I may have a line on a used Rem. 870 Magnum.  It's current and only owner (I believe) is an LEO.  He's a firearms instructor, so I believe it's probably been taken care of and should be in almost perfect condition.  It has a Choate 8 round magazine extension, which brings the magazine tube to just about even with the 20" barrel.  Apparently the barrel allows you to change to different screw in chokes, including a rifled slug choke.  It also has a tritium front post and ghost ring rear.  It also has a side saddle shell holder and wood stocks.  He will probably be selling it for around $400.

Do you think that I could screw a choke into the 20" that would get me to a tight enough pattern to shoo clays?  Would a 20" with variable chokes be okay for grouse and other upland game?

I know very little about shotguns and would like to know how versatile a choke setup on a 20" barrel would be versus a standard (no choke) 18" 870 barrel.  Would the 20" with chokes be okay for home defense, or are chokes really turning the gun into something that isn't really ideal for anything?

Hmmm, this one might be too good of a deal to pass up.  Just want to know whether this would fit for me.  I'd probably want it mainly as a home defense gun, but would like to also be able to shoot some clays.  I also have a Model 12 with a long (32" IIRC) barrel that produces a really tight pattern.  So, this shotgun would be my second and hopefully compliment the Model 12 well.

TIA

PS  Is this Choate magazine tube extension a quality piece?  How does it compare to the Scattergun Technologies extension?

Do you think that I could screw a choke into the 20" that would get me to a tight enough pattern to shoo clays? Would a 20" with variable chokes be okay for grouse and other upland game?

Don't waste your time searching through chokes. Send the barrel to Hans Vang.

www.vangcomp.com

I have shot 3 cases of clays with mine. Yeah, I would say it works just dandy.

BTW - sounds like a nice weapon.

Anyone else have any opinions on this setup?

Otherwise I'll probably just try to build something up from a Rem. 870 Express 18" base gun.

A straight Remington 870 synthetic or wood with a 26 or 28 inch barrel that takes remchokes can be had for $229.00 if you find it on sale. It would be perfectly suitable for casual sporting clays.
An eighteen or twenty inch barrel can be bought new for 125.00 or sometimes used and less on ebay. This would give you a sporting shotgun that could be converted to a five shot short barrel defense weapon that would be adequate for 98% of all home defense situations.
Sometimes you can find an entire long/short barrel combo for sale for even less.

Unless you have your heart set on a "tactical" strictly defensive shotgun, I would consider my suggestions and adjust them to your own preferences. Good Luck anyway!

Rem 870 $209
choate mag extension $30
Side saddle $20
$259
Speedfeed stock, installed after my wood stock cracked. $57
$316

www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?id=69538

A related topic... www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?id=70111

I have used 20 and 21-inch barrels for small game quite a bit and with choke tubes they are quite versitile.  For a H-D purpose, you are likely to NEVER need a single shot so while a perminant IC barrel may be more durable, you will never care!  

I would persoanlly want the versitility so that I could practice shooting the gun on small game, use it for Turkey or even deer, plus have it available for H-D purposes....

As for the price, I don't know... I just bought an 870 Express for $150 in rough shape and I am under the impression that this isn't an express.  When you add the ghost rings, mag extension, and higher grade of shotgun, this may well be a good price....

This is only a "good deal" if the 870 is a blued version.  If it's parkerized, you're looking at a $200 gun with about $40 in synthetic stock and $20 or less for an extension tube.  Side saddles are cheap.

In fact, Oshman's down here in Texas was selling 870's for $199 with a Remington $25 rebate...that's only $175 for the gun!  My friend took advantage of it, I should of...but already own an Express 870.

Other than LOOKS, I wouldn't bother with the stock replacement--especially if it is for HOME defense (not a lot of weather happening inside your house, I hope).