1187P

[NH Shooter]

I purchased this 1187P new about eight years ago, mostly on a whim. I had already shortened my 1187 Premier but decided to buy the Police model anyway. I installed a Wolff magazine spring with a GG&G stainless steel follower, a Speedfeed stock (12-3/4" LOP) I had on hand and then took it out for a short test run. It cycled Federal LE reduced-recoil slugs and 9-pellet 00 buck without any issue. After getting a rough zero on the sights it went back in the safe. Over the following years I added a FO front sight, a GG&G bolt handle and installed a flush cup in the Speedfeed stock for use with a single-point sling. At this point it still only had about 20 rounds through it from my initial test firing.

I had signed up for a 3-gun clinic held this past weekend and decided at the last minute to use the 1187P instead of the shortened 1187 Premier. On Friday I went to the range and zeroed the sights at 50 yards with slugs, and then used it for the clinic on Saturday using a selection of slugs and Federal Top Gun Sporting 1-ounce #8 shot load. Hitting poppers at 50 yards with slugs from an unsupported standing position was easy as long as I did my part, and quickly blasting clay pigeons with birdshot hung on posts at 10 yards was a lot of fun. Overall, my performance with it was better than I had expected. It now has about 100 rounds through it with zero malfunctions of any kind.

The 1187P has now earned a spot in my good-to-go defensive firearms rotation. Here are a few photos illustrating how I have it set up;

https://i.ibb.co/DwgKyLp/1187P-1.jpg



https://i.ibb.co/n3Ld8hC/1187P-2.jpg
A Malkoff M91T (750 lumens/20,000 lux) in a L&M mount. The overall length of the light works out well, easy to activate with the support hand thumb and far enough forward to avoid major barrel shadow. The mount and light have held tight with no shifting from recoil.



https://i.ibb.co/NYFZFmB/1187P-3.jpg
Brown Coat Tactical shell holder with a selection of slugs and 00 buck loads that I keep the SG stored with. The flush cup for sling attachment can also be seen.



https://i.ibb.co/180rJwv/1187P-4.jpg
Top view showing the oversized GG&G bolt handle. It's certainly easy to grab hold of for robust cycling of the action.

I'm pretty pleased with this set up - I'm glad I finally got around to putting this shotgun through further testing and use.

[Suvorov]

I have an 1187P set up pretty similar to yours. I have read a lot online about their foibles but I have never had any issues with it other than it not wanting to cycle reduced recoil loads. That is no matter though as a result of it's weight and gas system allowing me to shoot it all day and still be able to use my arm.

[NH Shooter]

The reduced loads that mine has thus far been 100% with are Federal LE127 RS, LE132 00 (9-pellet) and LEB127LRS. Of course any full-power loads cycle reliably as well (the Brenneke 1-1/4 ounce Green Lightning Slugs pack quite a wallop on both sides of the gun).

For its intended use, IMO the above loads cover the bases well.

[Suvorov]

And I have shot boxes and boxes and boxes of the WalMart cheapo loads with out a problem out of both 18 and 28 inch barrels.

[txdpd]

How do you like the Brown Coat cards?

[NH Shooter]

They are good to go. I've used the Ares panel (https://www.aresgear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=80) before and liked it, but decided to give the Brown Coat Tactical version a try. The 5-shell version is $14.75 plus $5.00 first class mail shipping. I ordered it on a Sunday, received shipping notification on Monday morning, arrived in my mailbox on Wednesday. Excellent service!

The panel itself is very well made and holds the shells tight, though the loops are almost too tight (I wondered if they had sent me the 20 gauge panel by mistake). It takes a little work to get the shells in the loops but once in place they're not going to fall or get bumped out unintentionally. With a deliberate pull, extracting the shells from the loops is no problem. Compared to the Ares the BCT version seems to hold the shells a bit more securely, though I never had any issue with the Ares in that regard.

