The more options you have the better. But sometimes it is difficult to choose the best variant. This post will help you choosing the forend for Remington 870.

There are other forend available but they are not as popular as the ones listed below.

Aftermarket Forends for Remington 870

Aftermarket forend are popular for the Remington 870, especially the ones that let you have additional equipment. That is why the Magpul MOE Forend is a popular choice for Remington 870 owners. This forend has a simple design made of thick plastic and features special hand stops and grooves which make it very easy to grip. With such a firm grip, you can position your hand comfortable when aiming and firing the weapon.

Remington 870 Magpul Forend

Remington 870 Magpul Forend

Another forend with a superb grip is the Hogue Overmolded Forend. Instead of it being plastic, it contains a rubber finish that ensures your hand won’t slip while holding it. The rubber also feels better than plastic which will make it one of the most comfortable forends you can purchase from your shotgun, regardless of whether it is cold or wet in your environment.

However, you may be someone who uses their shotgun in darker environments. In this case, you would want the Surefire Forend because it features an integrated flashlight on the bottom of it. That way you can have a light shining in front of you from the forend so you can see better in the dark. The only downside to this forend is the price because it is considerably higher than other forend prices.

Of course, you may be someone who wants a classier look to your Remington 870. If this is you then consider getting the classic walnut forend with grooves in it. The outer appearance will have a woody look to it, but the grooves will ensure that you can grip it as well as the modern looking forends. On the other hand, if you just want a simple forend that won’t get slippery in wet environments then choose the synthetic forend instead. This forend also has grooves in it like the wooden forend, but the difference is the synthetic forend is waterproof. It is also a bit cheaper than the more tactical forends which allow you to install accessories to them. With so many forends to choose from, you are bound to find one that will be to your liking.

Magpul MOE Forend – Modern Remington 870 Forend which Enables you to Have Additional Equipment

Magpul MOE Forend for Remington 870

Magpul MOE Forend for Remington 870

Magpul MOE Forend is simple but well thought out product. It is made of thick plastic and looks sturdy.

I was afraid that plastic Magpul MOE forend could be slippy but it turned out that it is made of plastic which enables you to have a firm grip. Special grooves and hand stops on the forend make it extremely easy to use.

I have tested it one the range and it was easy to rack a shotgun using Magpul MOE forend. It enables you to position your hand comfortably and have a reliable positive grip.

Magpul MOE forend is little longer than other tactical forend but still can be used with 6-round sidesaddles.

ATTENTION: The Magpul MOE forend has a longer front end, which makes it impossible to use with front sling attachments installed between the magazine tube and magazine extension.

This forend has slots which enable you to install different MOE accessories such as rails, grips, etc.

Installation of the Magpul MOE forend is the same as with any other forend for Remington 870. No special instructions.

One of the good surpises – is a plastic forend wrench supplied with Magpul MOE forend. This means that Magpul cares about customers and don’t want them to spend money on tools to install Magpul MOE Forend.

Recommended Product:
Buy Magpul MOE for Remington 870

Buy Magpul MOE forend for Remington 870

Buy Magpul MOE for Remington 870 on Brownells

Hogue Overmolded Forend – Forend with the Best Grip

Hogue Overmolded Forend

Hogue Overmolded Forend

Material and texture of the Hogue forend are unique and assure excellent feel and a non-slip positive grip. Hogue rubber finish is much better than plastic on other stocks/forends.

One of the advantages is that it is very comfortable to hold this stock/forend even in cold or wet weather.

Recommended Product:
Hogue Overmolded Forend

Hogue Overmolded Forend

Buy Hogue Overmolded Forend on Brownells

Surefire Forend with Integrated Flashlight for Remington 870

Surefire Forend with Integrated Flashlight for Remington 870

Surefire Forend with Integrated Flashlight for Remington 870

Surefire Forend Light – is one of the popular choices of the light for a tactical shotgun. It is well-known, it is reliable and compact.

The only disadvantage of Surefire Forend is a high price. But you receive high-qualit and extremely reliable forend with integrated flashlight. Very expensive but very good choice for tactical or home defense shotgun.

Speedfeed Forend with Deep Groves for Enhanced Grip

Speedfeed Forend for Remington 870

Speedfeed Forend for Remington 870

This forend is shorter and allows the installation of a sidesaddle Shotshell carrier. Receiver mounted shell carriers can extend to the point where the forearm cannot be fully cycled back to chamber a round.

The Forend is made of synthetic material, which matches standard synthetic stock. The grip is tight because of the ribbed design. Once installed the Forend is solid without any movement.

Recommended Product:
Speedfeed Remington Law Enforcement Forend

Speedfeed Remington Law Enforcement Forend

Speedfeed Remington Law Enforcement Forend

Classic Walnut Remington 870 Police Forend with Grooves

Walnut Remington 870 Police Forend with Grooves

Walnut Remington 870 Police Forend with Grooves

Classic walnut forend looks fantastic on Remington 870. It has grooves which ensure positive grip.

