Remington Tac 14 Hardwood Range Report

First off.....due to being a kid, teen, and young adult in the 80s era.......I always wanted a US Marshal Witsec pump gun. Serious lust since the first one I laid eyes on at a gun show in Dothan, Alabama. Occasionally, there would be one in a movie or tv show and it just added fuel to the fire. I got by with a few 870s, a Mossberg Persuader, and a smattering of double barreled 12s and a single shot 10 gauge that my step father just had to have.

But I always wanted a Witness Protection 870.

So you can imagine my dismay to see these things pop up at a time in my life where I am trying to get totally debt free before retirement as well as putting a kid through college for cash. But I went ahead and charged one, arranged for my Remmy to ship to my FFL, and anxiously awaited it's arrival.

Yeah, Remington isn't what it used to be and I worried that the fit and finish, the polymer trigger guard/group, and the rust issue would soil all of this for me but I finally got it in, got a Wilson Combat oversize safety installed, and put a buffalo leather strap on it courtesy of Amazon. Yesterday I got to run some shells through it.

Cons:

The finish....yeah, it's pretty weak. I've oiled and oiled it and it is like a sponge......just soaks up oil like crazy. I don't care about pretty....but my PH is pretty toxic to weak finishes and I'm going to have to stay on my game with this. I got some of that Eezox and I'm giving that a whirl for a rust preventative.

The polymer trigger group......I can see that is going to have to go. Now don't get me wrong....I got a lot of polymer in the safe........but this thing, for me, needs to be steel, wood, aluminum, and leather....or as close to that as possible. I'm pricing that part now.....and it looks like its going to add a 100 bones to the total.

Pros:

Man....what a good time I had running this thing! First couple of shots I was pulling way high and to the left of where I wanted impact. It only took a few rounds to get centered and from the hip at 15 yards and in, I can put some solid hits on target. I was playing around with used B8s, some human shaped targets, some old clays that the previous shooter left behind, etc. Soon, I was hitting at about 90 percent and then tried some of that shooting using the push pull method. 15 and in is getting good and fun.

Ran a box of high brass #8, low brass #6, some from Federal, some Winchester, and then ran some 00 buckshot loads. Function was fine and the action is getting slicker with use and with sitting around just racking away.

All in all, I'm real happy with this thing for just a pure fun gun/range toy. It ran the cheap shells just as good as the higher grade stuff and recoil, for me, is very manageable. I had an epiphany that my range trip yesterday was twice as fun as most of them have been lately. Most have been trying to all black B8 targets, trying to shoot my second 100, work qualifications, etc.

Yesterday was just FUN.......and didn't dent the wallet too bad. I did have to take some Aleeve last night due to arthritic hands but I'll take it for the enjoyment this thing seeps out.

Now I want a Mossberg Nightstick but that's on the back burner since my son wants a coach gun.

Regards.

This hardwood model is on my short list. I'm awfully curious to find out what it's like to shoot push-pull at eye level vs watching vids of same.

I've been pre-maturely planning sight upgrades: thinking XS BD tritium and them maybe trying to figure out how to secure one of my old XS rear V to the receiver for a rough rear index to avoid the tendency to shoot high.

I'm 6'1...6'2 on a good day, and about 230 pounds. Upper body strength is a huge asset and I wish I had more hand strength. The push pull thing is a solid technique.

Even with 00 buckshot, I found it a lot less recoil than I thought it would be. I haven't ran a slug through it yet nor a 3 inch shell.

I could run the action pretty fast and still make solid hits. I do like the hand stop that is built in to the forward sling plate as I found by the fourth or fifth shot my forward grip was loosening. I debated a bigger sight and a side saddle but I decided to keep it as close to the old Witsec models as possible. I've got a stronger spring for the shell lifter on the way and would like a tool steel factory extractor in the future.

It takes practice though. That first round would have killed the crap out of a parrot sitting on a pirate's right shoulder. I couldn't believe how "off" that first round was but once you get the hang of it, you can eat up a man sized target at speed.

Lwt - FWIW, several years back there was some info put out that Eezox was pretty nasty/toxic/carcinogenic if absorbed through the skin. It is/was also one of the better performing rust preventatives. I only use it on bores for storage nowadays.

Don't sweat the finish too much, it is what it is with Remington nowadays - once you're debt free and kid is paid for you could always send it off to Robar to have ArmorTuff finish or parkerizing done (I'd do the ArmorTuff as its about $60 more than parked) - for now just keep wiping it down with an oiled rag.

S&J Hardware and I'm sure a few other places have a non-MIM extractor from the 870P, could also toss in a Delrin hi-viz follower. If the polymer trigger group bothers, yes you read it right its about $110-120 delivered from Brownells or other sources. Although I have a couple Mossbergs with polymer groups and no complaints.