[Poconnor]

Great looking shotty. I would really like to see pics of the 11-87 premier. IIRC the 11-87 needs O rings; or am I thinking of the 1100? I have been wanting a “pretty” 870 for home defense. I have been looking for a used 870 vent rib, blued wingmaster with the satin stock finish for a good price to send to Vang. Maybe I should just look for the 11-87 premier

[Suvorov]

Great looking shotty. I would really like to see pics of the 11-87 premier. IIRC the 11-87 needs O rings; or am I thinking of the 1100? I have been wanting a “pretty” 870 for home defense. I have been looking for a used 870 vent rib, blued wingmaster with the satin stock finish for a good price to send to Vang. Maybe I should just look for the 11-87 premier

Both use O-rings which I have always worried was a point of failure on them. I have a few extras standing by but in reality - I’m still on the one that came with the gun 23 years ago.

[NH Shooter]

Great looking shotty. I would really like to see pics of the 11-87 premier.

Thanks! Here is one of the shortened-from-both-ends 1187 Premier;

https://i.ibb.co/k5Kr3tW/1187-30.jpg

[entropy]

Oh my......

[Cory]

Thanks! Here is one of the shortened-from-both-ends 1187 Premier;

https://i.ibb.co/k5Kr3tW/1187-30.jpg

I have an 1187 Premier. It would be amazing to turn her into something like that.

What barrel is that? One of my 1187 barrels is similar I think, but is marked light loads only. Who did the work?

I'd like a 1301 for HD, but if my 1187 could be pressed into service for less money I wouldn't hesitate.

-Cory

[NH Shooter]

What barrel is that? One of my 1187 barrels is similar I think, but is marked light loads only.

The barrel on mine started off at 26 inches, vent rib/pressure compensated (.116” dual gas ports) with RemChokes. Both 2-3/4 and 3-inch shells can be used with this barrel.

The barrel you have is probably marked "Target" for trap and skeet loads. IIRC, it should have .120" ports so the Federal reduced-recoil LE loads should work fine with it cut back. I would avoid full power loads, though.

Here is the mod list;

- Shortened the barrel to 18-3/4 inches and re-installed the RemChokes
- HiViz CompSight PM1002 - Competition Shotgun Sight (same as used on the 1100 Tac4)
- Cut the stock down by about one inch to 13” LOP and re-installed the original Remington butt pad
- Choate 2-shot magazine extension (replaced rubber retaining plug on the end of the tube with a Brownells stainless steel follower)
- Dave’s Metal Works Easyloader
- Dave's Metal Work bolt handle
- Vang Comp dome button safety
- Wolff Magazine spring
- S&J Hardware Delrin follower

The stock and barrel were shortened by a local gunsmith.

It cycles the same reduced-recoil Federal LE loads mentioned above without issue.

I prefer the vent rib with FO sight to the rifle sights on the 1187P.

For handling, I prefer the composite stock of the 1187P, easier to grip when wet. But the wood and polished blued steel looks much nicer. :-)

Good gun, reliable and at 50 yards with slugs, POI is only a few inches off from POA.

A few more pics;

https://i.ibb.co/4gTr1fD/1187-12.jpg


https://i.ibb.co/MCr1WKq/1187-15.jpg


https://i.ibb.co/0CcnCQs/1187-16.jpg


https://i.ibb.co/pfmZ35H/1187s-1.jpg

[NH Shooter]

I'd like a 1301 for HD, but if my 1187 could be pressed into service for less money I wouldn't hesitate.

Definitely a lot less $$, but for a competition gun the 1301 is the better choice. It has better "ammo management" features than the 1187. For example, with the 1187;


With a shell in the chamber and shells in the magazine, you have to drop two shells on the ground to lock back the bolt (or close the bolt on an empty chamber). The shell in the chamber can be ejected by racking the bolt, but there's no way to stop another shell from coming out of the magazine. So what you need to do is rack the bolt to eject the chambered shell, then hold the bolt open and rotate the gun to drop the shell from the magazine sitting on the lifter out of the ejection port. It's not as hard as it sounds, but two live shells need to come out.

The magazine is not designed to be emptied without cycling all shells through the action. It can be done, but it's a bit tricky and requires some practice.

For a HD gun, a properly configured 1187 is IMO fine. Also (and FWIW), a blued steel gun with wood furniture is not as "scary" looking as one of those evil all-black guns.

As shown I have under $400 into the mods, including the gunsmith work of shortening the barrel and stock which was about $200.