870P: bulking up and resetting the (light) clock

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Originally Posted by awp_101

Got a pic of the light setup? Maybe it’s the lack of coffee and the fact I just installed my Magpul furniture so I haven’t started looking at how to mount goodies, but I’m having a hard time picturing your setup.

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I still have not finalized the M-Lok pic rail on the forend. I had thought that I would need a cantilevered section, but that may not be the case. The TLR-1 appears to be far enough forward on a section of short rail in the front slot.

(Far, I said far, enough forward to not break my fingers, that is.)

I may end up putting a short section of rail on both sides at the front, as they are not particularly 'snaggy"... AND it would allow use of the light at both 3:00 and 9:00 should that be needed. Once it is done, I will take an "after" pic.

Looking forward to the pics, thanks!

We just got done finalizing the setup after a test run to make sure things were going to be copacetic when using an attached TLR-1, so I took a quick shot with a crap camera before I clean it up and work on fitting the sling.

Attachment 72135

The photo is as clear as bad hefeweizen in a dirty stein, but it may be a while before I can take a good portrait of the ugly old stick with its new furniture. The stock and forend below the gun are what had been on it for quite a while.

It is kind of hard to see, but a short Magpul M-Lok rail section (stk # MAG580) is on the right front of the Magpul MOE M-Lok forend, positioned essentially like the rail on the GG&G forend. The TLR-1 goes on and off quickly (a feature which I still like and had taken for granted... mea culpa), and is slightly more forward and a wee bit higher than when using the GG&G forend. Really no big advantage to the new setup over the old one (AFAWAC). Moving the light to 6:00 was not pursued past a certain point for a number of reasons, so that issue is moot.

After testing the rail sections on hand, the Magpul cantilever rail/light mount (stk # MAG588) was deemed unnecessary, and a second short Magpul M-Lok rail section positioned on the left side was also deemed unlikely to be needed, as nobody in the house these days is left-pawed. In essence, at the last hour, we applied the very same KISS principle that was used back when the GG&G was selected; hopefully this is not simply foolish consistency.

So much for the forend and the light.

The LOP on the Magpul SGA stock is about 3/8" less, give-or-take, which is no big deal. The new stock was hard to accept, because some of my old habits die hard... for one, I liked the flowing lines and curves of the 870 as I have known it for decades; for another, I wanted that stick to be all-Remington LE. Alas, the Magpul stock brings some things to the table the old trad stocks did not, and if it only also had a bottom QD sling stud, I'd be happy as a cat with fresh litter.

I weighed the thing on la gata naranja's digital scale this morning and it is 7 lbs, 7.2 oz empty, with no sling or light... so I was pretty close with my calculations. The old furniture had it weighing 7 lbs, 3.65 oz. So it isn't greatly different than before, but is a little heavier, a little more "modular," and a little easier to control. It was relatively snag-free and about as complex as a brick before, and that hasn't changed.

Now, on to the push-pull technique!

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Originally Posted by gato naranja

The new stock was hard to accept, because some of my old habits die hard... for one, I liked the flowing lines and curves of the 870 as I have known it for decades;

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I hear ya. I put that thing on and my first thought was, "Dang. Did they just think tactical meant ugly?"

Once I started shooting it, though, it became a thing of beauty. :)

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Originally Posted by LHS

The most ergonomic SF forends are the originals (i.e. the ones marked "Laser Products" instead of "SureFire"). Each successive model seems to have less and less to recommend it from an ergonomic standpoint. The current crop are not my favorites...

...I really wish SF would introduce a modernized version of that original fore end, with upgraded internals and a bit more texturing (or even better, some Hogue Overmolded-type rubbery stuff), that weigh less than the originals. That would really be the cat's ass. Unfortunately, the demand from the shooting public just isn't there, and with LE abandoning the gauge as a primary long gun, I don't see enough market to really push development. It's a shame, but there it is.

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I would like to see this as well, however, I agree with Matt's opinion of it not being likely today. My SF fore end is an old model (I'm at work so I don't have it in front of me-as far as whether it's labeled SF or LP, I think it's LP marked though, something to check out when I'm at home), but it only has the momentary switch on the right hand side, no other switch at all, I have wished for a disable switch in the past for when It's cased up. I just take the light body off for such occasions. That's a going to the range situation, so I don't have the need for instant ready.

In reading this thread, I found it interesting about the slamming the knuckle on the back of the light. It is something that I have not experienced with my 870 (or work). I learned (and use) push pull all the time with shotguns (tactical variety-not my over under for instance) as I learned at the 2007 Rob Haught class that 10 8 put on in Chino, CA. I have my index finger pointed out, I don't quite do the perfect index point like Rob taught or encouraged that I remember, but it must help with not busting my knuckle at least.

My experience is limited to my personal HD 870 that I used for the class and then subsequent training/practice, as well as work shotguns that also have OLD and beat to crap SF fore ends. They also have solely momentary switches.

It makes me glad that my personal 870 has an old fore end and that I did not succumb to the newest must be better mentality!

