I'm considering buying a new 870 magnum this year and wanted to know what you guys think. Besides the Vang Comp System, what is the difference between the two? I'm asking because the vang 870's seem a lot more expensive than the wilson cobats. thank you.

I can't comment on the Wilson/Scattergun Technology, but I purchased a Vang Comp barrel for $300.00.  In my opinion I don't need anything else on my 870.  It's recoils like a 20 guage and it groups like a dream.  out of 10 rounds of 9 pellet double 00 buck, all 90 pellets were in the black.  Not one single hole in the area surrounding the target.  These were at ranges of 15-25 yards.  Center mass was completely obliterated.  The rangemaster didn't even bothering attempting to score my target for qualification.  He looked at the target and grinned...You passed was all he could say.

The difference is:

Unless you have a machine shop and the appropriate reamers and knowledge you can not do what Vang does.


Anyone and I do mean anyone can paint a 870, hang a side saddle, hang a light, replace a follower and either purchase an 870 with comparable sights or drill and tap the reciever and install BETTER sights.

In short - Wilson is a fluff and buff; Vang is a modification.

Good luck

I enjoy the satisfaction of completing the simple tasks of custom building a shotgun to my personal specifications.  I recently completed a build using the following parts.

Remington 870P NFA 14"
Wilson Combat SGT Trak-Lock Ghost Ring Sights
Speedfeed Tac-IV-S pistolgrip stock with 13" LOP
Mesa Tactical 8 round left side shell carrier and 4 round right side shell carrier
Surefire 6 volt forend light modified to clear Mesa shell carrier
Wilson Combat  SGT Jumbo Head Safety
Wilson Combat 1 shot mag tube extension with left side sling loop
Specter Gear CST 3-point sling
Specter Gear Buttstock Shell Holder

I installed all of the above except the sights all by myself...translation...it wasn't very hard.  The sights I had put on by Wilson Combat.  Now all told I have approximately $1400 in this gun, but it is exactly like I want it.  Well almost exactly like I want it...I am probably going to send the barrel to Vang for the VCS without porting.  Then it will be exactly like I want it, but I will have around $1600 in it.  But you know...you can't take it with you, you might as well spend it while you are here.

The moral of this story is...do it yourself...at least that would be my recommendation.

Quoted: I enjoy the satisfaction of completing the simple tasks of custom building a shotgun to my personal specifications.  I recently completed a build using the following parts. Remington 870P NFA 14" Wilson Combat SGT Trak-Lock Ghost Ring Sights Speedfeed Tac-IV-S pistolgrip stock with 13" LOP Mesa Tactical 8 round left side shell carrier and 4 round right side shell carrier Surefire 6 volt forend light modified to clear Mesa shell carrier Wilson Combat  SGT Jumbo Head Safety Wilson Combat 1 shot mag tube extension with left side sling loop Specter Gear CST 3-point sling Specter Gear Buttstock Shell Holder I installed all of the above except the sights all by myself...translation...it wasn't very hard.  The sights I had put on by Wilson Combat.  Now all told I have approximately $1400 in this gun, but it is exactly like I want it.  Well almost exactly like I want it...I am probably going to send the barrel to Vang for the VCS without porting.  Then it will be exactly like I want it, but I will have around $1600 in it.  But you know...you can't take it with you, you might as well spend it while you are here. The moral of this story is...do it yourself...at least that would be my recommendation.

Oh come on now!  All that, and you're not going to show us a picture?!

Eye candy please!

I know I might take some heat for this but......I VangComp'd my Mossy 590 and wasn't all that impressed when I fired the new Fed tac load with the flitecontrol wad.

@ 15 yards my VC'd ran 6-7" with this load.
@ 15 yards my unmodified Win 1300 ran similar if not slightly tigher groups.  Yeah, I know, tighter.  I was more than alittle shocked.

This new ammo apparently takes from the turket load technology in regards to wad design.  The wad is more of a cup and holds the group of pellets together for much longer distance vs the standard wadding and results in significant reduction in pattern size.  I suspect the reasoning for the looser groups with the VC'd Mossy is the loss of velocity from the porting whereas the Win 1300 sends the wad/pellet group out of the barrel slightly faster and more as a unit(?)....HEY!  Don't shoot me...its a theory!

If you use this Fed ammo, I think you might negate the need for Vang Comp'ing.

Anyway, my .02$.

Cheers!

so what exactly is the benefit of the wilson combat shotguns?

btw thank you all for your input

Vang Comp is located right here by me so I want to support my locals and say Vang. I also have a friend who worked for Vang (now works for Cabelas) as a gunsmith and also is a retired bodyguard and he swore by Vang Comp shotguns - used them even before he new Vang personally. Just my .02 - Wilson just makes 'em pretty, Vang is where it's really at.

Quoted: so what exactly is the benefit of the wilson combat shotguns? btw thank you all for your input

The only advantage I see for the WIlson over a gun you could build with all the same parts is the Wilson is ready to go. You don't have to source parts, wait for them to arrive and then install them. That's basically all the Wilson gun is, an 870 Police with a bunch of bolt on's.

For me, and many others here, half the fun of building is the building itself. You know, the pride and satisfaction of knowing you did it yourself. I think the price of a Wilson vs. the price of a build with the same parts ends up being less than $100.

I don't have a Wilson because of the above reasons plus my preferences for the bolt on's differ slightly. My 870 has the Trijicon ghost rings (the same as Wilson's. I got them from Trijicon but the say Scattergun Tech. on them), Tac Star side saddle, Vang Comp round head safety, Surefire 9 volt 918fa light, and Knoxx Compstock.For me, this is THE ultimate shotgun for blasting. The only thing missing is the Vang Comp mods (not the porting).

