Rem 870 Marine Magnum versatility

goldbull · October 14, 2004, 09:28 AM

Newbie here. Just took delivery of new 870 marine magnum which I purchased primarily for home defense. How versatile is this shotgun for hunting purposes? I would like to use it if possible for deer and pheasant. Will it accept alternate barrels, chokes, mods, etc? I would like to get as much utility out of this sg as possible and don't have $ for several shotguns. Did I make an OK choice of sg? Please forgive my ignorance; I want to learn as much as possible about this sg and this forum seems very good to my novice eyes. Wish I'd known about it before purchase, but hindsight is 20-20.

WillBrayjr · October 14, 2004, 10:50 AM

you did good by getting a remington 870, but you picked the wrong model! you're better off the standard express model, considering what you'll be using it for. the marine magnum is used for defense and i don't think you can put different barrels on it. if you get the express model all you need then is two additional barrels, then you will have a shotgun that will do everything.

MrAcheson · October 14, 2004, 12:52 PM

Probably should have asked for advice before you bought the gun. Oh well like you said about hindsight. The Marine Magnum is a good gun and I gave serious thought to buying one myself. Like you I wanted it for defense. I ended up with a Mossberg 590 instead, but thats me.

However as willjr said, you probably would have been better served by buying a cheaper express model and some extra barrels to go with it. An 18 inch, cylinder choked barrel like on the MM is useful for home defense and possibly some clay games. You should also be able to run slugs through it without much trouble. However it won't do well at anything that requires a shot pattern to hold together at longer ranges. The choke is too open and the barrel too short. Taking game with it will also raise eyebrows because of the extended mag tube.

I believe the MM takes standard 870 barrels, but other barrels will likely be blue not nickel. Hope you don't mind the two tone look. A longer barrel and especially one with choke tubes will give you much more options for fun. Until then you can at least enjoy the noise.

Dfariswheel · October 14, 2004, 02:18 PM

One big advantage of buying a Remington 870 model IS it's versatility.

Virtually ALL Remington barrels will interchange with and fit your gun. As above, only the Marine model has a nickel plated barrel, but the barrels will fit and function perfectly.

If you invest in a longer barrel with screw-in chokes, (which is the standard for MOST Remington replacement barrels), you can shoot almost any game or sport.

By switching the screw-in choke you can shoot anything from close range quail to geese, trap and skeet, squirrels and pheasant to turkeys.

Although the bright nickel finish may not be the best option for hunting game, or shooting clays, the gun itself will "do it all".

Switching from the home defense configuration of you Marine model to a sporting model is easy, but does require a few spare parts.
You will need:
A new, longer barrel with screw-in choke system.

Extra choke tubes in whatever choke is recommended for whatever you're planning to shoot. Spare tubes are fairly cheap.

A shorter magazine spring. With the extension off, the longer spring won't work, so buy a new Remington factory standard length spring.

A new magazine cap. This replaces the extension and holds the barrel on. Be SURE to buy the older style cap, NOT the newer Express cap which won't work.

A new magazine spring retainer. This is a cup shaped spring washer that retains the magazine spring in the tube.

If hunting some game like ducks, Federal law requires you to plug the magazine so it only holds 3 rounds.
You can buy a plug or make one from a piece of wooden dowel rod.

If you shop around gun shops, you can often buy the mag spring, mag cap, and spring retainer cheap, since many shops have "take off's" in their spare parts bins.

So, with the original 18" barrel, and a longer screw-in choke barrel, you can use your gun for virtually ANY shotgun purpose.

goldbull · October 14, 2004, 07:24 PM

Thank you so much Dfariswheel, MrAcheson and willjr. I thought all versatility was lost (bad anecdotal info from uninformed aquaintance), but it appears that with a few mods I can adapt the Mariner to what I wish to do (I can tolerate the the nonmatching barrel and receiver; functionality is paramount with me).

You guys and this board are great!

Ala Dan · October 24, 2004, 02:30 PM

Greeting's All-

The Remington 870 Marine Magnum is an out-standing shotgun,
designed for use in or around salty water and/or hot humid type
climates. Here in the "Deep South" we have both, so I bought
one for a primary home defense weapon. These weapons are
very tough for most dealers to obtain. I got mine in DEC of
2000 for the fantastic price of $379.88 OTD. Enjoy~

Best Wishes,

Blue Jays · November 18, 2004, 11:48 PM

Hi Goldbull-

Congratulations on the new shotgun! The Remington 870 is a versatile, reliable, and scalable workhorse that every enthusiast should have in his collection. Once you gather all the barrels you wish to own, you can always send everything off to Robar for refinishing to a single color.

Truth be told, I enjoy taking my compensated Remington 870 Police Magnum to the range to enjoy an autumn afternoon of busting clay pigeons. It is hilarious when snooty "country ladies & gentlemen" look down their noses at my choice of shotgun. Have fun and run LOTS of ammo through your new shotgun.

Regards,

~ Blue Jays ~

AUG · November 19, 2004, 12:21 AM

You have a fine shotgun. Just be glad you didn't buy the mossberg.

