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Thread: Remington 870: 18" vs 14" for patrol

  1. #1
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    Remington 870: 18" vs 14" for patrol

    I'm considering building a 14" 870 for patrol work. What are the downsides of running a 14" 870 vs an 18" gun?

  2. #2
    Member John Hearne's Avatar
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    Mar 2011
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    Northern Mississippi
    We've been running 14" 870's for years now. Everybody likes how easy they are to maneuver within the confines of our shrinking patrol vehicles. We run them with the Vang +1 extension and they are just HANDY.

    The only downsides that I've seen are minor. First, if you're running a Surefire Foreend, the light is now in front of the muzzle and we take them off to qual. Second, our guns do not pattern full power buck well at all. Like pellets barely on a Transtar at 15 yards. Reduced power buck is just fine. (I run all slugs so this doesn't affect me)
    • It's not the odds, it's the stakes.
    • If you aren't dry practicing every week, you're not serious.....
    • "Tache-Psyche Effect - a polite way of saying 'You suck.' " - GG

  3. #3
    Very Pro Dentist Chuck Haggard's Avatar
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    Feb 2011
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    Down the road from Quantrill's big raid.
    I ran a 14" Mossberg 590 for awhile. There was very little downside, except as noted by John ref the old style Sure Fire foreend. One can get shorter lights nowadays so it is a non-issue.

    My gun patterend with Flightcontrol just as well as our 18 and 20" guns.

  4. #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Chuck Haggard View Post
    I ran a 14" Mossberg 590 for awhile. There was very little downside, except as noted by John ref the old style Sure Fire foreend. One can get shorter lights nowadays so it is a non-issue.

    My gun patterend with Flightcontrol just as well as our 18 and 20" guns.
    Damn you guys and your easy access to sweet-ass short barreled shotguns. I want a 14 inch 590 so bad it hurts.

  5. #5
    I have been using one in AK for five years. The 14 inch is louder, and seems to recoil a bit more, but since getting them papered, I have never again used an 18 inch 870 up here.

    I think pattern is more a function of your barrel than length. My 14 inch barrels are Vang'd, and seem to pattern fine, although I use slugs. I ended up replacing some barrels without porting, as the porting on so short a barrel hurts my ears when shooting without muffs. I really like the Magpul stock with Brenneke slugs.

    As John said, they are much easy to maneuver, although in my case that is planes and boats, not patrol cars. Caleb, I am curious why the 590, and unlike the 870 which is just a barrel swap, they seem more fuss to go to 14. A few days ago, I took this picture of a Guide a Gun, 14 870 and 18.5 Benelli:

    Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.

  6. #6
    Member John Hearne's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by caleb View Post
    Damn you guys and your easy access to sweet-ass short barreled shotguns. I want a 14 inch 590 so bad it hurts.
    Don't hate me just because I can call Remington, give them someone else's credit card, get a short barrel, and slap it on without any paperwork. A .gov e-mail addy can be very handy....
    • It's not the odds, it's the stakes.
    • If you aren't dry practicing every week, you're not serious.....
    • "Tache-Psyche Effect - a polite way of saying 'You suck.' " - GG

  7. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by GJM View Post
    Caleb, I am curious why the 590, and unlike the 870 which is just a barrel swap, they seem more fuss to go to 14.
    I really prefer the location of the safety on the Mossberg to the Remington.

  8. #8
    You'll note what appears to be a handstop on the front of GJM's 14" gun. It is easier to get your hot, sweaty hands out in front of the muzzle on a 14" gun. As I mentioned in Tam's thread on the Kel-Tec shotgun mishap, I almost had a hook for a hand due to a mishap with a breaching gun, although that was a 10" barrel. I feel that a handstop is an important accessory once the barrel gets below 18".

    The boom is also 4" closer to your face, but that's manageable. They are right handy for the interior of houses, trailer homes, and ships. I've maneuvered around with a 14" 870, an MP5, and a 10" AR-15 and since the shotgun is shorter in all dimensions, length and height, as their is no mag sticking out the bottom, it's the easiest in tight spots.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by GJM View Post
    I have been using one in AK for five years. The 14 inch is louder, and seems to recoil a bit more, but since getting them papered, I have never again used an 18 inch 870 up here.

    I think pattern is more a function of your barrel than length. My 14 inch barrels are Vang'd, and seem to pattern fine, although I use slugs. I ended up replacing some barrels without porting, as the porting on so short a barrel hurts my ears when shooting without muffs. I really like the Magpul stock with Brenneke slugs.

    As John said, they are much easy to maneuver, although in my case that is planes and boats, not patrol cars. Caleb, I am curious why the 590, and unlike the 870 which is just a barrel swap, they seem more fuss to go to 14. A few days ago, I took this picture of a Guide a Gun, 14 870 and 18.5 Benelli:
    Your guide gun has the barrel shortened to 16"? Yes?

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by caleb View Post
    I really prefer the location of the safety on the Mossberg to the Remington.
    I do too, but that is all I prefer about the Mossberg. Amongst other things, they don't seem to slick up as well as the 870.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lester Polfus View Post
    You'll note what appears to be a handstop on the front of GJM's 14" gun. It is easier to get your hot, sweaty hands out in front of the muzzle on a 14" gun. As I mentioned in Tam's thread on the Kel-Tec shotgun mishap, I almost had a hook for a hand due to a mishap with a breaching gun, although that was a 10" barrel. I feel that a handstop is an important accessory once the barrel gets below 18".

    The boom is also 4" closer to your face, but that's manageable. They are right handy for the interior of houses, trailer homes, and ships. I've maneuvered around with a 14" 870, an MP5, and a 10" AR-15 and since the shotgun is shorter in all dimensions, length and height, as their is no mag sticking out the bottom, it's the easiest in tight spots.
    That "stop" is the sling holder on the Vang +1 extension. I have trained myself to hold the rear portion of the fore end, which seems to run it faster for me and keep my hand away from the business end. Once, I was sighting in slugs over the seat of an ATV, and my support hand thumb got forward on the fore end. At the shot, I thought my thumb fell off. It turned out my support thumb had gotten over one of the Vang recoil reduction ports on the front of the barrel. My thumb was blackened, hurt like hell, but fortunately did no lasting damage.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lester Polfus View Post
    Your guide gun has the barrel shortened to 16"? Yes?
    16.25 on the Guide Gun.
    Likes pretty much everything in every caliber.

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