Quoted: Quoted: so what exactly is the benefit of the wilson combat shotguns? btw thank you all for your input The only advantage I see for the WIlson over a gun you could build with all the same parts is the Wilson is ready to go. You don't have to source parts, wait for them to arrive and then install them. That's basically all the Wilson gun is, an 870 Police with a bunch of bolt on's. For me, and many others here, half the fun of building is the building itself. You know, the pride and satisfaction of knowing you did it yourself. I think the price of a Wilson vs. the price of a build with the same parts ends up being less than $100. I don't have a Wilson because of the above reasons plus my preferences for the bolt on's differ slightly. My 870 has the Trijicon ghost rings (the same as Wilson's. I got them from Trijicon but the say Scattergun Tech. on them), Tac Star side saddle, Vang Comp round head safety, Surefire 9 volt 918fa light, and Knoxx Compstock.For me, this is THE ultimate shotgun for blasting. The only thing missing is the Vang Comp mods (not the porting).

Wilson uses 870 Express' not Police models.

Quoted: I know I might take some heat for this but......I VangComp'd my Mossy 590 and wasn't all that impressed when I fired the new Fed tac load with the flitecontrol wad. @ 15 yards my VC'd ran 6-7" with this load. @ 15 yards my unmodified Win 1300 ran similar if not slightly tigher groups.  Yeah, I know, tighter.  I was more than alittle shocked. This new ammo apparently takes from the turket load technology in regards to wad design.  The wad is more of a cup and holds the group of pellets together for much longer distance vs the standard wadding and results in significant reduction in pattern size.  I suspect the reasoning for the looser groups with the VC'd Mossy is the loss of velocity from the porting whereas the Win 1300 sends the wad/pellet group out of the barrel slightly faster and more as a unit(?)....HEY!  Don't shoot me...its a theory! If you use this Fed ammo, I think you might negate the need for Vang Comp'ing. Anyway, my .02$. Cheers!

Easy - and I just bought two sleeves b/c the B127(?) was soo good...... like everything - it can be load dependant

Agreed.

I shot some of the reduced recoil flitecontrol wad Federal tactical loads out of my ChiCom 20" coach side-by-side exposed hammer SG.  Even this thing grouped beyond expectation....This stuff is fantastic.

Sounds like I work for Federal, don't it?

le.atk.com/Interior.asp?section=1&page=pages/federal/fed_shot_tactical.asp

Well I don't...

I can't comment on the Wilson. But I can say that Hans Vang does great work.I had him work on a number of guns when he had his first shops in Golete Ca. everything he did for me was first rate.

Quoted: I know I might take some heat for this but......I VangComp'd my Mossy 590 and wasn't all that impressed when I fired the new Fed tac load with the flitecontrol wad. @ 15 yards my VC'd ran 6-7" with this load. @ 15 yards my unmodified Win 1300 ran similar if not slightly tigher groups.  Yeah, I know, tighter.  I was more than alittle shocked...

That's interesting.  Another fellow had posted pictures of the patterns from his VC'd barrel.  He was proud of the 4-6" patterns, but he wasn't counting the flyers.  I thought flyers were odd for a $200+ barrel job.

Don't feel bad; you ain't the only one.  Although, if I spent that much on a barrel, I think I would indeed be miffed.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: so what exactly is the benefit of the wilson combat shotguns? btw thank you all for your input The only advantage I see for the WIlson over a gun you could build with all the same parts is the Wilson is ready to go. You don't have to source parts, wait for them to arrive and then install them. That's basically all the Wilson gun is, an 870 Police with a bunch of bolt on's. For me, and many others here, half the fun of building is the building itself. You know, the pride and satisfaction of knowing you did it yourself. I think the price of a Wilson vs. the price of a build with the same parts ends up being less than $100. I don't have a Wilson because of the above reasons plus my preferences for the bolt on's differ slightly. My 870 has the Trijicon ghost rings (the same as Wilson's. I got them from Trijicon but the say Scattergun Tech. on them), Tac Star side saddle, Vang Comp round head safety, Surefire 9 volt 918fa light, and Knoxx Compstock.For me, this is THE ultimate shotgun for blasting. The only thing missing is the Vang Comp mods (not the porting). Wilson uses 870 Express' not Police models.

You are right. Their catalog says "Remington 12 ga. 3" 870 Magnum". It makes no mention of whether it's an Express or Police model. But, if you look closely at their Border Patrol model in their catalog, you can barely make out "870 Express Magnum" (all the other ones have sidesaddles covering the model name). I just assumed that for over $1100, you'd get the better Police model. Who'dathunkit?

Think about what the differences are between a police model and an express.  The police has had more attention paid to little details, more fine tuning, and a metal trigger guard.  When Wilson reworks one, they are reworking or replacing that stuff anyway.  So why start with a more expensive gun as a platform when you're going to rework it anyway?  That would unnecessarily add $100 - $200 to the end product.

Another vote for a stock 870 Police Magnum.  The only additions on mine are to replace the plastic magazine follower with a Brownell's aluminum model.  I've got the #4407 and #4903 on the way.  For the best prices, check out Kevin Wells in this thread.  Best prices I've ever seen and includes shipping and insurance to your FFL.  E-mail him for a quote.

I believe WC uses the 870 Express as a base for their builds.  Vang bases one of their models on the 870P.

LE catalog

Remington 870p VS Mossberg 590a1

870/870P what's the difference?

Quoted: That's interesting.  Another fellow had posted pictures of the patterns from his VC'd barrel.  He was proud of the 4-6" patterns, but he wasn't counting the flyers.  I thought flyers were odd for a $200+ barrel job.

Since one is responsible for every projectile launched - flyers count.