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Old February 6, 2001, 02:41 AM   #1
Jared
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Join Date: January 24, 2001
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I own a REM 870 HD with the dimpled mag. Could I do the modification for the ext mag with a file or should I go to a Smith? What kinds of things should I be aware of if I do the mod by myself?
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Old February 6, 2001, 11:39 AM   #2
Elmo
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Join Date: June 16, 2000
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Re-blue the bare spots

The gunsmith who de-dimpled mine asked me to bring it back in a few days so he could re-blue the metal where the dimples were removed. I brought it back and, sure enough, there was rust starting on the unblued spots.

The bluing didn't cost anything extra and I wouldn't have thought to do it, so he won himself a loyal customer that day.
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Old February 6, 2001, 12:20 PM   #3
Romulus
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Join Date: January 18, 2001
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I gues I'm a little out of the loop with these "dimples". Ten years ago I unscrewed the mag cap off my 870express, and simply screwed in place a Choate three-shot extension...

What has changed? Curious since I'd like to get a "prettier" 870 than the boulder-blasted express model...

I'm also thinking of going with Scattergun Tech instead of Choate...

Cheers
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Old February 6, 2001, 01:59 PM   #4
Coronach
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Join Date: March 25, 1999
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Sarah Brady strikes again

The dimples are a recent addition to the 870, so as to make it "impossible" to add the very non-PC mag extension.

Why Remington placed them there is a mystery to me. I suppose it is a hedge against lawsuits.

To quote Eric Cartman, "Its all a bunch of hippie crap!"

Mike
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Old February 6, 2001, 02:27 PM   #5
Dave McC
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Join Date: October 13, 1999
Location: Columbia, Md, USA
Posts: 8,811
I'm holding a friend's guns, he's gonna be out of the country for a while, and one of them is a relatively new Express. This has been little used, mostly on snow geese.

I took it apart to compare with the 870s I have and noted that:

First, I'm no smith, but taking those dimples out would require little besides a drill and some time.

Second, the new plastic spring retainer in the end of the mag tube is another POC.So's the mag follower.

Third, I took it all the way down and gave it a cleaning. I see now what folks have been saying about grunge buildup. A good scrub, wipedown and relube worked wonders for smoothness and an action that even sounded slick.

Fourth, metallic trigger group, but it seems different than the older ones I have. The trigger was, to be charitable, heavier than normal. I'd guess 8 lbs or so.

All in all, it's a good shotgun kept from being a great shotgun by some cost/corner cutting and attention to the bottom line instead of to quality....
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Old February 6, 2001, 08:48 PM   #6
shooter63
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Join Date: February 3, 2000
Posts: 10
I agree with Dave. Don't file the dimples out, use a drill to remove them. Use a small bit first then a use a bit just large enough to remove the dimple. I stick a dowel rod held in a vise in the tube so I don't crush the tube while drilling and to stop the bit from hitting the opposite side of the tube when the bit breaks thru the first wall. Then use a round stone in the drill (or in a dremel tool, this is easier) to deburr the inside and outside of the tube. I have done many 870's and 11-87's this way and quickly get very professional results.
DVC
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