Looking for 870 18in barrell with rifle sights

[Steve m]

RFI,

I am looking for a Remington 12ga, 870 barrel, preferably 18 in fixed cylinder with rifle sights. I have put my name on the "inform when available list at Midwest Gun works". However like most American males I am inpatient. The reason is that, I am wanting to set up my 870 for HD.
thanks for the help. I have

W/R
Steve

[TCinVA]

RFI,

I am looking for a Remington 12ga, 870 barrel, preferably 18 in fixed cylinder with rifle sights. I have put my name on the "inform when available list at Midwest Gun works". However like most American males I am inpatient. The reason is that, I am wanting to set up my 870 for HD.
thanks for the help. I have

W/R
Steve

You are not alone, sir.

To the best of my knowledge nobody has 18" rifle-sighted 870 barrels in stock. The holding company that owns Remington is going through bankruptcy and Big Green's production has been spotty at best, even in this time of what should be plenty for gun manufacturers.

I don't see anything on auction sites either.

So if you are looking for rifle sights on your shotgun, you may want to talk to a good smith to have them added to your existing barrel. I've heard a lot of good things about Cotton Branch Custom and plan to send them some work in the very near future. I'm sure they could add rifle style sights to your gun as it sits.

[Steve m]

Tim,

Thanks for the info, by the way it was great shooting with you in WVa, I was the other "dot" shooter/1st time using AIWB in a class, your tips were extremely helpful. So would I be better off buying a Mossberg 590 tactical, or just biting the bullet and purchase a Wilson combat shotgun??

Thanks
Steve

[okie john]

So would I be better off buying a Mossberg 590 tactical, or just biting the bullet and purchase a Wilson combat shotgun??

Depends on which 870 you have. If it's an Express, then upgrading is better. The question then becomes what the upgrade should be.

Please continue to hold and a 1301 salesman will be with you shortly.


Okie John

[OlongJohnson]

I had one listed in the classifieds but sold it to another member here a couple weeks ago.

[Rex G]

18” barrels, with rifle sights, are rare birds. 20”, with rifle sights, has always been more common, and evil-bay can be your friend, if one buys carefully.

[vcdgrips]

IIRC Mossberg make replacement barrels for Remington 870s as well. FWIW.

[HCM]

You are not alone, sir.

To the best of my knowledge nobody has 18" rifle-sighted 870 barrels in stock. The holding company that owns Remington is going through bankruptcy and Big Green's production has been spotty at best, even in this time of what should be plenty for gun manufacturers.

I don't see anything on auction sites either.

So if you are looking for rifle sights on your shotgun, you may want to talk to a good smith to have them added to your existing barrel. I've heard a lot of good things about Cotton Branch Custom and plan to send them some work in the very near future. I'm sure they could add rifle style sights to your gun as it sits.

Tim is spot on as usual but if I were going to go to the time and trouble of having a gunsmith add rifle sights I would just go all in and go with an Aimpoint or RMR red dot in a direct mount as offered by Aridus, KE Arms or Suarez. If your receiver is not already drilled and tapped a good gunsmith can drill and tap any 870 receiver for the factory mount pattern.

http://www.kearms.com/shotgun-scope-mount-remington-870

https://www.aridusindustries.com/products/remington-aimpoint-micro-crom/

https://www.aridusindustries.com/products/remington-trijicon-rmr-crom/

https://suarezinternational.com/suarez-shotgun-trijicon-rmr-mount/

[feudist]

Does anyone make a good set of open iron sights?

I see several ghost ring styles, but little in open sights. The Remington sights are high and fragile looking.

Something like a set of 1911 sights would be cool if you could regulate them properly. I think Randy Cain had something going like that.

[Bruce Cartwright]

Does anyone make a good set of open iron sights?

I see several ghost ring styles, but little in open sights. The Remington sights are high and fragile looking.

Something like a set of 1911 sights would be cool if you could regulate them properly. I think Randy Cain had something going like that.

