870 Super Magnum upgrades for HD please help .

[Oriyen]

I bought this gun used , it is my first shot gun , I have owned pistols , revolvers & rifles in the past .
I really do like this shotgun & I want it to perform to the best of its abilities since I'll be using it as an HD gun.
I am going to change out the fore end on it because it does not fit well at all & actually was modified to make it fit .
If you rack it hard it will jam up against the barrel & the slide .
I took it off the slide & the jamming issue went away, completely .
it is just not made for the 870 super mag with the factory 3.5" ribbed barrel which is what I have on the gun.
I plan on using 2.75" 00 loads but I want to be able to use any shell I want to , after I shoot a few 3,5" shells I may never want to shoot them again.
I am also changing out the extractor and spring its not the MIM but there is damage on the corner of the extractor which you could only see if you removed the bolt from the reciever.
pics to follow post
I am not having trouble feeding shells , do you think I should change the magazine spring or just leave it , if so which brand for an extended mag( advanced technology inc. Remington 7 shot )
giving me 7+1.
I may even change out the stock but I want to shoot with it a while before I do that.
please recommend some stock options for me , I'm 6'-4" tall - 320#
from the tip of my longest finger to my arm pit is about 30' long with my arm straight out in front of me .
I also need a good butt pad since the gun didn't come with one . and a good light that attaches to the barrel or the mag extension .thanks in advance .

[Boomer58cal]

Those extractors don't generally fail even if they are mildly damaged, but that said, I'd fix it anyway.

Mag springs are pretty cheap, I'd buy 2 and keep a spare around.

Extended mag. Pretty cool if you really think you need one, But they make the gun a bit unwieldy for indoors.

Butt pad. They make a 1 inch thick one that really helps.

Boomer

[BigD_in_FL]

The more "stuff" you add up front, the more unwieldy the gun becomes and much that harder to swing easily so watch the weight with mag extensions, rails, flashlights, etc.

When it comes to HD, K.I.S.S. is really your friend

[Oriyen]

I saw this one & it sort of made me rethink the extended mag.
it would solve the flash light issue & it looks good , seems stable , I could always install a side saddle & some extra ammo .

[Oriyen]

yes I know what you mean plus I don't like the look of a shotgun that has too much going on , I will try to avoid clearing & stick to trying to secure the family if possible & call the police & protect everyone with force if necessary.

[BigD_in_FL]

Clearing is not SD as you are now going on the offensive. Gather folks in one room, call 911, point the muzzle at the door with everyone secured behind a bed or similar and let them take the TV - that's what homeowner's insurance is for. Not a time, ESPECIALLY with a family and young kids, to get all macho over a few "things"

[Oriyen]

this one is light weight & looks good, I will try to see if I can find a limbsaver or something similar for a butt pad & try to make it fit the stock

[Oriyen]

I agree totally with you BigD I hope I never have to experience it in my lifetime but if I ever have to make a decision I want to be prepared
my little ones are not so little anymore but they are still my babies . my son is 23 & my daughters are 26 & 19 .
the oldest has flown the coop & I'm sure the next oldest is going to follow suit just as soon as he is comfortable enough financially .

[rcase1234]

I can't really recommend anything except for the flashlight. It's the Klarus XT20. I don't have one mounted on anything but it's small, light, and very bright. Has 3 brightness modes ranging from 600 lumens - 20 lumens (I think that's the lowest). Plus it has a strobe setting. I have one and it is AWESOME!

[Sheikyourbootie]

Flashlight, 00bk and call it good. If you feel like you need anything to add ammo capacity get a cheap butt cuff, and maybe a velcro receiver side saddle.

[semi_problomatic]

I'm not going to curl up in a fetal position and wait for someone who's already broken into my house to try and come through my bedroom as well. Thats just me though.

I severely doubt adding a mag tube extension and the few rounds that fit in there will make the weapon "unwieldy". I mean really, it's not like you're adding a 5# weight.

Since you're looking for both: http://www.environmentalled.com/Insi...FUtp7AodV2EADQ

[BigD_in_FL]

No one said anything about curling up in a fetal position - can your macho BS please

You obviously do not shoot a shotgun often enough. I shoot clay targets and I can tell you after shooting over 300,000 rounds that adding just a few ounces to the barrels affects your swing dramatically; so adding a light, laser, rails, mag extension, extra ammo, etc meaning almost a pound WILL have a MAJOR difference

[rcase1234]

BigD I am totally with you. Just gather in one room and don't think your Rambo. That intruder could get the jump on you just as easy as you can on them

[Oriyen]

thanks everyone for the replies , I am going to keep it simple & go with a fore end lighting system & a comfortable stock at this time , I may at some point add the extra ammo but for now eight well placed shots seems like enough .
all hell will be breaking loose at that point and if someone is bold enough to stick around after you've shot eight 00 bucks at them you need to be good at stress loading , which is something I sort of practice all the time except I use eight snap caps .
it seems to me that the snap caps and the live rounds handle differently , I think its the feel & the weight of them , you can improve your loading technique and do some dry firing using the snap caps but when I load live rounds I'm in a more serious frame of mind & I'm extremely conscious of that safety & the position of my trigger finger .
I'll buy a butt cuff & see how I like it , shouldn't cost too much to experiment with and you can remove it easily enough.