EricO · November 28, 2004, 03:50 AM

I'm enjoying mine. I'd go with VangComp next time though.

EricO

nfa4u · December 3, 2004, 12:20 AM

You can add a field barrel to your 870 Marine Magnum with the following Remington factory parts:

102979 - Magazine cap for Marine Magnum. (this part is nickel plated just like the finish on the gun and includes the QD swivel stud on the end of the cap)

97615 - Magazine spring Marine Magnum w/o extension. (this is a nickel plated spring for use with the MM when the extension will not be used)

91657 - Magazine spring retainer (this is used to hold the spring in place when the extension is not used)

http://www.remington.com/support/par...m#instructions

goldbull · December 5, 2004, 09:21 AM

Hi everybody. Enjoying my MM (my first shotgun) immensely. After breaking her in at the range, what's crystal clear is the potentially devastating power of the shotgun as a defensive firearm. I love the sound of the slide being racked. I'll be enjoying it a lot more once I customize it and get another barrel and some chokes. This is a great board with a lot of helpful and experienced shotgunners.

Ala Dan - My gun shop hasn't had another mm in stock since I bought mine. Like you, I'm also concerned about moisture/humidity plus I'm just hard on things in general and wanted the durability of the electroless nickel finish.

Blue Jays - Thanks, I'll be using that Robar link for the other barrels I acquire. You paint a humorous picture of those "class-conscious" patrons. I wonder how well they'd perform against some goblin with their fancy clay shooters. Think it would be a good idea to get my stock nickel barrel comped by Vang?

AUG - I handled the Mossberg Mariner and the Remington MM at my gun shop. My choice was the Rem based on better fit, finish & materials and it's customization/upgrade potential (can't abide a plastic safety

, although the safety lock out device/key on the Remington's safety is imo a unnecessary nuisance).

ericO - nice shotgun! What type of sights are those?

nfa4u - thanks for taking the time to itemize the stock parts needed to adapt my gun & for the instruction link. Saved me some time & effort.

Thanks again to all who responded,

goldbull

October 14, 2004, 09:28 AM	#1
goldbull Junior Member Join Date: October 14, 2004 Posts: 3	Rem 870 Marine Magnum versatility Newbie here. Just took delivery of new 870 marine magnum which I purchased primarily for home defense. How versatile is this shotgun for hunting purposes? I would like to use it if possible for deer and pheasant. Will it accept alternate barrels, chokes, mods, etc? I would like to get as much utility out of this sg as possible and don't have $ for several shotguns. Did I make an OK choice of sg? Please forgive my ignorance; I want to learn as much as possible about this sg and this forum seems very good to my novice eyes. Wish I'd known about it before purchase, but hindsight is 20-20.

October 14, 2004, 12:52 PM	#3
MrAcheson Senior Member Join Date: July 15, 2002 Posts: 442	Probably should have asked for advice before you bought the gun. Oh well like you said about hindsight. The Marine Magnum is a good gun and I gave serious thought to buying one myself. Like you I wanted it for defense. I ended up with a Mossberg 590 instead, but thats me. However as willjr said, you probably would have been better served by buying a cheaper express model and some extra barrels to go with it. An 18 inch, cylinder choked barrel like on the MM is useful for home defense and possibly some clay games. You should also be able to run slugs through it without much trouble. However it won't do well at anything that requires a shot pattern to hold together at longer ranges. The choke is too open and the barrel too short. Taking game with it will also raise eyebrows because of the extended mag tube. I believe the MM takes standard 870 barrels, but other barrels will likely be blue not nickel. Hope you don't mind the two tone look. A longer barrel and especially one with choke tubes will give you much more options for fun. Until then you can at least enjoy the noise. __________________ These views are not representative of those held by the US Army, DoD, or US Government. Jeffthebaptist.blogspot.com

October 14, 2004, 07:24 PM	#5
goldbull Junior Member Join Date: October 14, 2004 Posts: 3	Thanks guys! Thank you so much Dfariswheel, MrAcheson and willjr. I thought all versatility was lost (bad anecdotal info from uninformed aquaintance), but it appears that with a few mods I can adapt the Mariner to what I wish to do (I can tolerate the the nonmatching barrel and receiver; functionality is paramount with me). You guys and this board are great!

November 18, 2004, 11:48 PM	#7
Blue Jays Senior Member Join Date: May 21, 1999 Location: United States Posts: 395	Hi Goldbull- Congratulations on the new shotgun! The Remington 870 is a versatile, reliable, and scalable workhorse that every enthusiast should have in his collection. Once you gather all the barrels you wish to own, you can always send everything off to Robar for refinishing to a single color. Truth be told, I enjoy taking my compensated Remington 870 Police Magnum to the range to enjoy an autumn afternoon of busting clay pigeons. It is hilarious when snooty "country ladies & gentlemen" look down their noses at my choice of shotgun. Have fun and run LOTS of ammo through your new shotgun. Regards, ~ Blue Jays ~ Last edited by Blue Jays; November 18, 2004 at 11:50 PM. Reason: minor detail

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October 14, 2004, 10:50 AM	#2
WillBrayjr Junior member Join Date: September 26, 2004 Location: Northern Indiana Posts: 1,881	you did good by getting a remington 870, but you picked the wrong model! you're better off the standard express model, considering what you'll be using it for. the marine magnum is used for defense and i don't think you can put different barrels on it. if you get the express model all you need then is two additional barrels, then you will have a shotgun that will do everything.