Feudist:

I have been contemplating grabbing a cheap vent ribbed barrel from CDNN, having it shortened (say 18.5 inches), re-cut for choke tubes and having 1911 style dovetails cut near the muzzle and about two inches in front of the receiver. Then add a simple set of fixed 1911 sights. Something like a 10-8 Performance National Match rear and a Novak front dovetail sight. I can't imagine it would be too difficult but I never got around to having it done. Food for thought.

Bruce

[TCinVA]

Does anyone make a good set of open iron sights?

I see several ghost ring styles, but little in open sights. The Remington sights are high and fragile looking.


The Remington rifle-style sights stay on the gun more reliably than most of the ghost ring sight setups out there. The Wilson Combat ghost rings, for instance, have a bad habit of falling off the gun.

The key to using the Remington rifle style sights is to use thread locker. My "Humble Pie" 870 is chugging right along, having survived my use and being used as a loaner in every single class I teach. The screws for the rear sight have rusted slightly...which only helps it stay put. Trust me: That gun is not treated gently.

As for "high", they're not high enough to change how I mount the gun. Typical Remington front sights will work with the Aridus CROM which is most certainly not too high.

[TCinVA]

Feudist:

I have been contemplating grabbing a cheap vent ribbed barrel from CDNN, having it shortened (say 18.5 inches), re-cut for choke tubes and having 1911 style dovetails cut near the muzzle and about two inches in front of the receiver. Then add a simple set of fixed 1911 sights. Something like a 10-8 Performance National Match rear and a Novak front dovetail sight. I can't imagine it would be too difficult but I never got around to having it done. Food for thought.

Bruce

Vang Comp has installed pistol sights on vent rib barrels multiple times. They can either dovetail into the rib and sink sights in there, or create something custom like Matt Haught's "Mbogo":

62049

Vang installed a set of Remington rifle sights on my Winchester 1300 Defender:

62050

[HCM]

Feudist:

I have been contemplating grabbing a cheap vent ribbed barrel from CDNN, having it shortened (say 18.5 inches), re-cut for choke tubes and having 1911 style dovetails cut near the muzzle and about two inches in front of the receiver. Then add a simple set of fixed 1911 sights. Something like a 10-8 Performance National Match rear and a Novak front dovetail sight. I can't imagine it would be too difficult but I never got around to having it done. Food for thought.

Bruce

Steve Fisher has something like that built by Vang with HD type pistol sights cut into the VR, The high vis front is IMHO a little more useful for "shotgunny" stuff. Plus no one's eyes are getting younger.

[Malamute]

I cut a Winchester model 12 down and had sights put on it. The front is a Williams Shorty shotgun ramp with I think a Sourdough blade sight (may be a bead, its been a while since Ive had it out), the rear is a steel Remington 700 rear sight machined to the shotgun barrel diameter and sweated on. I managed to break the screw holding the rear adjustable windage blade thing on once. Its been OK since the screw was replaced.

62052

[FNFAN]

I cut a Winchester model 12 down and had sights put on it. The front is a Williams Shorty shotgun ramp with I think a Sourdough blade sight (may be a bead, its been a while since Ive had it out), the rear is a steel Remington 700 rear sight machined to the shotgun barrel diameter and sweated on. I managed to break the screw holding the rear adjustable windage blade thing on once. Its been OK since the screw was replaced.

62052

If ever you have an opportunity to take a close up picture of the front sling attachment point on your M12, I'd appreciate that!


On Topic: As far as the "fragility" of the 870's rifle sights. If a bunch of correctional staff working perimeter patrol can't bust them off the gun, you can be assured they're pretty sturdy. We have a bunch of guns that have been in service for many, many years. The really old ones with bead sights sit in the central armory sulking as we shoot slugs at 50yds as part of the qualification course and of course, people claim they have to have rifle sights at 50yds.

