Remington 870 Tactical question

[TCinVA]

Ive got a non related question. Aside from a few parts that can be installed on any 870 is there anything really special about the PM?

The 870 Police was manufactured on a different production line than the 870 "Express" models. Their receivers were vibra-honed where the "express" models were not. They were parkerized where the "express" models were just painted. They included a tool-steel extractor where the "express" models use an MIM extractor. They also included a heavier sear spring and heavier carrier dog spring. The heavier sear spring reduced the chances of the hammer jumping off the sear from impact and discharging the shotgun. The heavier carrier dog spring helped with reliable feeding and function. The chambers on the police barrels tended to be better polished, reducing the odds you get feed issues from a sticky chamber.

I say "was" because I have no idea what Remington is doing after emerging from the bankruptcy.

The vibra-honed receivers, in general, made for a smoother running action. The parkerized finish holds up to hard wear and abuse better than the paint on the "express" model guns. The Police model guns also don't have those ridiculous dimples in the magazine tube that prevent use of a magazine extension without the need to use a dremel.

Arent most loads for defensive use 2.75?

Yes. 2 3/4" shells are just fine for defensive purposes.

My point being they are rare and expensive wouldnt a viable alternative be an older inexpensive Wingmaster With a 2.75” chamber?

An old Wingmaster that's in good shape is a great starting place for a defensive shotgun. A properly made Wingmaster has an action that is slicker than owl snot and they run beautifully. Trouble is that the blued finish isn't usually the best for the kinds of circumstances that the defensive gauge finds itself in. I taught a class yesterday in the rain where the shotguns end up laying on gravel in between shooting exercises...not great for a pretty Wingmaster.

I have defensive 870's that started life as a Wingmaster. But my go-to 870 is an "express" gun that I put a rifle-sighted 870P barrel on, had refinished with Cerakote (which has held up very well), replaced the key springs in with 870P springs, and had barrel work done on. It's a great shotgun.

The action on it isn't super smooth, limiting me to .28 splits with it. With a really smooth action on an 870 I can shoot .24 splits. So obviously those extra 4/100ths of a second are going to get me kilt in the streets...but it is noticeable in the feel of the gun.

I bought a lot of 870's during the era of the cheap trade-in 870. And I spent a fair bit of time on Gunbroker picking up various specimens of 870 for $200 a piece. Those days are gone and I doubt they will return.

[TCinVA]

The wilson spring will work with the OEM orange follower, right?

Yes, but the OEM follower is a shamefully cheap part that would be better replaced with the Wilson follower...which can be had in bright colors so it is also highly visible.

I de-dimpled my 870 "Express" gun using a dremel tool and just nibbling off the "dimples" from the inside of the magazine tube.

[Paul Blackburn]

I bought a lot of 870's during the era of the cheap trade-in 870. And I spent a fair bit of time on Gunbroker picking up various specimens of 870 for $200 a piece.

What did you do with them?

[gato naranja]

The wilson spring will work with the OEM orange follower, right?

That spring will work just fine regardless of the follower you use; it's a good spring.

The orange OEM follower will work too, but it will eventually crack like the inexpensive plastic part it is; maybe not tomorrow, or next month, but there will come a day when it fails. In "the golden age of Remington 870's" the followers were a stamped steel cup that might rust in place if you neglected them, but they weren't going to crack on you.

The green Wilson/Scattergun follower that came with the Wilson spring could be a functional improvement for a while if it dropped right in, but even then I would not recommend those followers because they can distort over time. I have had two of them develop a bend in their tail, and had one that began to crumble apart... to be fair, the one that began to disintegrate may have done so due to a particular cleaning compound. Since these followers don't work with dimpled magazine tubes unless you either put grooves in the follower or modify the gun itself by removing the mag tube dimples, they are a dated design compared to other followers.

As mentioned before, I use the S&J Hardware Type 2 magazine followers, but the current Vang Comp stainless (# VC-112) and GG&G stainless/aluminum (# GGG-1437) followers will work just as well- and all three already have the grooves (or "notches, if you will) that will clear the dimples on your magazine tube so you don't need to permanently modify your magazine tube. There are other followers out there that also have the clearance grooves, but I have no personal experience with them, so I won't list them.

[TCinVA]

Personally I use the Vang Comp follower in my 870 shotguns. It's performed very well, even when the gun has been exposed to thick red clay out in Oklahoma.

[gato naranja]

Personally I use the Vang Comp follower in my 870 shotguns. It's performed very well, even when the gun has been exposed to thick red clay out in Oklahoma.

The Vang Comp follower is definitely a quality item.

[LHS]

Personally I use the Vang Comp follower in my 870 shotguns. It's performed very well, even when the gun has been exposed to thick red clay out in Oklahoma.

Same. The Wilson/Scattergun follower is definitely better than the craptastic factory plastic follower, but I tend to stick with the Vang follower in my serious-use guns.

[DLWinner]

I just ordered the Vang comp follower. Thanks for all the help!

[DLWinner]

This is the difference in springs….
I’m pretty sure the wrong spring was installed at the factory.

[gato naranja]

This is the difference in springs….
I’m pretty sure the wrong spring was installed at the factory.

Late on a Friday afternoon... after someone cut the lights...