Recommend me a 870 Model

[Synchronizor]

Express Tactical models have been really great 870s to start with; they're basic guns at good prices, and are easier to upgrade than most other Expresses or Wingmasters since they come with magazine extensions from the factory. In recent years though, the introduction of the specialty Express Tactical models with one-piece 6-round mag tubes has made things a little more complicated. 870s with this nonstandard mag tube, which include the newer Express Tactical 7-shot (25077), Express Tactical Magpul (81209), and Express Tactical BLACKHAWK! (81404) models, can only use 18.5" barrels specifically made for the long magazine tube. Hunting barrels cannot be installed on these receivers, they're dedicated defensive guns.



If you want to be able to use your 870 for hunting, you would be much better off buying an older 25077, or a 26503 or 81198 model, which have standard 4-round magazine tubes and +2 or +3 extensions, allowing any 12ga hunting barrel to be swapped on. The 81198 in particular might be a good model for you. It already has upgraded sights and an 18.5" barrel threaded for choke tubes. It also has a tapped receiver, and comes with a rail that you can use to mount an optic, if desired.

[Hunters21w]

Man I knew that I read that earlier but I was hoping that was not the case. Are there any new model 870s that I will be able to swap barrels if I choose to down the road? Or am I stuck trying to find an older model?

Thank you for the info!

[Synchronizor]

Virtually all current-production 12ga 870s use standard 4-round magazine tubes, and can accept any standard barrels. The only exceptions are the 870 MCS, which has a shorter 3-round magazine tube; and a handful of recent Express Tactical models with 6-round tubes.

The 81198 Tactical model I talked up previously is a current-production model that uses a standard magazine tube (last I heard, at least).

The 25077 model used to be just a less-fancy variation of the 81198 that has the same extended magazine and police-style furniture, but not the threaded barrel, ghost-ring sights, and top rail. My 870 started out as one of these.

In 2012, the 25077 guns started using the 6-round mag tubes.

Since then, other specialty Express Tacticals like the BLACKHAWK! and Magpul models have been introduced that use the same long-tube receivers. The 25077 is the basic Express Tactical version you're most likely to find on store shelves, especially chain sporting goods outlets and big-box stores like Wal-Mart. Since the change was only a year or two ago, some stores will still have old-style 25077 guns in their inventories.

Finding an Express Tactical 870 with a standard-length magazine tube isn't really that tough, you just have to know the difference.

[Synchronizor]

This topic of magazine tube sizes comes up often enough here, so I slapped together an image that gives details and shows how to tell the difference:

Mag Tube Sizes Web_01.JPG (142.55 KiB) Viewed 5970 times

[Hunters21w]

That helps tremendously!

Question, will I have to drill and tap the receiver on a 4 round standard model to add ghost ring sights and all that?

Could you link me to a model that will be able to swap barrels?

Thanks!

[MStarmer]

I think a few others can add a few things in here if I miss something. Remington over the last few years and models apparently have not quite kept all their specs / pictures and such as shown on their website. So you may think you're getting a tactical with a +2 and actually got one with a 6rnd tube. The models kind of blended and morphed into what they currently are. Pic out the features you want and find the best price on that particular model and build on it from there. If it's only going to be a HD gun then the 6rnd tube is no problem and makes for a clean and trouble fee extension. If you want to swap barrels now there's your problem. If barrel swaps are an item find any old Remington Express or tactical with the 4rnd tube and you are good. Find one with the XS sights on it already then you are in business! You'll always save money getting the base gun at least close to what you want at the start. Sounds like ghost rings are a priority so as you stated the MagPul version is quite an attractive option. 6rnd tube, magpul furniture, cerakote, ghost rings with rail and XS big dot plus the extras. To me that sounds like the perfect gun. I almost bought one but I already have to 870P models I'm working with.

[Hunters21w]

Yea I would buy the magpul version if I could swap barrels. Looks like I will have to find an older base model to do what I want.

On the hunt!

How's this look? Says its model 81198.
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/mobi ... 2/redirect

[Synchronizor]

Question, will I have to drill and tap the receiver on a 4 round standard model to add ghost ring sights and all that?

Some 870s are tapped, some aren't; magazine capacity isn't really related. There are different ghost-ring sight setups, and all kinds of ways to attach them. Some require the receiver to be drilled and tapped, some don't.

Could you link me to a model that will be able to swap barrels?

Like I said in my previous two posts, the 81198 Express Tactical model can accept other 870 barrels. The 25077 is a less expensive Express Tactical model that comes with fewer bells and whistles than the 81198, but you'll need to find a pre-2012 gun if you want to be able to swap barrels (ignore the picture for the 25077 on Remington's website, it was out-of-date even before the model switched over to the long magazine tube). There are some other, less common tactical models that used 4-round tubes, like the 8+1 26503 (not listed on Remington's site), or the 81202 Express Tactical Grey.

Bottom line, just keep in mind what you want to have on your gun, and what you'll need to add to any given model; and before you buy anything, make sure to look at the magazine tube to make sure it's the standard 4-round, not the special 6-round. If you can't inspect it in person, get the seller to provide a picture of the actual gun; don't accept a stock image from Remington's website, and don't count on the seller knowing the difference between a 6-round mag tube, and a 4-round mag tube with a +2 extension.

Sounds like ghost rings are a priority so as you stated the MagPul version is quite an attractive option. 6rnd tube, magpul furniture, cerakote, ghost rings with rail and XS big dot plus the extras. To me that sounds like the perfect gun.

The Express Tactical Magpul uses the 6-round magazine tube. It won't be compatible with hunting barrels.

[Hunters21w]

Hey how does this option sound? I have a feeling I can find a 20/26" combo locally. They come with the standard 4rd tube.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/mobi ... 8/redirect

I can always buy an 18.5" barrel down the road and swap it if I want to correct?

[Synchronizor]

The combo 870 packages are pretty good values, and can swap barrels like any standard 870; but from what you've said about desired upgrades and intended roles, I think an 81198 Express Tactical would be a better starting point for you. For about the same price of the Express Combo, the 81198 would:

>Have a magazine extension already installed. A simple magazine cap for hunting is a lot less expensive than buying a full extension kit for HD. Also, 870s that don't have factory-installed extensions have detents in their magazine tubes that must be drilled or pressed out before a magazine extension can be installed.

>Already have a tapped receiver and ghost-ring sights, which can be removed for different roles if needed.

>Come with a high-end 18.5" barrel that is threaded for chokes and has the sights you want. This would probably be more expensive to buy on its own than a hunting barrel; and with the ghost-ring sights and interchangeable chokes, the barrel on the 81198 may work for both defense and short-range slug hunting.

Basically, looking at the things you want to have on your 870, it seems like buying a basic hunting Express, plus a combat barrel, plus all the other upgrades you want, would cost a lot more time and money than just buying the already tricked-out Tactical model, and a hunting barrel or two if needed. You would still need to buy and install some things separately, like the Magpul furniture and sidesaddle, but that goes for either shotgun, so no difference there.