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Posted: 2/13/2009 8:14:29 PM EDT
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I finished my shotgun.
They're starting three-gun matches this summer out here so I picked up a used Remington 870 back in December. I've slowly been getting the parts in to convert it from bird-blaster to game gun. The last part, the magazine extension, arrived tonight. It started off as a typical 870 Express Magnum w/ 28" Barrel like this: 
-Purchased a used 28" barrel, cut it down to ~21" with a Dremel -Polished the chamber with 0000 steel wool and Flitz -Added a Hi-Viz fiber optic sight -Ditched the sporting forearm for an 870P forearm off of eBay -Added a Mesa Tactical six-shot side saddle -Installed a magazine extension made by user MAX100 (Gun Connection). It matches my "custom" Dremeled barrel perfectly. -Installed a Choate magazine clamp -Put a Midwest Industries sling adapter on -Cut the original birch stock to size and fitted a Kick-eez Magnum recoil pad -Refinished the birch stock to match the 870P walnut forearm -Refinished the entire gun in matte black Brownell's Gun Kote I'm not sure about the trigger group. Expresses are supposed to have plastic trigger guards, but this one gets cold like metal does. It also doesn't have that J-Hook safety key crap and it's a crinkle-black but not the part inside the receiver. The end result: 
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Looks gear. It looks like you put a lot of thought and time into it. I also like wood better than plastic although I have both.
What about chokes? You have cylinder bore right now . You might want to think about screw in chokes. Would make the gun more versatile. |
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Quoted:
Kinda long for my taste, but you obviously put some thought into it. I like it. What are the rounds in the sidesaddle? Rio's? It is a bit long, but since it won't be a dedicated SHTF/HD gun, I'm not too worried about it. I was told for 3-gun, more ammo is better, hence the 7+1. I was very tempted to go for 8+1, but it looks goofy when the mag extends past the barrel. Form over function! 
The rounds in the sidesaddle are Fiocchi Low Recoil 00 buck. Haven't patterned them yet, too much snow here lately. Quoted:
Very nice! There's nothing like wood furniture on a "tactical" shottie. Looks quite like mine (WM with 20" rs deer barrel). Enjoy  It seems everyone goes with black plastic, so I went with wood. Dare to be different and all that. Quoted:
Nice Shottie! I like that setup and it looks like it will work well for you. How did you cut down the stock? Been thinking about doing that myself. BP Cutting the stock is pretty simple. - Remove the existing recoil pad and unscrew the stock from the receiver. - Use a miter saw to cut the stock to length. Always cut less than you think! If you cut off too much, you can't put it back. When cutting, take into account the length of the recoil pad. Since the old pad won't fit, now is a good time to install a nicer pad. I used a Kick-eez, but Limbsavers and Decelerators are good too. Buy a grind to fit pad in the closest size. - Line up the new pad and drill pilot holes for the recoil pad screws. - Wrap 2-3 layers of masking tape around the stock where it meets the recoil pad. - Attach the over-size recoil pad. - Using a belt sander, grind the pad to fit. The 80/20 rule will apply here. You'll spend 80% of your time removing the last 20% of the pad. As you get closer to the masked stock, you'll have to have a steady hand. This is very messy, pad dust gets everywhere. I wouldn't do this myself with a gorgeous walnut stock on a Citori or something as it is not difficult to grind too much and hit the stock. - Once the pad fits, remove it and the masking tape. - Use very fine sand paper to smooth out and clean up the pad. I used 220 grit on any big angles and 400 grit to finish. - Refinish the stock if necessary. - Reattach pad, and install stock. Theoretically, you can grind the pad by hand using sanding blocks and files. I never tried that and it seems like it would take forever. Quoted:
Looks gear. It looks like you put a lot of thought and time into it. I also like wood better than plastic although I have both. What about chokes? You have cylinder bore right now . You might want to think about screw in chokes. Would make the gun more versatile. I have thought about chokes. I'll see how it patterns first. Since it's a game gun, I'm comfortable adding chokes at a later time. I have found that installing chokes isn't much of a DIY task. Plus, the tools aren't cheap. I'll have to ask some local smiths how much they charge to thread from RemChokes. To refinish the stock, I stripped the existing finish using Formby's Furniture Refinisher. I applied it using a scotch-brite pad and it made quick work of the finish that was on the stock. This was one of the solid birch(?) stocks, not the newer laminate stocks. I let the bare stock dry for a few hours and sanded it with 220 grit sandpaper. I then gave it a coat of Minwax Water-Based Rosewood Stain. I applied it with a brush, let it sit for 2-3 minutes and wiped off the excess. I let it dry overnight. I applied another coat of stain, this time using Minwax Oil-Based Provincial Stain. This is a bit browner than the reddish rosewood stain. I applied it with a brush, let it sit for 2-3 minutes and wiped off the excess. I let it dry overnight. For a final protective finish, I used Formby's Low-Gloss Tung Oil. I applied 3 coats, waiting 24 hours in between each coat. I applied the oil with a scotch-brite pad and wiped off the excess with a rag. Why these stains? I had them on hand already. Remember, the longer you let a stain sit, the darker the final color will be. The more coats you apply, the darker it will be. Certain finishes can also darken colors too. The tung oil I used does darken very slightly with each coat. Not to toot my own horn, but I think I did a pretty good job matching the stock to the forearm. The forearm has whatever factory finish Remington applies to 870P wood. It's a matte finish and provides a good grip. |
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