But like Matt says (I remember talking to him quite a bit during that course-I probably got lucky in that I dropped my gear on day one, near where his was!), a new lessened weight light would along with other improvements would be awesome!!

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Originally Posted by LHS

The most ergonomic SF forends are the originals (i.e. the ones marked "Laser Products" instead of "SureFire"). Each successive model seems to have less and less to recommend it from an ergonomic standpoint. The current crop are not my favorites. That said, the Streamlight models are a nightmare if you're trying to push-pull (which, shameless plug, you should be).

I really wish SF would introduce a modernized version of that original forend, with upgraded internals and a bit more texturing (or even better, some Hogue Overmolded-type rubbery stuff), that weigh less than the originals. That would really be the cat's ass. Unfortunately, the demand from the shooting public just isn't there, and with LE abandoning the gauge as a primary long gun, I don't see enough market to really push development. It's a shame, but there it is.

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Hands down, @LHS has this right. We were talking about this during the recent armorer's class in LV. My old 870 has a Laser Products H18F forend on it, tape switch on one side, on/off rocker on the other, no sharp edges or bulges, easy to grasp even with small hands.
The only thing now I'd advocate for a change on would be the Hogue material.

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Originally Posted by BobM

I have the Malkoff upgrade in a 90s era SF forend. I’d recommend it

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Odd, I haven't experienced an increase in capability or performance with the Malkoff over other offerings. I'm going to pick up one of the SF LED replacements for that gun.

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Originally Posted by gato naranja

Anyway, is there a consensus on whether the recoil pad on the Magpul SGA stock is reasonably effective vs a Limbsaver or the old Remington Supercell pads?

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I've been really happy with the pads Magpul uses on the SGA stocks. Don't see a need to find any replacements for them.

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Originally Posted by gato naranja

The photo is as clear as bad hefeweizen in a dirty stein, but ...

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Best description of a photo I've read in years. Thank you.

I haven't bought an SF fore-end in a couple of decades. As I have added shotguns for work, home, or teaching (rather than historical), they have gotten Magpul fore-ends and a section of Pic rail.

I haven't noticed any difference in performance between the Magpul stock pad and the old limb savers. Then again, I don't notice when I've got a solid butt plate on a shotgun either so I'm not the best judge of these things.

That was such a fun class. Believe it or not, that was my first formal shotgun class. I grew up learning the gauge every weekend and doing range monkey stuff but that was the first time I got to see the class from a student's perspective. And I spent a long time soaking up info from folks with different experiences and perspectives. Plus, you know, I got to shoot shotguns for two days straight. What's not to love?

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Originally Posted by xtrtsqrt11

I would like to see this as well, however, I agree with Matt's opinion of it not being likely today. My SF fore end is an old model (I'm at work so I don't have it in front of me-as far as whether it's labeled SF or LP, I think it's LP marked though, something to check out when I'm at home), but it only has the momentary switch on the right hand side, no other switch at all, I have wished for a disable switch in the past for when It's cased up. I just take the light body off for such occasions. That's a going to the range situation, so I don't have the need for instant ready.

In reading this thread, I found it interesting about the slamming the knuckle on the back of the light. It is something that I have not experienced with my 870 (or work). I learned (and use) push pull all the time with shotguns (tactical variety-not my over under for instance) as I learned at the 2007 Rob Haught class that 10 8 put on in Chino, CA. I have my index finger pointed out, I don't quite do the perfect index point like Rob taught or encouraged that I remember, but it must help with not busting my knuckle at least.

My experience is limited to my personal HD 870 that I used for the class and then subsequent training/practice, as well as work shotguns that also have OLD and beat to crap SF fore ends. They also have solely momentary switches.

It makes me glad that my personal 870 has an old fore end and that I did not succumb to the newest must be better mentality!

But like Matt says (I remember talking to him quite a bit during that course-I probably got lucky in that I dropped my gear on day one, near where his was!), a new lessened weight light would along with other improvements would be awesome!!

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Originally Posted by Erick Gelhaus

I've been really happy with the pads Magpul uses on the SGA stocks. Don't see a need to find any replacements for them.

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The Magpul pads are good enough that I have not replaced them with something else... and I am a scaredy-cat when it comes to recoil ("Let me tell ya' somethin'... about retina damage!"). I did, however, replace the previous black furniture with earthtones, as seen in the appended (slightly better) snapshot.

This is probably the final iteration of the HD/utility shotgun that was - and is - the original subject of this thread: it is now an otherwise bone-stock 18" Mod-choked, low-profile-sighted 870P with Magpul furniture/M-Lok pic rail, BFG VCAS sling, Wilson/Scattergun jumbo head safety, and an S&J Hardware type 2 follower. Weaponlight subject to change.

This rig may be passé by today's standards, but it feeds, fires and ejects just about any shells short of stuff somebody ran their truck over. A weaponlight on that short section of rail will light up the white front XS bead for me perfectly as well as illuminate the surrounding landscape. Good is good enough.

From this point on, I am the part of this duo that will be the weak link, not the shotgun.