Police Trade in 870

[Whiskey]

I’ve been on the lookout for a good deal on an 870 since I got into shotguns (thanks to this forum). Yesterday I was killing time before our local pistol match started, and went into the GT Distributors to look around. Lucky for me there were two shopping carts full of trade in 870s in various states of neglect. I dug in and found this one, with a functioning Surefire forend, clean bore, and what feels to me like a good action. The Surefire probably has a whopping 60 lumens of incandescent light, can’t imagine how some of you guys used to use those for work!

123814

I need to replace the take down pins, as it has some crappy bolts for the crappy sidesaddle that I left at the shop. Obviously already put a Magpul stock on it, and I will be looking to upgrade the light to something useable. 230 minus tax and the stock, how did I do? And as a first time 870 owner (already have a 590, 1301, etc) anything to look out for?

[farscott]

$230 for a working 870 is a great deal. A decade ago I bought everyone I saw that was in good shape and less than $300. Check the shell stops and the ejector. Ensure the gun feeds and ejects. For a "social" gun, it should have all Flexi-Tab parts, the notched shell carrier, the bolt, and slide assembly.

As for the light, Malkoff Devices has what you need at https://malkoffdevices.com/collections/surefire-forend-upgrades

[Eric_L]

$230 for a working 870 is a great deal. A decade ago I bought everyone I saw that was in good shape and less than $300. Check the shell stops and the ejector. Ensure the gun feeds and ejects. For a "social" gun, it should have all Flexi-Tab parts, the notched shell carrier, the bolt, and slide assembly.

As for the light, Malkoff Devices has what you need at https://malkoffdevices.com/collections/surefire-forend-upgrades

Parts are hard to get. I talked to a guy who said he had nearly 200K of parts on back order with Remington. His advice- buy a second gun for parts. (Now someone will come in and point you to a place that has everything in stock…..😃

[farscott]

Buying a second 870 for parts was cost effective even when Remington was pumping out service parts. The 12-gauge models with serial numbers ending in "V" are 2-3/4" guns and provided donor parts for three-inch guns with serial numbers ending in "M". Models with aftermarket adjustable chokes crushed the resale value. Those were my favorite targets for donor guns as they tended to be older guns with good parts. Express guns were useful for the Flexi-tab parts. Swap the Flexi-tab parts and sell the Express gun for close to what was paid.

[Pnut]

The first gun I purchased was a police buy back 870. That was back in the early 90’s. It has the 5 round capacity mag tube and wood furniture, and just a front bead sight. It also had OHB hand stamped on the receiver. The salesman said it was a CHP (California Highway Patrol) gun, but they had to modify the marking for legal reasons. I remember the salesman telling me I got a good one because the trigger housing was metal, so it wasn’t the lower model.

If I remember correctly, I paid $180… and that was back in the 90’s. So I’d say you did good, especially with the SureFire forend. You could always upgrade the lights head with a SureFire LED or an aftermarket unit, but that might coast almost as much you spent on the gun.

It’s funny that you mention the old incandescent Surefires, which were state of the art for their time. I remember seeing add talking about disabling your opponent with 60 BLINDING LUMENS!!!

[Pnut]

On closer inspection of your SureFire, it looks like a newer style forend. The older incandescent ones were smoother, not as blocky as their newer models. The newer models also had rubber gripping surfaces where the old ones were all plastic. The old ones also had a tape switch as opposed to the buttons. The rubber on the tape switches were prone to cracking and wearing off from hard use. I wonder if someone swapped their incandescent head with the LED head that should be on yours?!?

[Whiskey]

On closer inspection of your SureFire, it looks like a newer style forend. The older incandescent ones were smoother, not as blocky as their newer models. The newer models also had rubber gripping surfaces where the old ones were all plastic. The old ones also had a tape switch as opposed to the buttons. The rubber on the tape switches were prone to cracking and wearing off from hard use. I wonder if someone swapped their incandescent head with the LED head that should be on yours?!?

Who knows. This one has the tape switch on the right side that works great when I push pull. But as far as switching out bulbs or heads, I put nothing past cops. You could lock a cop in a padded room with two steel balls and one would be lost and one would be broken.

[Sherman A. House DDS]

Who knows. This one has the tape switch on the right side that works great when I push pull. But as far as switching out bulbs or heads, I put nothing past cops. You could lock a cop in a padded room with two steel balls and one would be lost and one would be broken.

That’s the mid model SF forend. It has the constant on and the tape switch on the right side. I second the vote for a Malkoff LED upgrade. It’ll take that light to stupendous. I think you got a great deal!!!

I’ve fought the urge to upgrade my gauge game to a 1301. I just have so much time on the 870, and at 50 y/o, I’m good with them. I used them extensively in the armored truck industry and in LE work as a Reserve, and I just dig them. So much so, that I splurged and bought a full house Vang Comp gun, with all the trimmings.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240915/db8e312b8beecb5706f9cf95101c8af3.jpg


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[Rack]

That’s the mid model SF forend. It has the constant on and the tape switch on the right side. I second the vote for a Malkoff LED upgrade. It’ll take that light to stupendous. I think you got a great deal!!!

I’ve fought the urge to upgrade my gauge game to a 1301. I just have so much time on the 870, and at 50 y/o, I’m good with them. I used them extensively in the armored truck industry and in LE work as a Reserve, and I just dig them. So much so, that I splurged and bought a full house Vang Comp gun, with all the trimmings.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240915/db8e312b8beecb5706f9cf95101c8af3.jpg


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That 870 looks fantastic. I’m guessing that’s a cut-down Wingmaster fore-arm? That looks really good.

[gato naranja]

I’ve fought the urge to upgrade my gauge game to a 1301. I just have so much time on the 870, and at 50 y/o, I’m good with them. I used them extensively in the armored truck industry and in LE work as a Reserve, and I just dig them.

