Remington 870 with rifle sights and modified choke

[Scott Tschirhart]

Why would they make such a thing? Factory sights 18 inch barrel and modified choke?

Might be good for buckshot but then you don’t need rifle sights.

Background: I’ve been picking up 870 riot guns when I find them cheap but in good shape. Only qualifications are that they are less than $400 and have rifle sights.

[2ndovc]

For a Very long time, like here in OH, many states (the mostly flat ones) had shotgun only deer seasons. Rifled slugs for the smoothbores and sabots for the rifled bores. They both can be surprisingly accurate out to 100 yds or less, especially with the rifle sights. A couple of states like Ohio and Indiana now allow straight wall cartridges. For the first couple of years, .45-70s, .357 &.44 magnums were getting a premium when the demand shot up very quickly.

jb

[.45colt]

At one time I had four 870's . three barrels for the 12ga field gun. I'm pretty sure the slug barrel had a 22" cylinder barrel. One snowy opening day I followed a set of tracks along way in thick swamp very slowly and saw two deer behind some big Hickory trees. about 60 yards. I saw antlers moving side to side behind the trees but no shot. A tail twitched facing Me and I put the bead right on the base of it. At the shot the big Doe dropped, the slug broke the pelvis and ended up under the skin in her neck. why they would put a modified choke on a slug gun is beyond Me. The 870 I had shot like a rifle at woods ranges.

[AJMD429]

.
Definitely a rifle-sighted shotgun/smoothbore had a role due to hunting regulations as noted above.

In some places a rifled barrel was ok (not sure how the law worked there).

Not sure what choke was ideal for slugs, but I shot slugs through modified choke on an old Remington pump shotgun as a kid many times.

The laws have evolved to include 'straight wall pistol cartridges' in leverguns, thankfully.

The bizarre thing is that you can get an Encore pistol in 7mm Rem Mag and fire off rounds maybe missing your backstop, and it is 'ok' in many states - but in those same states a 444 Marlin would be illegal, as the cartridge is too long... I can guarantee you I'd rather be a half mile downrange of the 444 Marlin than I would the 7 mm Rem Mag, even if 'only from a pistol'.

[765x53]

My Dad's old full choked J.C. Higgins model 20 will group Foster slugs better than my rifle sighted cylinder bore Remington 1100 barrel.
Range time will tell the story.

[GunnyMack]

My 70s vintage 870 I got second hand with both a 28" modified choke and 20" slug barrel with I/C choke. One of the longest deer kills was with that iron sited barrel. 127 paces through the heart.
To answer your question, I don't think Remington made their slug barrel with anything other than I/C or cylinder choke because the mindset was you can't shoot slugs( Foster types) through tight chokes which is not true as I've seen trap guns shoot slugs amazingly well from bead sites and full chokes.
That being said if you have a slug barrel you most likely have it set up for choke tubes.

[Scott Tschirhart]

My research indicates that Remington made some guns for prison use that had short barrels and a modified choke. But I always thought they had a bead sight.

[Grizz]

i have a chicom 870 clone with the best sights on my guns. a protected blade front and aperture back that is optically perfect for my eyesight. 18 inch cylinder bore. crudely made but functional. it's the gun i take thru Canada because it doesnt check any of their gotcha boxes. the customs guy said "i really like that shotgun". i think it will serve well if bullwinkle or smokey take umbrage . . .

[BobM]

Last year I picked up a police trade in that had ghost ring sights on a pic rail, an 18” barrel, and REM chokes. I put an Aimpoint on it and took it to a shotgun class. I figure I can use it for deer season (Ohio), screw in a full choke tube for turkey season, and keep the IC tube in it day to day with 00 buckshot. I’ve added a Magpul stock and a Surefire forend.

[GunnyMack]

After I had that bear hanging around I decide to dig my 870 out of the safe, stick the slug barrel on and stoke it with rubber buckshot. Then where to store it? Ahh yes a gun magnet! I mistakenly ordered a 75 lbs magnet, got lost then refound in transit. So I mounted the magnet under the shelf on the TV stand, right by the backdoor. I'm ready for Yogi to come back.
Oh and yes the 75 lbs magnet is tremendously overkill!

[Scott Tschirhart]

Sights need a bit of adjustment.

[2ndovc]

Cool!

I sure wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of that thing!!

jb

[Scott Tschirhart]

I shot a couple of those 5 round boxes through it. It works like it should.

Not a bad group for 25 yards. Up close I don’t think adjusting the sights would matter.

[Grizz]

signal-2024-07-14-08-22-55-283.jpg

this is what mine looks like. crude in some details but reliable. when i aimed at the center of a box the center went away.

i think i paid $125 new.

the envy of Canadian Customs, which is funny because Canada imports Norinco firearms we can't get, or did then.

i'm mostly immune from label envy, some chicom made tools can get a job done, some are Krud.

BUT Milwauke and Snap-On and Craftsman and Skill are no longer certifications of quality. I can't buy anything close in quality or performance to the tools I bought 50 years ago. I buy every yard sale 50 y.o. tool i find. the ccc shotgun will outlast me and my children, should the LORD continue to tarry. ...

[horsesoldier03]

Several years back I picked up a pawnshop find REM 870 with a 28" barrel and a stuck Modified Choke. It has the cheap black coating and had surface rust freckling all over it. Cleaned the gun and barrel up with steel wool and rust and bluing remover and bought some Flat Black Krylon Grill Paint. It covered both nicely and has a cheap durable finish. Afterwards I was able to come across a 20" barrel with screw in choke tubes and rifle sights. Definitely a KEEPER! I gave $100 for the shotgun and $125 for the barrel with rifle sights and screw in chokes.