I'm with you on the minimalist nature of the Tac14/Shockwaves, I see no need to add a side saddle (adding weight), or a pistol brace (making it less compact)

I'm a Mossberg guy mostly for the action lever as well as safety placement (more natural for me, as a lefty) - so the Nightstick is on my short list of "next buy" in 12ga, and I most definitely will get a buffalo leather sling for it to match the strap - I was tempted for a bit for a KSG, but its wearing off - these compact "firearms" are just too cool for so many reasons.

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Originally Posted by Tensaw

Lwt - FWIW, several years back there was some info put out that Eezox was pretty nasty/toxic/carcinogenic if absorbed through the skin. It is/was also one of the better performing rust preventatives. I only use it on bores for storage nowadays.

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Good to know. I used nitrile gloves so hopefully that's okay.

I don't plan on using it now that it has a base coat. Currently I use Weapon Shield and it hasn't been a problem so far.

And I do plan on putting in a delrin follower.......about 18 years ago, I built up a Remington Special Purpose to use on duty and added a Scattergun Technologies 2 shot extension tube. It came with a delrin follower and better spring. I've ran a bunch of rounds through it and that follower has held up well.

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Originally Posted by lwt16

First off.....due to being a kid, teen, and young adult in the 80s era.......I always wanted a US Marshal Witsec pump gun. Serious lust since the first one I laid eyes on at a gun show in Dothan, Alabama. Occasionally, there would be one in a movie or tv show and it just added fuel to the fire.

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All great reasons to buy one. :cool: When they came out with synthetic stocks I was not impressed, but put wood on there and I've got to have one. Obviously this is marketed to people of a certain age, but who cares? It's cool, I want. Thanks for the review.

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Originally Posted by Hambo

All great reasons to buy one. :cool: When they came out with synthetic stocks I was not impressed, but put wood on there and I've got to have one. Obviously this is marketed to people of a certain age, but who cares? It's cool, I want. Thanks for the review.

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You are welcome.

Charging it was my biggest obstacle but then I remembered that my 49th birthday was coming up, various cash sundries would pour in due to that milestone, and work is about to bestow my longevity check a week from Friday.

All of which will allow me to send a payment of three times what the Tac14HW to the CC company........so I hit "Add to Cart" with a quickness.

Showed it to a guy at work yesterday and I was blessed to hear him say "Hey, I got some ammo if you want it". Never one to turn down ammo, he gave me a lot of food for the thing. I did some work to one of his pistols recently and he was repaying the favor.

And like you, the synthetic versions didn't crank my tractor either.

I have had better luck with G96 Gun Treatment for corrosion protection than EEZOX on the rough surfaced 870 guns I have. The aerosol can is good for covering lots of surface area quickly. https://www.amazon.com/G96-1055P-Com.../dp/B0000DD5TL

The more I use my shockwave the more I like it.

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Originally Posted by 03RN

The more I use my shockwave the more I like it.

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Have you shot many slugs through it? If so, how tough to get center hits quickly from 7-25 yards or so?

While we await his reply, I do plan on triggering off some slugs Monday. I doubt it will be from much further than 10 yards but I don't anticipate having much trouble connecting at that distance.

25 is probably going to be my outter limits with slugs since I can't get a real sight pic on this thing. I might surprise myself though.

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Originally Posted by JHC

Have you shot many slugs through it? If so, how tough to get center hits quickly from 7-25 yards or so?

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About 2k at this point

This is 10 yards(I know I say seven at the end)

https://youtu.be/NbKMmV6K0y8

25 yards

Attachment 33027

Smokin hot!!!!

50 yards is my current limit for slugs. I just haven't spent much time shooting past 50.
Bear season is closed in vt now but I have a couple weeks of deer hunting down here in RI. So far I just have some squirrels and grouse with it.

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Originally Posted by 03RN

50 yards is my current limit for slugs. I just haven't spent much time shooting past 50.
Bear season is closed in vt now but I have a couple weeks of deer hunting down here in RI. So far I just have some squirrels and grouse with it.

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That is fantastic! I haven't made out what sight is on the receiver. ???

It's a rmr on a scalarworks mount.
Attachment 33028
Attachment 33029

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Originally Posted by Hambo

All great reasons to buy one. :cool: When they came out with synthetic stocks I was not impressed, but put wood on there and I've got to have one. Obviously this is marketed to people of a certain age, but who cares? It's cool, I want. Thanks for the review.

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I’ve got Magpul on my “fighting” 870 but nothing says, “Move along, convict,” like the old school wood.

This falls somewhere between need and want. I don’t need it, but I actually would use it, even if “use” just means it’d be a walk-on in the HD starting lineup.