Thanks again to Choate Machine & Tool for providing the Remington 870 Telescoping Stock for my review.

Many shotgun owners prefer pistol grips for some reason. Those who mostly train with their AR-15 as a long gun like that the ergonomics of the pistol grip shotgun are very similar to the ergonomics of the rifle. They can easily switch from rifle to shotgun because the shotgun has virtually the same stock and pistol grip as the rifle. Some shooters find it more comfortable to use the pistol grip shotgun when shooting around the barricades or when using their weak hand. Anyway, pistol grip shotguns have their place and many shotgun owners like them.

I received the Remington 870 Telescoping Stock from Choate this time. It has some unique features like a specially designed tube and stock which can withstand the recoil of Magnum loads. Also, the buttstock has two useful watertight compartments where you can store batteries for a flashlight, red dot sight, etc.

Overall, I was impressed with how sturdy this stock is. It can be a good choice for home defense, survival or as a tactical shotgun.

Overview

The Remington 870 Telescoping Stock from Choate is one of the most durable and rock-solid stocks that I’ve ever seen. The adapter is made of steel which makes it kind of heavy but you can be 100% sure that it can withstand heavy recoil and a lot of abuse. The stock and tube are larger than regular tubes along with the pin in the stock. That was done because Choate had problems with regular AR stocks breaking when they were used with 3 ½ inch 12-gauge rounds. So, this stock was designed and tested to take recoil from Magnum 12-gauge rounds.

Remington 870 Telescoping Stock from Choate

The pistol grip which comes with the stock is simple and comfortable to use. You can replace the pistol grip with any aftermarket AR-15 pistol grip that you want. You can even get the one with rubber coating, for example.

The length of pull is from 11 ½ to 15 inches. The 11 ½ inch LOP was not comfortable for me because the buttstock is pretty big and it was touching my pistol grip hand:

Choate Pistol Grip Stock Short LOP

All the other LOP settings were comfortable for me. The length of pull can be adjusted to fit different shooters. This feature is very nice to have even if you aren’t a Law Enforcement Officer who needs to adjust their LOP while wearing body armor. You may need to adjust the length of pull when you’re wearing winter clothes, for example. This stock will fit shooters with longer or shorter arms. You can easily adjust the length of pull on a shooting range when you’re shooting together with your wife or kids.

The stock is made from glass filled polymer which is a material that makes it sturdy and resistant to all weather conditions. The stock requires little to no maintenance at all. The adapter is virtually indestructible and made of steel as the Remington 870 itself is.

The recoil pad is made from rubber and has an aggressive non-slip texture to ensure that the stock stays in place with each shot.

Choate Stock Recoil Pad

Remington 870 Telescoping Stock Installation

Installation is very simple and takes just 5 minutes. I recommend that you disassemble the stock before installation.

1. Attach the adapter, along with the pistol grip, to the Remington 870 receiver by using the included bolt. An Allen wrench is not included but I had the right wrench in my set of tools.
2. Attach the tube to the adapter. You may need to play with the tube to find the proper position and then tighten it using the supplied Stock Lock Ring/Castle Nut.
3. Install the buttstock. Use the lever which you normally would use to adjust the position of the stock to remove or install the buttstock. Pull it up, hold it, and then just slide it off or on. The procedure is absolutely the same as it is for the other AR-15 type buttstocks.

Remington 870 Telescoping Stock from Choate

Remington 870 Telescoping Stock from Choate

Additional Features of the Choate Telescoping Stock

Two internal watertight compartments look like a very useful feature. One compartment is on the left side and the second one is on the right side. They look very natural and also work as a cheek rest. You can store CR123 batteries, ear plugs, spare parts, or small tools in these compartments. There is enough space for three CR123 batteries in each compartment.

The compartments are watertight, so your batteries will be safe even under the rain. It is extremely important to have spare batteries when you’re using a holographic sight, for example. When batteries are dead, you cannot use a red dot sight anymore.

Choate Stock Watertight Compartment Closed

Choate Stock Watertight Compartment

If you decide to replace the factory pistol grip with the pistol grip that has a compartment, you can have even more space for the batteries, tools, or parts.

There are not too many stocks which have such an interesting feature. So, this stock can be a good choice if you are looking for a stock for your survival shotgun.

Sling attachment

The stock has many different places for a sling attachment, including a flush cup for push button QD sling mounts that are on both sides of the stock. There is a total of 6 places for the sling attachment. So, you can have one-point, two-point or three-point slings on your shotgun with this stock.

This many sling options will enable you to find the most convenient position and type of sling.

Live-Fire Testing

The Remington 870 Telescoping Stock from Choate is as comfortable as a pistol grip stock can be. Of course, some of the recoil hits your wrist but this is the drawback of all pistol grip stocks. The stock stays in place and you can fire the shotgun fast, thanks to the aggressive non-slip texture of the butt pad.
It is easy to hold, shoulder and manipulate this stock. Shouldering is very natural and comfortable. Shoulder to shoulder transitions are also very easy to do. All manipulations are fast and the pistol grip makes shooting over barricades much easier.
The recoil pad is not as soft and thick as the Remington SuperCell Recoil Pad but it is still pretty good.

All edges of the Choate telescopic stock are rounded which made it very comfortable to use. There is plenty of space for a good cheek weld as well.

Pistol Grip Only Use

It is possible to remove the buttstock and tube to use it as a PGO (Pistol Grip Only) stock. This procedure is very fast and simple and you can have a very compact shotgun if you ever need it:

Pistol Grip Only Choate Stock

Just remember that it will have all the drawbacks of the PGO shotgun. It will be more difficult to mitigate the recoil and make follow up shots.

Conclusion

The Remington 870 Telescoping Stock from Choate is highly recommended. It is easy to use, it is adjustable and will fit any shooter. The heavy-duty tube is designed to take the recoil of 3 ½ inch 12-gauge rounds. You can fire Magnums and be sure that the stock is sturdy enough to handle that recoil. This stock makes the shotgun heavier but that is because of its real steel and thick plastic. This isn’t one of those cheap pistol grip stocks. The Choate telescoping stock is dependable and solid. I am sure that it will last for years and can endure a lot of heavy use.

The only cons that I could find is that the stock is heavier than some of the other models because of the steel adapter and tube/buttstock of a bigger size. However, this is the cost of reliability. Also, there is some fumbling between the tube and buttstock but this is common for the AR-15s too. Some of the more expensive stocks have a friction locking mechanism that eliminates movement between the tube and buttstock.

The price of this stock is $121.60 USD when bought directly from the Choate Machine & Tool website. This is not a high price for the adjustable pistol grip stock for the Remington 870. Alternative stocks of the same quality are priced much higher.

The Choate also has the same telescoping stock but with an additional feature. It can be folded to the side to make the shotgun as compact as possible. That makes the shotgun easy to carry or transport. Folding the telescopic stock has the same price:

M4 Telescoping/Side Folding Stock Remington 870 12 Gauge

I like this Choate stock and can recommend it to those who prefer pistol grip stocks on shotguns.

Read more reviews about the Choate stocks:
Choate Remington 870/Mossberg 500 Mark 6 Stock Review
Choate Remington 870 MK5 Pistol Grip Stock and Forend