barrel front sights

AZwarts · December 3, 2009, 08:07 PM

i was wondering if it was possibke to change your sights without buying a new barrel

colostomyclown · December 3, 2009, 08:12 PM

of course. figure out what sight you want and talk to a gunsmith in your order. he'll give you a flat price on ordering and installation

oneounceload · December 3, 2009, 08:14 PM

What are you trying to do? Depending on the situation, sights may or may not be necessary

AZwarts · December 3, 2009, 08:21 PM

Well the shot gun has what looks like a rifle sight on the front but I would like to get it ribbed with a bb sight instead

oneounceload · December 4, 2009, 10:56 AM

Now you're also talking about adding a rib?

Depending on the gun - it might be easier to get another barrel.There are some companies that do it, but adding a rib is not that inexpensive

Lee Lapin · December 4, 2009, 01:40 PM

For what you want, you'd likely be better off with a different barrel. Barrels are available used, if yours is a popular make/model, getting a good deal on a used barrel should be pretty easy. One more reason to stick to popular makes/models....

lpl

AZwarts · December 4, 2009, 05:20 PM

it is a rem. model 870 lw

Dfariswheel · December 4, 2009, 08:02 PM

You'd be much better of to just buy a different barrel.
The 870 has a large number of types of barrels with sight and rib options.

By the time you pay a custom gunsmith to do the difficult job of installing a rib, never mind finding a gunsmith who can do it right, you could easily buy any type of barrel you want and then some.

Check online sellers like Midway for new Remington barrels, check Remington themselves direct, or see your local gun dealers to order.
Many local gun shops and pawn shops will have new and used 870 barrels.

zippy13 · December 5, 2009, 08:00 PM

Rather than just suggest how to get a vent rib on your barrel, perhaps we should look a little deeper into your specifics...

You said your existing barrel has rifle sights and it's an 870 LW. From this, I'm guessing it's an older 870 Lightweight Wingmaster 20-ga with a 20-inch deer barrel with a fixed Imp. Cyl. choke. If I'm correct, this is a great gun that will serve well for deer and HD.

Since you mentioned wanting a bead sight with a vent rib, I take it you want a gun for targets and/or field work. It's feasible to add a rib to your deer barrel; but, I'm sorry to say, you probably wouldn't find the results satisfactory. The swing-on-target won't feel right and the sighting radius is too short.

Remington stick guns come in time-tested standard barrel lengths in two basic groups -- short for "non-swinging" and long for "swinging" applications. Lengths are in 2-inch increments with a 6-inch gap between the shorts and longs. Barrels between 20 and 26-inch are uncommon because most folks find them too heavy for fixed work and with insufficient inertia to swing smoothly (but, some youth and special deer barrels fall into the gap). Trust me, and the other members, you'll be much happier with your vent rib on a new long barrel while maintaining your short barrel for it's intended use.

Your next step is to decide what you'll be shooting and get a vent rib barrel in a suitable length (26, 28, 30 or 32-inch). A 28-in target barrel (with two beads on the rib) serves well for general target and field work. Now, the bad news, if your gun is a 870LW 20-ga, as I suspect, then your selection of replacement barrels is limited. When the other members suggested that you can easily get a replacement barrel, they were thinking of a generic 12-ga 870, not a 20-ga Lightweight Wingmaster barrel.

December 3, 2009, 08:07 PM	#1
AZwarts Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2009 Posts: 112	barrel front sights i was wondering if it was possibke to change your sights without buying a new barrel

December 4, 2009, 01:40 PM	#6
Lee Lapin Senior Member Join Date: September 7, 2004 Location: SE NC Posts: 1,239	For what you want, you'd likely be better off with a different barrel. Barrels are available used, if yours is a popular make/model, getting a good deal on a used barrel should be pretty easy. One more reason to stick to popular makes/models.... lpl __________________ Mindset - Skillset - Toolset. In that order! Attitude and skill will get you through times of no gear, better than gear will get you through times of no attitude and no skill.

December 5, 2009, 08:00 PM	#9
zippy13 Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: SoCal Posts: 6,442	Rather than just suggest how to get a vent rib on your barrel, perhaps we should look a little deeper into your specifics... You said your existing barrel has rifle sights and it's an 870 LW. From this, I'm guessing it's an older 870 Lightweight Wingmaster 20-ga with a 20-inch deer barrel with a fixed Imp. Cyl. choke. If I'm correct, this is a great gun that will serve well for deer and HD. Since you mentioned wanting a bead sight with a vent rib, I take it you want a gun for targets and/or field work. It's feasible to add a rib to your deer barrel; but, I'm sorry to say, you probably wouldn't find the results satisfactory. The swing-on-target won't feel right and the sighting radius is too short. Remington stick guns come in time-tested standard barrel lengths in two basic groups -- short for "non-swinging" and long for "swinging" applications. Lengths are in 2-inch increments with a 6-inch gap between the shorts and longs. Barrels between 20 and 26-inch are uncommon because most folks find them too heavy for fixed work and with insufficient inertia to swing smoothly (but, some youth and special deer barrels fall into the gap). Trust me, and the other members, you'll be much happier with your vent rib on a new long barrel while maintaining your short barrel for it's intended use. Your next step is to decide what you'll be shooting and get a vent rib barrel in a suitable length (26, 28, 30 or 32-inch). A 28-in target barrel (with two beads on the rib) serves well for general target and field work. Now, the bad news, if your gun is a 870LW 20-ga, as I suspect, then your selection of replacement barrels is limited. When the other members suggested that you can easily get a replacement barrel, they were thinking of a generic 12-ga 870, not a 20-ga Lightweight Wingmaster barrel.

December 3, 2009, 08:12 PM	#2
colostomyclown Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2009 Posts: 613	of course. figure out what sight you want and talk to a gunsmith in your order. he'll give you a flat price on ordering and installation

December 3, 2009, 08:14 PM	#3
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	What are you trying to do? Depending on the situation, sights may or may not be necessary

December 3, 2009, 08:21 PM	#4
AZwarts Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2009 Posts: 112	Well the shot gun has what looks like a rifle sight on the front but I would like to get it ribbed with a bb sight instead

December 4, 2009, 10:56 AM	#5
oneounceload Junior member Join Date: April 18, 2008 Location: N. Central Florida Posts: 8,518	Now you're also talking about adding a rib? Depending on the gun - it might be easier to get another barrel.There are some companies that do it, but adding a rib is not that inexpensive

December 4, 2009, 05:20 PM	#7
AZwarts Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2009 Posts: 112	it is a rem. model 870 lw

December 4, 2009, 08:02 PM	#8
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	You'd be much better of to just buy a different barrel. The 870 has a large number of types of barrels with sight and rib options. By the time you pay a custom gunsmith to do the difficult job of installing a rib, never mind finding a gunsmith who can do it right, you could easily buy any type of barrel you want and then some. Check online sellers like Midway for new Remington barrels, check Remington themselves direct, or see your local gun dealers to order. Many local gun shops and pawn shops will have new and used 870 barrels.