The year was 1950. North Korea invaded South Korea and Americans were watching The “Texaco Star Theater” on television. Movie theaters were showing “King Solomon’s Mines” and radios were playing “Mona Lisa” by Nat King Cole. The first credit cards were introduced, and Remington brought out a pump-action shotgun that would make history.
   As we are constantly reminded in the media, it was a simpler time. World War II was over and we won, the depression was fading from memory and the average salary was a whopping $3,210. People were feeling good about the country and our future. Gas was 18 cents a gallon, inflation was one percent, a new car cost $1,500 and this new shotgun would set you back $80.80. Shooters recognized the value and, with anticipation of nothing but better times ahead, the 870 sold well.

The 870 Express has a pistol grip with finger grooves and molded checkering for enhanced purchase. The hollow grip has a slide-open compartment ideal for storing spare batteries and a variety of accessories. While the Remington Special Ported Tactical Extended Choke Tube’s teeth have limited civilian applications, they do give the shotguns a rather nasty, meant-for-business look. More importantly, under testing the choke provided the kind of excellent spread that makes it ideal for self-defense purposes—and for modern shooters, it looks good doing it.

  Fifty-eight years later Remington is about to build its ten millionth Model 870, the best selling pump-action shotgun in history. While the vast majority of these shotguns have been used for blasting flying targets, both feathered and clay, the 870 has always had a fighting side. Even back in those simpler times of that first year of production they had a Model 870R Riot Grade, with a 20-inch barrel. Actually, what we now call a tactical shotgun went by riot gun until recently. About the same time as the Rodney King mess, we realized that we no longer try to stop riots for fear of offending somebody, so the name had to be changed. No matter, the design is pretty much the same. A short barrel, extended magazine and a color scheme designed to make it look menacing.
   For decades this style of shotgun was sold primarily to law enforcement and the military. It was assumed the civilian market wasn’t interested or couldn’t be trusted. But then, simpler times are long past and life is now more complicated, uncertain and scary. The concept of a civilian fighting shotgun, while maybe still not completely embraced by the manufacturers, has definitely taken hold with the gun-owning masses. The Model 870 Remington emerged as the premiere shotgun for this use. Right or wrong, many believe that pump shotguns are more dependable than semi-autos. We have also been convinced that the sound of a slide-action being worked will release the bowels of anybody intending to do us harm and send them squirming away—never to darken our door again. But perhaps the most important reason is that the 870 is tough, dependable and very affordable. Even today the 870 Express has a street price of around $300. An entire industry has sprung up around converting these shotguns into fighting tools. Magazine extenders, pistol grips, tactical stocks and fore-ends, along with sighting systems, oversized safeties and attached ammo carriers ensure the Model 870 does not suffer from a lack of bolt-on accessories designed to make it a better fighting shotgun.
   Clearly the civilian market for tactical shotguns is growing. Most experts agree a shotgun is far superior to either a handgun or a rifle in a self- or home-defense situation. They are easier to hit with, particularly when compared to a handgun. A blast of buckshot is more than powerful enough to solve just about any problem and pellets are far less likely to penetrate walls and hit unintended targets than bullets. Then, of course, there is always the intimidation factor when the bad guy hears the sound he recognizes from a thousand movies and TV shows. Some “experts” say it doesn’t matter—but I know it would give me pause. But then, I have witnessed the result of buckshot hitting something alive it’s a sobering sight.
   Officially, Remington still doesn’t get it; it opens the 870 Tactical web pages with the statement: “Still the #1 choice of top law enforcement agencies across the country...” Civilian shooters aren’t even mentioned. On the other hand, it might just be smart marketing. Most gun buyers recognize if the professionals are using these shotguns, they must be dependable. What better way to entice the civilian market than by pointing out that the 870 shotgun is the choice of serious professionals who depend on their firearms to stay alive?
   Serious students of fighting guns usually agree the 12 gauge is by far the best choice for a tactical shotgun. Part of that is power, but also because that’s where all the ammo development occurs. The options for buckshot, slugs, birdshot and less-than-lethal ammo are much greater with the 12 gauge. I recently did some shooting with three of the newest Remington Model 870 Tactical shotguns.

In addition to its 7-round capacity, the 870 Express has a built-in, 3-shotshell holder in its folding stock. As a result, reloads are close at hand and a little easier in a tense self-defense situation—without having to add an aftermarket accessory.

   The Model 870 Express, seven-shot is the most affordable of the three, with an MSRP of $505. The gun has an 18-inch barrel and a single bead front sight on a ramp. The two-shot magazine extension brings the capacity up to six-shots in the magazine and seven shots total with a shell in the chamber. The gun features a Butler Creek folding stock, which folds to use the gun with just a pistol grip or it swings back for full-length, off-the-shoulder use.
   While every shooter is different, I had some trouble with the latter position. The line of the stock is actually well to the left of the centerline of the shotgun when the stock is in the full-length position. This positions my face too far to the left and so my shots tend to hit to the left. When I twist my face over the top to line up with the barrel, my eye is positioned too high. Also, the section of the stock where my cheek contacts is nothing more than a square corner with a slight radius, which is painful under recoil. It’s manageable with low-recoil buckshot or slugs, barely tolerable with full power 23⁄4-inch loads and unmercifully brutal with full power 3-inch loads.
   I much prefer to use this shotgun in the folded position and with the pistol grip only. As is the case with any pistol grip shotgun, the 3-inch loads are still painful, but compared to the beating my cheek takes with the unfolded stock, it’s a little love tap. Besides, 3-inch loads are not the best choice for fighting, as the time to recover from recoil is too long. Low recoil or standard 23⁄4-inch loads are very manageable in this shotgun using the pistol grip.
 