October 14, 2004, 02:18 PM	#4
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	One big advantage of buying a Remington 870 model IS it's versatility. Virtually ALL Remington barrels will interchange with and fit your gun. As above, only the Marine model has a nickel plated barrel, but the barrels will fit and function perfectly. If you invest in a longer barrel with screw-in chokes, (which is the standard for MOST Remington replacement barrels), you can shoot almost any game or sport. By switching the screw-in choke you can shoot anything from close range quail to geese, trap and skeet, squirrels and pheasant to turkeys. Although the bright nickel finish may not be the best option for hunting game, or shooting clays, the gun itself will "do it all". Switching from the home defense configuration of you Marine model to a sporting model is easy, but does require a few spare parts. You will need: A new, longer barrel with screw-in choke system. Extra choke tubes in whatever choke is recommended for whatever you're planning to shoot. Spare tubes are fairly cheap. A shorter magazine spring. With the extension off, the longer spring won't work, so buy a new Remington factory standard length spring. A new magazine cap. This replaces the extension and holds the barrel on. Be SURE to buy the older style cap, NOT the newer Express cap which won't work. A new magazine spring retainer. This is a cup shaped spring washer that retains the magazine spring in the tube. If hunting some game like ducks, Federal law requires you to plug the magazine so it only holds 3 rounds. You can buy a plug or make one from a piece of wooden dowel rod. If you shop around gun shops, you can often buy the mag spring, mag cap, and spring retainer cheap, since many shops have "take off's" in their spare parts bins. So, with the original 18" barrel, and a longer screw-in choke barrel, you can use your gun for virtually ANY shotgun purpose.

October 24, 2004, 02:30 PM	#6
Ala Dan Member in memoriam Join Date: August 13, 1999 Location: In The HOT, Humid, and Mu Posts: 6,116	Greeting's All- The Remington 870 Marine Magnum is an out-standing shotgun, designed for use in or around salty water and/or hot humid type climates. Here in the "Deep South" we have both, so I bought one for a primary home defense weapon. These weapons are very tough for most dealers to obtain. I got mine in DEC of 2000 for the fantastic price of $379.88 OTD. Enjoy~ Best Wishes,

November 19, 2004, 12:21 AM	#8
AUG Senior Member Join Date: March 3, 2000 Location: East TN Posts: 434	You have a fine shotgun. Just be glad you didn't buy the mossberg.

November 28, 2004, 03:50 AM	#9
EricO Senior Member Join Date: November 14, 1998 Posts: 124	I'm enjoying mine. I'd go with VangComp next time though. EricO

December 3, 2004, 12:20 AM	#10
nfa4u Junior Member Join Date: December 2, 2004 Posts: 7	You can add a field barrel to your 870 Marine Magnum with the following Remington factory parts: 102979 - Magazine cap for Marine Magnum. (this part is nickel plated just like the finish on the gun and includes the QD swivel stud on the end of the cap) 97615 - Magazine spring Marine Magnum w/o extension. (this is a nickel plated spring for use with the MM when the extension will not be used) 91657 - Magazine spring retainer (this is used to hold the spring in place when the extension is not used) http://www.remington.com/support/par...m#instructions

December 5, 2004, 09:21 AM	#11
goldbull Junior Member Join Date: October 14, 2004 Posts: 3	Hi everybody. Enjoying my MM (my first shotgun) immensely. After breaking her in at the range, what's crystal clear is the potentially devastating power of the shotgun as a defensive firearm. I love the sound of the slide being racked. I'll be enjoying it a lot more once I customize it and get another barrel and some chokes. This is a great board with a lot of helpful and experienced shotgunners. Ala Dan - My gun shop hasn't had another mm in stock since I bought mine. Like you, I'm also concerned about moisture/humidity plus I'm just hard on things in general and wanted the durability of the electroless nickel finish. Blue Jays - Thanks, I'll be using that Robar link for the other barrels I acquire. You paint a humorous picture of those "class-conscious" patrons. I wonder how well they'd perform against some goblin with their fancy clay shooters. Think it would be a good idea to get my stock nickel barrel comped by Vang? AUG - I handled the Mossberg Mariner and the Remington MM at my gun shop. My choice was the Rem based on better fit, finish & materials and it's customization/upgrade potential (can't abide a plastic safety , although the safety lock out device/key on the Remington's safety is imo a unnecessary nuisance). ericO - nice shotgun! What type of sights are those? nfa4u - thanks for taking the time to itemize the stock parts needed to adapt my gun & for the instruction link. Saved me some time & effort. Thanks again to all who responded, goldbull