[LHS]

Vang Comp has installed pistol sights on vent rib barrels multiple times. They can either dovetail into the rib and sink sights in there, or create something custom like Matt Haught's "Mbogo":

62049

Vang installed a set of Remington rifle sights on my Winchester 1300 Defender:

62050

I really do love that gun.

[andre3k]

MGW does get the Remington barrels in on a fairly regular basis. I picked up a 14" with XS sights about a month ago. Once you get the notification be prepared to buy immediately. I like the XS sights on shotguns.

I have an XS rear sight mounted on the vent rib of my Versamax 3-gun shotgun. My slug hits are much easier having added the rear sight.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20201020/0e1e94b279d81be388e12f4b8872ebd2.jpg

[willie]

A google search will reveal vendors selling used shotgun barrels. The op could find an 18 inch plain barrel and have sights attached. Remington sights--sold as parts--may be available. Places like Numrich also have goodies. Call the nice man at Summit GunBroker. He may have a couple leaning against the wall.

[Steve m]

I am going to look around the pawn shops here for a spare barrel, then i will send it to Vang-Comp to cut down, have the super secret sauce done to it and rifle sights installed.

[Malamute]

If ever you have an opportunity to take a close up picture of the front sling attachment point on your M12, I'd appreciate that!


Ill get a picture in a week or so.

Its a common short sling stud, 1/4" long x 10/32 thread I believe. I just looked at the magazine end cap to see if there was a spot available that was dead space, where the slider pin that locks it and the retaining screws werent a problem. Turned out basically centered in the lower part when the gun is assembled worked perfect. Drilled with a hand drill (correct size for tap) then tapped it.

[Guerrero]

The Remington rifle-style sights stay on the gun more reliably than most of the ghost ring sight setups out there. The Wilson Combat ghost rings, for instance, have a bad habit of falling off the gun.

What about the sights that Vang Comp will put on your gun?

[TCinVA]

What about the sights that Vang Comp will put on your gun?

Those seem to be solid. I've never seen a set fail.

[Malamute]

Steel sights can be sweated on. Its pretty bombproof when done right. I had the shorty ramp on the model 12 sweated on (along with the screw) as well as the rear.

[OlongJohnson]

There's a 20-incher on GB. Don't know what the bidding will go to.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/881873437

[FNFAN]

Ill get a picture in a week or so.

Its a common short sling stud, 1/4" long x 10/32 thread I believe. I just looked at the magazine end cap to see if there was a spot available that was dead space, where the slider pin that locks it and the retaining screws werent a problem. Turned out basically centered in the lower part when the gun is assembled worked perfect. Drilled with a hand drill (correct size for tap) then tapped it.

Much appreciated info!

The reason I ask:

62065

[LHS]

It's probably more to do with my shitty right eye than anything else, but I vastly prefer something like the Vang Comp Sentinel sights, especially if inlet into a vent rib, to any of the traditional 'rifle' sights on shotguns. You could probably improve regular rifle sights with a file to widen out the rear notch and a larger front blade to make it faster to pick up at speed, but the Sentinel sights are just so much more low-profile and I value that in a gauge.

[Bruce Cartwright]

Vang Comp has installed pistol sights on vent rib barrels multiple times. They can either dovetail into the rib and sink sights in there, or create something custom like Matt Haught's "Mbogo":

62049

Vang installed a set of Remington rifle sights on my Winchester 1300 Defender:

62050


Steve Fisher has something like that built by Vang with HD type pistol sights cut into the VR, The high vis front is IMHO a little more useful for "shotgunny" stuff. Plus no one's eyes are getting younger.


I cut a Winchester model 12 down and had sights put on it. The front is a Williams Shorty shotgun ramp with I think a Sourdough blade sight (may be a bead, its been a while since Ive had it out), the rear is a steel Remington 700 rear sight machined to the shotgun barrel diameter and sweated on. I managed to break the screw holding the rear adjustable windage blade thing on once. Its been OK since the screw was replaced.

