Remington Express bead

[olywa]

I just ordered the 18" Remington Express barrel with front bead for my 870 Express. Can anyone tell me definitively whether that bead is press-in or screw-in?

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[olywa]

I'd like to put one of these on it. I just wasn't sure how many corners Remington was cutting on these Express barrels in order to keep costs down.



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[Synchronizor]

I think most 870 beads are press-in rather than screw-in, regardless of the product line they're dressed for. Not many folks change them, and screws have more of a a tendency to come loose. In any case, I'm pretty sure all Express barrels have press-in beads. A good gunsmith shouldn't have much trouble getting it out and drilling & tapping the hole for a screw-in bead, though.

What front sight unit is that? It looks like you'll need to remove the entire sight pedestal, not just the bead (at least, I don't see a sight base in that picture). Can you simply attach it behind the existing sight instead?

[olywa]

It's a Hi-Viz Tactical. The description is a little fuzzy but I inferred that it used the hole from a screw in bead. I believe it comes with several different thread screws to match different manufacturers barrels.

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[Synchronizor]

I'm having trouble finding a match on HiViz's website. Do you know which one it is specifically?

One potential problem I foresee if this is meant to be a "universal" sight that is screwed into the bead sight threads, is that many shotgun front beads attach directly to the barrel, while those currently used on 18/18.5" 870 barrels are on a pedestal to better line up with the top of the receiver.

[kcpanages]

If it doesn't have a vented rib, it's pressed in... The newer sight (fiber optic from Remington) is screwed in


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[olywa]

Yup, my barrel has the pedestal. I wasn't sure, and still aren't, whether the bead was pressed in to the pedestal or screwed in to it.

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[Synchronizor]

My money's on pressed-in.

[NnF000]

I am in the process of getting a new front sights for my 20-ga REM870.
I chose the Spitfire front sight but it requires removal of the Bead Pedestal before installing, not an easy thing for a novice or anyone that has not performed this task before and the possibility of heat damage to the barrel is high, something I will not try !

Once I get it I need to find a local Gun Smith and see if one of two things can be done:
1) Modify the SplitFire Front Sight Pedestal to fit over the existing REM Bead pedestal.
or
2) Removal of the Pedestal and install the Stub Pedestal Sights.

Need to determine which is more cost effective !

[Synchronizor]

Ask your gunsmith. Removing the factory pedestal is probably going to be a more straightforward and familiar procedure, but it does mean that you'll be stuck without a front sight if you ever decide to take the aftermarket one off. Modifying the sight may be a less risky choice even if it takes a little more work.