Newbie Follwer question

[mak1965]

I am very new to the Rem 870.
I see that the Magazine Follower It came with is not recommended. So I have the new style, orange,,with the detent, and black plastic thing at the end cap. I have to turn to remove. Which follower should I buy? I been through many websites and just do not know. I believe i can get the proper answer here. Thanks so much in advance. Mark

[Remo]

I happen to be one of those newbies too. Have not officially introduced myself to the forum yet, but just like you am also new to the 870. Purchased the 870 Express Compact 20 gauge "Realtree Camo" and replaced the OEM follower w/GG&G.com stainless follower. They offer two versions (both 12 &20 ). You have the factory dimples in magazine tube so go for the enhanced follower. This is a $30.00 item. I added a +2 extension from Remington and had to remove (drill out dimples) to work. So far , so good. $4.95 vs. $30.00 for a follower is something you will decide. Several companies offer aftermarket followers for the 870. I pushed the "buy button" for the GG&G and no complaints. Hope this helps...

Regards,
remo

p.s. Check them out @GG&G.com

[Scattered]

This 2012 review might be of use.

Remington 870 Followers Overview (Vang Comp Systems, CDM Gear, SBE Precision, GG&G, S&J Hardware, Scattergun Technologies, Choate, Nordic)
http://www.rem870.com/2012/07/20/reming ... te-nordic/


Additionally, at about 2:30 of his "Replacing the Spring Retainer with a follower - Remington 870 Tips & Tricks #1"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R74MAz3 ... EwfJFupUYL

Synchronizor speaks highly of the S&J Hardware "No Jam 870 Mag Follower".
http://sjhardware.com/store/modules.php ... cts_id=348

They're asking $12.99 for the follower PLUS $14.00 for shipping it to the U.S. $14 seems to be a bit steep imo.

[mak1965]

Yes that one guy on You tube has great info, I basically learned how to take down and clean the 870.
But from your opinion, Which Follower should I buy, And $14 shipping is crazy!

[Scattered]

MAK: I myself am currently dealing with that question amongst others such as do I want to put any marine parts in my 870.

According to the review it sounds like there are several out there that would/should work just fine.

Good luck and let us know what one(s) you narrow it down to.

[Holmes375]

The S&J follower can be purchased from a distributor on eBay more economically here:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Remington-870-1 ... 43dfd64517

I use a Vang follower which has performed very well for me. I have a Scattergun Tech +2 extension, dimples removed. This is the follower I'm using:

http://www.brownells.com/shotgun-parts/ ... 22732.aspx

I plan to try one of the S&J followers sometime in the future as I like the idea of the synthetic material's inherent lubricity and the spring guide is also attractive.

[Scattered]

Thanks Holmes.

[Synchronizor]

Really, the factory 870 followers are not that bad. I've examined and worked on 870s that have seen very heavy use or severe neglect, and though clearly worn, their factory followers are still doing their job just fine. Remington uses these same followers in their police and military shotguns, which certainly wouldn't be the case if they were as bad as internet opinion makes them out to be. That said, it is important for a user to have faith in their shotgun. Certain modifications can have value even if they only improve a gun's "perceived reliability". Also, many aftermarket followers feature design elements that allow a user to easily tell the follower apart from a shell by touch alone; something the factory follower doesn't do.

If you do want to replace the factory part, I do recommend the acetal followers from S&J Hardware. In terms of design and materials selection, they're the best aftermarket followers I've come across. I would however suggest going with the Type 2 or Type 3 designs over the Type 1. The central post on the Type 1 followers can crack open shell crimps inside the magazine, allowing buffering and even shot to spill into the gun's workings.

Holmes375 is correct about Ebay listings for these followers, but S&J now also has a U.S. distributor that can ship their products to U.S. customers at far more reasonable rates.


I would not recommend the Vang Comp follower to anyone planning on using a magazine extension. I know it's shiny, and the high price tag seems to indicate a high-end product, but it is by far the least reliable follower I have ever tested. The triple-bearing-band design makes it very prone to hanging up at joints in the magazine, and on top of that, it's heavy and looks too much like a shell cup at a glance.



The GG&G follower improves on the Vang Comp's appearance, but it still has the fundamentally troublesome triple-bearing-band shape, and I know other folks here have had issues with them in extensions.

As for metal versus polymer followers in general, I'll just drop this excerpt from my Vang Comp extension review:

...I am not a fan of metal magazine followers. I’m fully aware that the 870 and many other shotguns have used metal followers in decades past. However, today’s modern polymers are more than strong enough to handle the minimal stresses experienced by a magazine follower, and compared to steel alternatives, quality polymer followers are lighter, less expensive, inherently high-visibility (as opposed to paint or other surface treatments that can wear off), lower-friction, immune to corrosion, far easier to modify if needed, and cause less wear to other parts in the gun that are not as easy to replace. The only real downside to polymer followers is their shorter operating life, but with good design and material selection, appropriate replacement intervals should still be measured in years, if not decades. As with virtually any firearm, the 870 has a number of components that should be replaced periodically to ensure reliable function, so also replacing the follower occasionally is not that big of a deal. I personally have no problem with buying and installing a new polymer follower every once in a while in order to get all the other advantages of the material – especially since even high-end polymer followers are not all that expensive.

.

[Holmes375]

....Holmes375 is correct about Ebay listings for these followers, but S&J now also has a U.S. distributor that can ship their products to U.S. customers at far more reasonable rates....

That eBay link is the distributor in Minnesota.

[Scattered]

@Holmes375: Thanks for the ebay link. I ordered it a couple of days ago but it hasn't shipped.

Just a FWIW to anyone that might be as dumb as me: The S&J follower that's being sold on that ebay page is a TYP2 which S&J says is great for shotguns that have a magazine extension.

S&J also sells a TYP3 and they have this to say about that one: "...Type 3 Design is preferred for shotguns with standard capacity magazine tubes...."

Luckily I'm going to be putting an extension on my old 870 so it's no harm no foul for me. In other words I got lucky.

Thanks again