Recommended Product:
Walnut Remington 870 Police Forend

Walnut Remington 870 Police Forend

Buy Walnut Remington 870 Police Forend on Brownells

Classic Synthetic Remington 870 Police Forend with Grooves

Synthetic Remington 870 Police Forend with Grooves

Synthetic Remington 870 Police Forend with Grooves

Some shooters are moving away from wooden stocks/forend because of the maintenance required to keep them looking good, and for the grip. Varnished wood can become slippery from sweaty hands or from shooting in the rain. That is why you can choose synthetic Remington 870 Police forend.

Recommended Product:
Synthetic Remington 870 Police Forend

Synthetic Remington 870 Police Forend

Buy Synthetic Remington 870 Police Forend on Brownells

Leapers UTG Aircraft Aluminum Forend Review

The Leapers UTG model MNT-HGRM87A forend is a bit different than the others you see on the market today. Whereas many are moving towards lighter synthetic materials and rubber coating, they sided with aircraft aluminum, which is both heavier and slicker than materials used in conventional forends. After owning this particular piece of gear for over a year now it’s safe to say the pros and cons have been found.

Ruler above forend is in inches for size reference

Leapers UTG Aluminum Forend

Leapers UTG Aluminum Forend

Production Quality: (6.5/10)
The grip channeling has all been rounded out on both the edges and inside the grooves themselves. The deep channels are roughly 3/8’ths of an inch deep, and the smaller channels run somewhere in the neighborhood of 1/16’th. Between the depth of the channeling and the care taken to ensure they aren’t sharp, it provides a rather sure grip with both gloves and bare hands. Despite it’s large profile it is quite small and slim. Perfect for most hand sizes. The finish over the aluminum is hardly worthy of mention. It is quite thin and prone to scratching, so much so that it will easy come back with a blemish if you put it down on a hard surface. The main thing that brings it down in this category is what I refer to as “rattle-factor”. The hole where you slide it onto the forend tube is slightly larger to ensure a good fit, but with that comes playing room. Unless you hold it firmly every single step you take will be followed by the dull sound of aluminum touching steel. At one point or another you’ll need that hand to do something, and noise is sure to follow. Rattle-factor is large flaw when it comes to hunting, where being quiet is the name of the game.

Leapers UTG Aircraft Aluminum Forend Review

Leapers UTG Aircraft Aluminum Forend Review

Picture of forend after a year of service (excuse the dirt buildup in the vented rib, been hunting in the desert). Note the silver showing through, particularly towards the back end of the forend. It stands out far more in person and looks almost like white paint was splattered all over it. While it is largely just cosmetic due to the fact aluminum is highly resistant to the elements, the fact remains the finish is weak.

Weight and balance: (8/10)
Personally, I prefer a good, heavy shotgun. I’ll add weight to the stock and mag tube to keep the balancing point towards the rear, because I can’t stand the feeling that the large barrels I use are trying to nose down. This forend does just that. It doesn’t add a lot, but just a fine tuned amount of ballast in the mag tube region. If you can’t handle added weight, put simply this forend was not designed with you in mind. Having loaned it out to hunting partners to test, many of them can’t stand it at all. These are gentlemen used to polymer, so now moving past the weight of wood into it’s own territory is out of their comfort zone.

If you can handle a little weight, it’s wonderful. If you can’t, don’t even consider this purchase.

Outdoor Practicality: (6/10)
Being aluminum it has both good and bad points outdoors. The good is that it won’t chip or gouge if you hit it on something hard, such as a rock, albeit it will scratch the finish. It can easily get wet, be left out in the sun or out in the frigid cold without any damaging effects. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that it will always be user friendly. When wet it is slicker than anyone could be happy with, to the point that if not held tightly you could easily slip off of it when pumping. Out in the sun it heats up quickly, and out in the cold it turns frigid even faster. The only way it is tolerable while in the field is while wearing gloves.

Aesthetic Appeal: (7/10)
It definitely has some “cool factor” so to speak. In a market dominated by smooth and contoured polymer it’s boxy, rigid and solid looking. Yet at the same time it is quite slim and sleek. It’s not unusual to have someone ask what exactly it is or how it feels. If you’re into mounting things, there are even three rails available for it to add that “tactical” appeal. A very unique piece indeed.

Leapers UTG Aircraft Aluminum Forend and Blackhawk Forend

Leapers UTG Aircraft Aluminum Forend and Blackhawk Forend

Leapers UTG Aircraft Aluminum Forend and Blackhawk Forend

Leapers UTG Aircraft Aluminum Forend and Blackhawk Forend

The other forend is the Blackhawk Replacment Forend.

Price Point: (5./10)
This is the least appealing aspect of the forend these days. The product has been discontinued, and although it can still be found by sellers on Ebay and Amazon, the price has nearly doubled since I purchased mine due to the now limited numbers. A common price seems to in the vicinity of $40. There are many fine products in that price range which makes it quite difficult to say that it is worth that kind of money. If you’re willing to take a chance on something different, however, it may very well please you in the end.

Overall Rating: (7/10)
The forend does what it was designed to do and nothing more. It’s heavy, sturdy, unique and somewhat impractical. But after using it for a year I can’t imagine moving on to anything else. If you wear gloves year round while partaking in shooting sport most of the bad points disappear. You’re left with nothing but a solid and scratched up forend that rattles. The comfortable grip and size with the ballast weight more than make up for it in my book. Keep the flaws in mind, hold it tight and chances are it’ll give you no reason to complain when all is said and done.