This was one of those “What the hell, I’ll try it” sort of things. With a big “I’m glad I did” sort of results. I was in the market for a new stock, but not exactly for a pistol grip… so I’d likely have passed this up until our friend Ryan Horst at Tannerman’s Trading Company offered this to me.
This is a synthetic product that is reminiscent of the results of the old school mod of chopping down a standard wood stock. It’s got that look and feel, but with a better finish. Compared to some other pistol grip, or Breacher grips out there, this has a better look and feel. Better in that it looks more traditional. It is both solid and comfortable and during recoil, it feels more comfortable than most standard pistol grips out there.
Mounted on a standard factory Remington 870 HD model, it helps make for a nice compact Home Defense weapon. It begs to be used on an SBS or AOW shotgun. The Raptor Grip is not for everyone. The purpose is more specifically CQB in tighter areas, or for where you need to transport a potent weapon in as compact a package as possible. This isn’t for any Duck Commanders out there.
You can see it removes a lot of length from the weapon, while keeping a legal OAL. Any shorter here and I’d have to be doing some ATF Paperwork.
Available from Shockwave Technologies. For the Remington 870, NEF and H&R Clones, and IAC Hawk shotguns. Also available for Mossberg 500 and those related shotguns.
I just ordered one for my bedside shotgun. Thanks Ogre!!!
Run some high brass through it before you relegate it to defense duty. I doubt you will be able to use the sights and avoid smacking your skull with the barrel. Hip fire? Yeah, do-able. Aimed fire? Not a chance with proper ammo.
Low brass is manageable but I am unfamiliar with a low brass self defense option.
Jim,
I do not plan on using the sights on it with this new grip as I like my facial structure the way it is, that said, with a flash light attached to the front and firing from the hip, I believe that it will be fine. And yes, I plan on retesting which loads will be manageable with this new grip. Should have it in about a week.
James,
I hated to assume but I figured it would be hip fire spitting distance boom stick. I just didn’t want you to have the same learning cure that me and a few friends had nearly 20 years ago. Took turns mixing low and high brass in a 500 with a similar stock. After the three of us had matching stripes on our foreheads, we decided that was a bad idea.
I have two, one on a Mossberg 12ga, another on a Maverick. I like them; very handy. It is for short range shooting, obviously. I use the “high position looking over the barrel” technique, not eye-level or hip-level. With practice it works fine at HD distances.
OK, just put the new grip on my shotgun. Visually, it is wonderful. But the grip is a little slick and could use some texturing, stippling, etc in order to have better control of the grip.
I’ll pass, thanks. My one (and thus far, only) experience with pistol-grip shotguns involved an acquaintance’s Mossberg 500 Persuader and three-inch-magnum 00 buckshot.
I managed not to brain myself with the barrel, but for two weeks afterward I couldn’t do much more than sign my name with my dominant hand, my wrist was sprained so badly.
The Raptor grip might not put so much stress on the wrist as the stock, vertical Mossberg (or Remington) pistol grip, but even so I think I’d prefer a full-length stock for control and quick followup shots, if needed.
It’s not the preferred stock for general purposes, but it has its place for HD. I’ve shot mine only at the range with both buckshot and birdshot, and it’s manageable and accurate enough for short-range use. I recommend the “look-over-the-barrel” technique for aiming and recoil management.