[semi_problomatic]

Not really macho BS. Simple math. If you have time to gather every one up and hide behind your bed you also have time to meet them at the door. Most houses I know have bedrooms on one side of the house and master bedroom on the other. Which means you're crossing in front of any entry points twice (unless bg is coming in through a bedroom window... Which means your kids are already potentially in danger).

If you could be suprised going towards the bg why couldn't you be suprised scurrying back and forth across your house?

Clays and HD are totally different. Not only is the target much larger and much closer, it's not flying through the air and you're not shooting at a bunch of different stands. Besides, your advice is to hide behind the bed and point the gun at the door. What does it matter if he chains a 50# weight to the end of the barrel at that point? What is he swinging at?

Oh yeah....one last thing about trap...arn't you using a 30-32" double barreled O/U? How is an extra 8 or so inches of barrel and choke inserts that much heavier than a flashlight at the forearm and an extra round or two?

[Oriyen]

I understand your point about crossing paths with an intruder which is very possible , I feel that is the main reason a person should have a family plan for emergencies , fire, injury , health , intrusion etc.
also a good reason to be able to clearly identify who you are aiming the business end at .

we must try to secure / locate friendlies first if there is time. if there is no time then exercise your plan of action that you have been practicing over & over & over again ,

front door? back door? window ? garage side entry ? is the electricity on? is the alarm sounding ? round chambered ? safety on or off ?

[Oriyen]

installed the new for end today , changed out the extractor & spring , dropped in a stainless steel follower.
major improvement on fit & feel in my hand , no more loose sloppy fore end , every thing lines up with minimal roll .
just a nice smooth stroke , no sticking or jamming no matter how hard I pull .
so far I like it .
the bottom pic shows the new fore end . that is the old spring & extractor.
the old spring was bigger in circumference than the new one , so much that I had to get a pin and pluck it out
the new spring fit in the hole better and I could get it to shake loose when I turned the bolt upside down .
the new extractor was the same size but it was a bit thinner than the new one , what's up with that?
any comments welcome . it seems like I'm going in the right direction . now I want to improve the stock or just replace it all together.
tell me your thoughts on the matter.

[Dreaming100Straight]

In a situation where the kids are one side of the house and you the other, I can understand why a parent wouldn't wan to hole up in the master br. Still, staying put in a defensive position may be the best course. That is a tough call, but you aren't doing anyone any good if you are taken and your gun is taken while you try to make it to your young ones.

What I notice all to often is that the guys with full tactical weaponry usually opt for heavy buck shot loads, which is just what you don't want if you may have to shoot at an intruder located between you and the kids.

There is a difference in making it to your kids and taking a defensive posture and clearing a house.

Me. I gave up and wired the entire house with Claymores.

[Oriyen]

lol watch your step in the dark on the way to the kitchen for a midnight snack .
I'm not a fan of the full tactical look.

[Oriyen]

a few pics of my fore end modification

[Oriyen]

I cut the bottom of it out to allow better access to the bottom port with the slide pulled back.

[Dc777]

" I plan on using 2.75" 00 loads but I want to be able to use any shell I want to , after I shoot a few 3,5" shells I may never want to shoot them again"

Make sure you get someone to video tape it if you do shoot them. I wish I had filmed my dad shooting one out of my 870. It drove him backwards.

[Ruger480]

If you shoot 3.5s out of that gun you will regret it. That buttstock angles downward in relation to the plane of the barrel. What I mean is, the recoil is going to be in a straight line with the barrel, putting that force into a small area at the top point of your buttstock.

To illustrate, lay the gun on your kitchen table. Slide the gun backwards and notice which part if the buttstock crosses an imaginary line first. That point is where your recoil will be concentrated. Make sense?

Basically I'm suggesting you replace it.

[shortwave]

Not so much a suggestion of 'add on's' but since you've made a few mods., when you practice , shuck it with some authority to make sure it functions well. Under stress a fella sometimes gets a bit stronger and faster with the adrenaline flow going on. Just don't get to fast and short stroke it or you'll be left standing there with a good looking club.

Would also try loads other then 00 buck and see what patterns best at the furthest distance I'd have to shoot in the house. There are some nice reduced recoil HD loads available for shotguns these days.

[Oriyen]

replaced the old one today, top image , new choate stock .
bottom image , old assault style stock . it had a poor fitting fore end & the length of pull was too short for me .

the new fore end fits tightly, does not bind up, the new stock's LOP is longer & fits me better, it has a soft rubber pad & does not have any sharp parts underneath where my thumb wraps around the pistol grip .

it has a much better area for cheek weld. I can see straight down the top of the rib on the barrel .

now if I can find a great flash light & maybe a good side saddle for a few extra rounds I think I will be satisfied. I'm not sure how many will fit on the side with the style of fore end I have ...