I have wrestled with a similar urge for a while, but the 870P remains the last of many shotguns at Casa del Gato. It is a known quantity (the "yardstick" with which I measure everything else), I am familiar with the controls and and its 'druthers, and it launches buck and slugs as well as it needs to. It also laughs at dirt and cycles ammo that is, shall we say, "sub-optimal." There are times when "good is good, and good enough as well."

The used 870's around here are rarely bargains, and are also generally either long in the tooth from honest use or have been bubba'd into basket cases; the external appearance of some of these ex-LE 870's puts the wind up me something fierce, but if they functioned okay I could overlook it.

I think.

[Sherman A. House DDS]

That 870 looks fantastic. I’m guessing that’s a cut-down Wingmaster fore-arm? That looks really good.

Correct!


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[Whiskey]

Took the 870 out for the first time today. Shooting Hornady Tap, some cheap slugs, and some hotter #7 dove loads.

Not sure that I’m a fan of the SF foreend (that I ABSOLUTELY had to have). I beat the hell out of my offhand trigger finger when shooting. I think I’m fairly consistent with my push/pull… I may just be spoiled by the 1301.

[TCinVA]

Took the 870 out for the first time today. Shooting Hornady Tap, some cheap slugs, and some hotter #7 dove loads.

Not sure that I’m a fan of the SF foreend (that I ABSOLUTELY had to have). I beat the hell out of my offhand trigger finger when shooting. I think I’m fairly consistent with my push/pull… I may just be spoiled by the 1301.

When using the SF forend, instead of running your support hand trigger finger in line with the rest of your fingers, split it off to the left side of the forend. That will stop recoil from loading into that finger and into the hand in general. Little trick I picked up from Rob Haught.

[Whiskey]

When using the SF forend, instead of running your support hand trigger finger in line with the rest of your fingers, split it off to the left side of the forend. That will stop recoil from loading into that finger and into the hand in general. Little trick I picked up from Rob Haught.

That makes sense! I'll give that a go next time, thank you.

[LHS]

Yep, Tim speaks truth there.

It keeps the light housing from banging your finger, it unkinks your wrist so absorbing the recoil with push-pull isn't as fatiguing over longer shooting sessions, and you can point at target, shoot same.

[Borderland]

I just put an 18'' barrel on an old Wingmaster I've had for 50 years. The barrel came from MGW and was manufactured in Turkey. Not sure what else I'll do to it. I had it to the range last week and it functions just fine. Those barrels from Turkey seem to be good quality. I'll bet MGW sells a lot of those 18'' barrels. Not the cheapest but I wasn't looking for cheap.

https://i.ibb.co/Z8MwgdN/PXL-20241101-193815555.jpg (https://ibb.co/QNKqH9X)

Any 870 for under $300 is a very good price if it functions.

[DDTSGM]

I just put an 18'' barrel on an old Wingmaster I've had for 50 years. The barrel came from MGW and was manufactured in Turkey. Not sure what else I'll do to it. I had it to the range last week and it functions just fine. Those barrels from Turkey seem to be good quality. I'll bet MGW sells a lot of those 18'' barrels. Not the cheapest but I wasn't looking for cheap.

https://i.ibb.co/Z8MwgdN/PXL-20241101-193815555.jpg (https://ibb.co/QNKqH9X)

Any 870 for under $300 is a very good price if it functions.

Not sure what else I'll do to it.

1) take care of the wood and blue - that is a nice looking shotgun.

2) if used for HD you might consider getting a flex-tab trigger plate and bolt. (in case you're not familiar - https://www.rem870.com/2017/05/26/what-is-remington-870-flexitab-system-parts-differences-identification/ )

I have an 870 I bought used from a buddy in the late 70's - his agency didn't supply shotguns and he had kept this one in a fleece lined gun case laying on the floorboards across the front seat, it was beautiful. According to barrel date codes it was made in November of 1970. I bought a couple of longer barrels for it and used it for bird hunting. I took good care of it - as years went by and Wingmaster's with deep bluing and nice wood became rarer folks were always asking what I wanted for it, especially when I shot it at out state LEO association trap shoot - that short barrel was dead on. Not for sale was always my answer.

The light is a Steiner Mk7 which I bought for next to nothing. It is 350 lumen with an on/off switch - no momentary. A lot of disadvantages to switchology, but hey, it was cheap!

125704

[Borderland]

Not sure what else I'll do to it.

1) take care of the wood and blue - that is a nice looking shotgun.

2) if used for HD you might consider getting a flex-tab trigger plate and bolt. (in case you're not familiar - https://www.rem870.com/2017/05/26/what-is-remington-870-flexitab-system-parts-differences-identification/ )

I have an 870 I bought used from a buddy in the late 70's - his agency didn't supply shotguns and he had kept this one in a fleece lined gun case laying on the floorboards across the front seat, it was beautiful. According to barrel date codes it was made in November of 1970. I bought a couple of longer barrels for it and used it for bird hunting. I took good care of it - as years went by and Wingmaster's with deep bluing and nice wood became rarer folks were always asking what I wanted for it, especially when I shot it at out state LEO association trap shoot - that short barrel was dead on. Not for sale was always my answer.

The light is a Steiner Mk7 which I bought for next to nothing. It is 350 lumen with an on/off switch - no momentary. A lot of disadvantages to switchology, but hey, it was cheap!

125704

Nice. Looks like the original recoil pad. I found mine when I cleaned out the basement this summer. Might put a light on it but not too interested in putting a tube extension on it.

I showed it to a buddy last week with the original 28'' barrel and he wanted to buy it. He said he had 5 trap model 870's. He might be a collector.