[GunnyMack]

Is the choke still stuck? Try sticking it muzzle down into a container and soak it in acetone. If it's just stuck from plastic wad build up it should loosen up. But if it's over torqued you are screwed. If you can't remove a choke tube with your fingers it's too tight! And always lube the threads!

[Bill in Oregon]

" ... should the Lord continue to tarry." Grizz, long may He do so!
A while back I grabbed one of the inexpensive Mossberg Maverick security models, fitted a MagPul stock and the OpSol receiver insert and it runs the little Aguila and Federal shorties as if greased. Much easier on my old shoulder than full monty loads.

[Grizz]

" ... should the Lord continue to tarry." Grizz, long may He do so!
A while back I grabbed one of the inexpensive Mossberg Maverick security models, fitted a MagPul stock and the OpSol receiver insert and it runs the little Aguila and Federal shorties as if greased. Much easier on my old shoulder than full monty loads.

Heh, i'm hoping he gets here today!

I hear you on recoil. I down graded to 20. Still have the 12's... Too much ammo to waste...

I been thinking a pump in 22 Mag might be a good walking around gun as long as i have the 45 or redhawk to back it up... is there such a thing?

[JFE]

Back when we were allowed to own them, I had a Rem 870 modified to be what I thought would be the perfect shotgun for everything from quail to wild pigs.

I started with a 20” barrel with a cylinder bore. I had a Lyman polychoke fitted and a Williams shorty ramp soldered to the barrel (these are about the lowest sight base available). I then had a locally produced peep sight (designed for 303 use) modified to fit the 870 (the peep was about the right width for the 870).

It really looked the part and came away with me regularly on pig hunting trips. As useful as it was on pigs at short ranges, the short barrelled gun just didn’t balance well for flying game. I had to hand it in when pump and autos were banned 1996. It was replaced with a levergun and didn’t really miss it.

[horsesoldier03]

Is the choke still stuck? Try sticking it muzzle down into a container and soak it in acetone. If it's just stuck from plastic wad build up it should loosen up. But if it's over torqued you are screwed. If you can't remove a choke tube with your fingers it's too tight! And always lube the threads!

I soaked it in transmission fluid and acetone. Yes it took what was left of the finish off. I just cleaned it up and paint it and have considered it to be a MOD Choke barrel. LOL

[Scott Tschirhart]

Another one. This one is an 870 Police. It is well used but mechanically great.

Cylinder bore but much better sights.

[Walt]

I been thinking a pump in 22 Mag might be a good walking around gun as long as i have the 45 or redhawk to back it up... is there such a thing?

Grizz, Henry makes a beautiful .22 mag lever action with an octagonal barrel. My shooting partner has one and it shoots like a dream. They run around $500 last I saw.

[GunnyMack]

Is the choke still stuck? Try sticking it muzzle down into a container and soak it in acetone. If it's just stuck from plastic wad build up it should loosen up. But if it's over torqued you are screwed. If you can't remove a choke tube with your fingers it's too tight! And always lube the threads!

I soaked it in transmission fluid and acetone. Yes it took what was left of the finish off. I just cleaned it up and paint it and have considered it to be a MOD Choke barrel. LOL

Took the finish off?! Must have been a plastic coating!

[Scott Tschirhart]

This works!

[Scott Tschirhart]

Experiment continues.

My 870 Police had some residue in the chamber and bore that I didn’t recognize but it would not shuck high brass buckshot easily.

My favorite gunsmith has a hone consisting of a bunch of little balls on the end of what looks like a 12 gauge brush. We chucked it in a drill and the chamber cleaned up nicely. Still working on the bore.

But it will now shuck slugs and buckshot through the action slick as if new. I’m tearing the middle out of cactus leafs at 50 yards with the Remington 1 ounce slugs. Just like a big bore rifle.

[Streetstar]

Another one. This one is an 870 Police. It is well used but mechanically great.

Cylinder bore but much better sights.

I’m on a shotgun kick lately (no pun intended) - casually keeping my eye open for rigs like this for reasons I detailed in my Ted Williams 12 gauge thread —- I am almost at capacity for pump guns but could probably make room for one more if I saw a rig already outfitted with good sights

[TraderVic]

Years ago I used a Rem 1100 (2 3/4") slug gun, 22" smooth barrel, rifle sights, imp cylinder choke.
I took a lot of deer with it, out to 100 yds. I was pretty good with it.

[Scott Tschirhart]

I’m on a shotgun kick lately (no pun intended)

I don’t remember my old riot guns kicking very much. But these days I definitely notice it!

[Ji in Hawaii]

Hard to beat a 12 gauge slug gun for large caliber fun. My upland game gun was a Winchester 1300 Featherweight Upland Special with 22" barrel with choke tubes. It weighs in at 6-3/8 lbs. I purchased this around 1986 when I had free reign at a local dairy with an extermination permit to shoot feral pigeons, and Ringneck Doves without a bag limit nor a closed season. The 22" barrel was fast pointing and lightweight. My dad, knowing my love of pig hunting found, and gifted me a 22" parkerized rifled barrel with rifle sights. This gun can shoot 3 Foster slugs inside 3 inches at 100 yards, which was more than acceptable for my needs. This barrel he got me, if I recall correctly around 1987. This shotgun still wears that barrel. I found a Browning Citori 20 gauge O/U at a garage sale for $300, and it became my upland game gun, so the model 1300 remains a pig hunting gun. I imagine taking it to Alaska one day, on a Salmon fishing trip, to use for bear defense. In all honesty I haven't hunted much at all since moving back to urban, crowded Honolulu county back in 2007. I think my last real big game hunt may have been The Great Leverguns Safari of 2008. Anyone remember this photo from that trip?

[Scott Tschirhart]

I recognize some of those guys but I wasn’t there.