Can’t leave well enough alone

The 870 Tactical got stripped… then Cerakoted Gun Metal Grey.

The funny thing about this, was that I did it Saturday night… Sunday morning I woke up late.  So I jumped into the shower, threw on some clothes, ran out to the Crusader Coating Laboratory and grabbed the gun.  Inside, I just slapped all the parts together and we ran out to the Gun Show.  Just before the show starts, I pick up the shotgun again and rack it.  JAM.  WTF?  I look into the action and I see Magazine Spring.  What?  AAahahhh… I forgot the Magazine Follower.  Ran back to Crusader HQ, there’s the follower sitting right on the work bench.   I need a new follower though… I don’t like the cheap plastic one that comes stock in the Remingtons.  Brownells offers a Stainless one that looks pretty good.  I might do that one.

Also, that “Tactical Choke” as Remington calls it.  It’s a breaching choke.  Designed not for shooting – but for Breaching.  I’m going to pop in an Improved Cylinder choke.  Maybe a Modified.  Maybe one of those extended ones.  I like those.

Here’s the deal.  HOW THE HELL DO YOU REALLY IMPROVE SOMETHING THAT IS FREAKING AWESOME AS IT IS?  Crusader is doing it… A killer action job that makes the 870 just stupid slick…. but what else does it really need?  What parts can we put on them (or the Mossberg) that is going to actually give you a tangible benefit that makes the weapon more effective and the user more efficient with it?  There isn’t a lot.  Oh, there’s tons of options for you… catalogs full of stuff.  But what really works?  Not much.  But my mission is to find it.

18 thoughts on “Can’t leave well enough alone”

  1. I’ve been wondering, does the Remington Tac Brake actually help with recoil, or is it just a breaching brake for holding the muzzle in place on wood?

  2. Though plastic, I like a blaze orange follower. Even in low light a glance will let you know if you really need to reload.

      1. Works on semi-auto and even manually-cycled guns, too. The flux capacitor is hooked to a little button and a red/green light. Every time you shoot, you press the button if the shot actually hit what you were aiming for. The flux capacitor looks into the future and sees if your shot was good, and light lights the appropriate color light when you touch the trigger, so you know whether or not you should bother pulling it all the way. Cuts down on reloading.

  3. Short stock, Speed Feed is a good brand/pistol grip optional. Vang jumbo safety. +1 extension. 2 point tactical sling. Surefire light. 4 shell side saddle.

  4. What are your thoughts on lights on defense shotguns? Seems like they ought to be some less than$200 option though.

    1. Absolutely. But keep it light weight and compact in size. Some light solutions are large, bulky and heavy…. and a shotgun can be enough of all that as it is.

      1. The cheapest, lightest I’ve seen is a guy who screwed a short piece of rail onto the bottom, front part of the fore end. Then he just attaches his Glock light to the rail.

  5. I have the same gun. I took the breaching choke out and replaced it with a modified. The gun shoots great and impresses the heck out of me, and I am not a fan of shotguns.

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