870 how long

[Boats]

Been working on my 870 project some more. Plan to use it in Club side matches, sort of hybrid rules, we are mostly an IDPA club and only class the shotguns Pump or Auto

Have added a set of sling swivels and a fiber optic front sight. Beveled the frame smooth around the loading port too. Set up so far with the factory 28 inch ribbed barrel and a Tac Star 10 shot mag extension. Mag tube comes to about 26 inches on the barrel. Idea was after watching other guns in our club matches there was no negative to long. Better sight radius and if I shot a match under rules with limited mag capacity could just put a plug in the tube. It points nice but is slow to mount , very muzzle heavy. That factory soft recoil pad is awkward too, hangs on mounting the gun. Am planing to sand it down or replace entirely.

Other day took it out beside my old model 12 with a 26 inch barrel factory mag tube and poly choke. M 12 without the plug holds 5 in the magazine. Ran a box of shells through each one side by side while moving forward and reloading a single shell though the magazine every shot on steel targets. It sure felt better than the 870. It just mounts and swings better not so muzzle heavy. It's also much smother, action, trigger, loading, everything. To the 870's credit it appears to have hardly been shot while my Winchester has thousands of rounds through it.

So I plan have the barrel cut back some and have it re-threaded for the Internal choke. 21" would swing fast but wonder if I ought to keep the cut to 24 instead. If I go to 26 like my Model 12 it's still going to be more muzzle heavy due to the extended magazine. I can use the same Tac Star tube just cut it shorter too and put the Remington factory tube cap back on it. Would have to bore it out and pin, not a lot of metal in the tube to cut threads. Action will benefit from some smoothing too however it's never going to be a Model 12

Any advice on barrel length & mag capacity ?

Boats

Edited December 7, 2009 by Boats