This article, "Tricking Out Your Remington 870," appeared originally as a Pro Shop column in the November 2017 issue of Shooting Illustrated. To subscribe to the magazine, visit the NRA membership page here and select Shooting Illustrated as your member magazine.
The Remington 870 is, without a doubt, one of the most popular shotguns on the market today. The company offers a number of models, ranging from trap and skeet models to hunting guns to purpose-built home-defense options. No matter which Remington 870 shotgun you own, you can upgrade your gun with any one of these products. Here are five must-have upgrades for your go-to home-defense shotgun:
A. Adding much-needed adjustability to the popular model of scattergun, the Magpul SGA Stock Remington 870 boasts a spacer system ranging from 12.3 to 14.3 inches, improved grip ergonomics, a recoil-reducing buttpad and a cheek riser built into the comb for use with optics and raised sights. Available colors include black, FDE, gray and orange. MSRP: $109.95 magpul.com
B. Weighing a mere 9 ounces, the TacStar 6 Shot Sidesaddle features modular shell holders that mount six extra rounds on your shotgun in a convenient and accessible location for fast reloading. The rugged, weatherproof shell carrier is attached to an aluminum mounting plate that installs directly onto the shotgun receiver. All hardware is included and, best of all, no gunsmithing is required. MSRP: $42.50 lymanproducts.com
C. The SureFire DSF-870 Weaponlight replaces a Remington 870 OEM forearm with one containing a built-in, high-intensity LED. Large, tactile momentary- and constant-on switches are located on each side to facilitate easy access and ambidextrous use. Pressing of the output-mode-selector switch toggles the LED between a 600- or 200-lumen output, providing a quick and easy means of adapting to changes in light as the situation dictates. MSRP: $399 surefire.com
D. Vang Comp Systems’ Barrel Porting Modification mitigates recoil of customer-supplied OEM barrels. Lengthening the forcing cone allows a smoother transition of the shot column from chamber to bore, decreasing recoil and shot deformation for greater accuracy. The barrel is also back-bored, gradually tapering the shot column, squeezing it together even more as it travels toward the muzzle. Propel-lant gasses are expelled through 62 ports, taming muzzle rise without overly exacerbating muzzle flash. MSRP: $255 vangcomp.com
E. For use with a standard Remington 870 magazine tube and a one-shot extension tube, the Wilson Combat/Scattergun Technologies Spring Follower Kit includes an extra-power magazine spring for improved reliability. There is also a high-visibility follower to provide visual reference at a glance when the magazine is empty. MSRP: $12 wilsoncombat.com
