target. Again, you asked what I would do next with your gun if I had $200 to spend, and I answered with the best advice I could. What you do with it is entirely up to you. |
Sorry I did not mean to seem like that at all, I should have stated that this is just for target use on private property I didn't mean to offend anyone in my response. I shouldn't have taken FMD's advice so harsh. I never meant to seem rude my apologies to you both. I shoot as often as I can manage with work and classes but the property I shoot on I do not need a light. This shotgun has been more of a project and learning experience since I bought it. I have not had a lot of time to shoot with it and think whats next.
Once again my apologies I didn't mean to take what you said like that, I took it hostile when I should have looked into what you said and appreciated your help. |
(root)  No problem. I've been told I can be a bit of an, err, well, a jerk, so it wasn't entirely you. You have what looks like an attempt at a Home/Self Defense shotgun. I was the one that assumed you were looking for advise on accessories for a fighting gun. |
It sure has been an attempt at something, It all kind of started with the barrel getting cut down haha. The learnings definitely been the best part of the project. The Marbles/Trijicon bead sight looks like something that would definitely be put to good use. How hard would it be to tackle that job? |
If your bead is threaded, and is the standard, Remington 6/48 thread, just unscrew the one, and turn in the other with a small adjustable wrench. Link to the sight at Brownell's Retail is $32, $22 with the C&R/Gunsmith discount. The "OS" bead is 0.3mm smaller than the XS BigDot in overall size, with the white portion about the size of the bead on the Remington LE catalog's "Low-profile DEA sights" (which is an XS "Standard Dot" sight set mated to a rifle sight front/back setup). |
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Id sell the Knoxx, forend, and VFG. Take that cash, and take a tactical shotgun class. Maybe a $20 Brinkman mounted inside a $10 set of Wal-Mart scope rings if you REALLY wanted to get funky. Feel free to substitute Duct Tape for the mount. Seriously, take some classes, or do a 3-gun shoot and you will see what everyone means. You will be putting your shotty back to stock in a hurry. Ill be the first to admit, that when I was about 17, I had a 870 that was WAY overqualified. Now, at 31, all of my shotguns are BONE stock, with the exception of a Benelli that has a cheap sling on it. I dont use my shottys for HD, so there is no need for a light. Take a look at what real operators and 3-gun champs shoot. You will notice a trend of simplicity, and its that way for a reason. |
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Refreshingly positive attitude, mda2bushy, good to go. FMD, thanks for the insight on the bead -- you've solved a big problem I had with my 500 TC and I just ordered an XS Big Dot from Brownells. I've installed a factory picatinny rail for use with a Docter II 7MOA whenever I get the base and no plans for ghost rings. Interestingly, the picatinny rail by itself acts almost like a rifle sight aperature (although the bead should now be 1/8" higher), but as you point out, it'll be invaluable to have a front sight that one can pick-up no matter the lighting, adrenaline, shit-factor, etc... Press on mda2bushy, as you see and I can attest, one never stops learning unless they choose to. |
You will find that no one who has done FoF training advocating target sights on fighting guns. The XS "Golf Ball" seems like a pin-prick with tunnel vision, but you can actually pick it up in your narrowed cone of vision. Other sights don't fare as well. Just an observation. Since I can't afford to put XS BigDots on everything right now, the Marbles/Trijicon is the next best thing for 1/3 the cost. My G19 wears gen-u-ine BigDots (thanks Rogue1). PS: Love the avatar! |
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Thanks FMD, that be "Stephen," from Braveheart, my rolemodel! "...in order to find his equal an Irishman is forced to talk to God. Yes Father! The Almighty says don't change the subject just answer the fookin' question..." My other Mossberg features a tritium front sight post on the factory ramp. With the factory ghost ring rear sight, which has no tritium, in low light all I look for is the front sight anyway. I believe I mailed Brownells my C&R License because I get some darned good pricing and don't suffer the problem of too many guns to put an XS on! For now, anyway... |
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Honestly, I'd have the barrel threaded for choke tubes. Next thing I'd do is ditch all the taktikul "goodies" and put the factory stock back on, but replace the recoil pad with a limbsaver pad. Finally, I'd put a surefire fore end on it. I'd probably also buy a 28" barrel so I could swap it out and go hunting. |
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