62052

TCinVA and HCM:

Thanks for the information and education about the Vang Comp sights. Knowing that Vang Comp does that work may eventually push me to set up a single "do it all" barrel. Part of the reason for not moving forward with the project is that I added a "sourdough" type front sight to my 870 rifle sight barrel. Doing that got rid of the abominable factory round bead and gave me a sight picture with a consistent reference line across the top.

Malamute:

Can you describe the "sweating on" process? Is this essentially soft soldering or silver soldering? Thanks in advance.

Bruce

[Malamute]

Yes, sweating is soft soldering. Low temp silver solder is also good and stronger than soft solder. Id probably choose the later, and may in fact be what was used, Im just in the habit of saying sweating.

Older shotgun ribs and double barrels were soft soldered. Not sure whats common today.

Gun shows are good places to find old sourdough sights. Redfield and others made them back in the day, the most recent versions from other makers (Marbles?) ive seen were cast, I broke one drifting it in an 86 rifle barrel when the drift slipped. The older all steel ones are great. Most dont really know what they are and are sometimes very reasonably priced. Ive paid around $5 for one or two, up to $15-ish or so. Really like the old style sourdough sights.

[Hambo]

The Wilson Combat ghost rings, for instance, have a bad habit of falling off the gun.

The best WC install is on a barrel that has the pedestal for the bead. Then drill through the sight and pedestal for a roll pin.

[Shawn Dodson]

I got my 18" rifle sight 870 barrel from Hans Vang years ago. It might be worth a phone call to VangComp to see if they might have one. I installed XS Sights big dot tritium express sights.

[DDTSGM]

The best WC install is on a barrel that has the pedestal for the bead. Then drill through the sight and pedestal for a roll pin.

I haven't bought a set since WC took over ST, so things may have changed. The rear track lock ghost rings used to be mounted to the receiver by screws in holes you tapped. I've never had one come of an 870 (at least no one has complained) likewise the front sight could be glued onto the pedestal and then a screw put into a hole you tapped in the pedestal. At that point it's adhesion is dependent on the soldering job which originally set the pedetal in place at the factory. Generally, in my experience, the pedestal barrels are thinner walled than the police bead barrels.

[NoLock]

It's probably more to do with my shitty right eye than anything else, but I vastly prefer something like the Vang Comp Sentinel sights, especially if inlet into a vent rib, to any of the traditional 'rifle' sights on shotguns. You could probably improve regular rifle sights with a file to widen out the rear notch and a larger front blade to make it faster to pick up at speed, but the Sentinel sights are just so much more low-profile and I value that in a gauge.

Any more info on these sights? I've seen these referred to by a few. They sound like pistol style sights.

[Sig_Fiend]

Looks like the OP hasn't been active in months, so I'll post this here. Saw an interesting LE trade 18.5" barrel with rifle sights on ebay. It's not the typical ramped rear sight, but rather a dovetail one I don't think I've seen before. Just under 4 days left.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265253125938

[tango-papa]

Looks like the OP hasn't been active in months, so I'll post this here. Saw an interesting LE trade 18.5" barrel with rifle sights on ebay. It's not the typical ramped rear sight, but rather a dovetail one I don't think I've seen before. Just under 4 days left.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265253125938

That barrel + the installed XS rifle sights was a factory option at one time.
The sight options available were different versions of the front sight dot size along with a tritium option.

The XS sights are very "fast".

[pangloss]

I have that model barrel on my downstairs 870. I would like one to go on the upstairs 870. Very tempting!

Sent from my moto e5 cruise using Tapatalk

[willie]

RFI,

I am looking for a Remington 12ga, 870 barrel, preferably 18 in fixed cylinder with rifle sights. I have put my name on the "inform when available list at Midwest Gun works". However like most American males I am inpatient. The reason is that, I am wanting to set up my 870 for HD.
thanks for the help. I have

W/R
Steve

ebay has what you are looking for at 152/53.