They may operate on the proven 870 platform, but with touches like pistol grips, storage compartments and with the TAC Desert Recon versions sporting Tiger Stripe Products Digital Tiger TSP camo, this isn’t your grandfather’s 870. The SpeedFeed stock on the 18-inch-barreled TAC Desert Recon has space for two extra shotshells. When fast reloads are needed, shooters will be happy to have easy access to the additional ammunition.

  A pistol-grip shotgun is actually a pretty good idea for home defense. It allows a shorter gun, which is easier to control in a crowded indoor situation. It helps you keep the muzzle closer to the shooter and provides less chance for the gun to be snatched away. Also, the pistol grip provides a positive handle in that situation so that you can apply more power in retrieving the shotgun from the bad guy. With practice it’s easy to become proficient at shooting from the hip with a pistol-grip shotgun at fighting distances. The folding stock has three shell holders and when it’s folded to the pistol grip only mode, those shells are positioned best for a quick reload.
   The gun is finished in matte black oxide for a very non-reflective surface. The stock and fore-end, which has finger groves and molded-in ridges for a good gripping surface, are black synthetic. The general consensus of the three shooters who helped test this gun is that the fore-end design is excellent. There is a front sling swivel located on the magazine clamp and a rear swivel stud on the side of the buttstock, just behind the receiver.
   The other two Model 870 Tactical shotguns are fairly new additions introduced at the 2008 SHOT show. Called the Model 870 TAC Desert Recon, they are certainly up to the minute in their style as both sport the newest in digital desert camo on the buttstock and fore-end. The camo is by Tiger Stripe Products and it’s called Digital Tiger TSP. The receivers and barrels are covered with an olive green powder-coat finish while the rest of the metal is matte black. It creates a striking looking shotgun.
   The 18-inch barrel model features a SpeedFeed shell-holding stock. There are locations on both sides of the stock that hold two shells each. The gun has a 2-shot magazine extension for six in the magazine and seven shots total. The 20-inch barrel version has a 3-shot magazine extension for eight shots total. This model features a SpeedFeed brand buttstock with a pistol grip.
   Both guns have sling swivel studs on the magazine clamp and on the rear buttstock. The receivers are drilled and tapped for scope mounting and a single, ramp-mounted front bead is near the end of the barrel. The guns handle 23⁄4- or 3-inch shells.
   While both guns work very well for their intended use, without exception every person who handled or shot them during my test period gravitated to the 18-inch version with the shell-holder stock. This gun is well balanced and the ergonomics are excellent for most shooters. It’s not only well suited for fighting or tactical use, I found this shotgun to be a great choice for hunting and even target shooting. It sure is an attention getter at the range.
   All three of these shotguns come equipped with a Remington Special Ported Tactical Extended Choke Tube. It is actually a cylinder bore, breaching choke designed for taking out door locks. Unless your wife gets mad at you for spending too much time at the gun range and locks you out, there is probably not a lot of use for that in the civilian market. But, it’s still a good tactical choke tube. It patterns buckshot very well at fighting distances. I did experience a wide divergence in how the various buckshot loads patterned, and this choke is clearly designed to work best with larger pellets like No. 00. The smaller No. 4 buck throws a wide and a bit spotty pattern, even at 15 yards, often missing the 12-inch circle with half the pellets. On the other hand, most of the 00-buckshot loads I tested stayed in tight patterns. At 15 yards, this choke usually sticks them all in about 6 to 8 inches. Of course, you should pattern test any buckshot you plan on using.
   This choke seems to do well with Foster style slugs. It’s difficult to tell exactly with only a single bead front sight, but at 25 yards I was usually able to cluster any Foster-style slug in less than a 3-inch circle, which is certainly acceptable in a fighting shotgun for civilian use, where the distances are often much closer than military or police might encounter. The most accurate Foster-style slug I tested was the Federal Tru-Ball, which is consistent with some of the other recent tests with smoothbore, tactical-style shotguns.

Powder-brushed olive green coating on the TAC Desert Recon provides a nice contrast to the digital camo stock, while maintaining its businesslike look. Remington’s reliable pump action is the cornerstone of all three 870 tactical models. The shotgun was first introduced in the 1950s, and nearly 10 million have been made.

   If nothing else, this extended Remington choke looks very cool with its sawtooth leading edge and radical looking ports, and it appeals to the twenty-something gun guys who hang out here at Camp Towsley.
   The one advantage of screw-in chokes in a Model 870 tactical shotgun is any Rem-Choke tube will fit, which opens up many possibilities. It’s always the best policy to shoot your fighting guns often to build muscle memory so when your brain seizes under stress, your subconscious will take over and run the gun. Hunting, plinking or even competition shooting with the shotgun is a good idea.
Obviously, shooting birdshot at clay targets or hunting with the shotgun will probably require a different choke tube. Even for defensive, use you might want to fine tune a load you prefer by changing the choke tube. There are some excellent buckshot chokes on the market that will allow you to do that. For example I use No. 4 buckshot, 3-inch ammo for coyote hunting and have a custom choke that tightens patterns for extended-range performance. But even standard chokes can help. I have an improved-modified extended choke that is almost as good as the custom choke with No. 4 buckshot, which a lot of coyotes might attest to if they were not already participating in a fur coat program. Also, I have found that when shooting Foster style slugs in a smooth bore, often adding just a little bit of choke constriction will tighten the groups on the target. Or, with some slugs like the Remington BuckHammer, you can use a rifled choke tube for enhanced accuracy.
   For an out of the box, tactical shotgun it’s hard to go wrong with any of these three Remington Model 870 shotguns. I had exactly zero functional problems that were not shooter error during several months of testing. That alone is evidence enough as to why the Model 870 has been trusted by those in the know to deal with bad guys for nearly 60 years.

 

—Bryce M. Towsley