Reminton tactical shotgun differences

[Drew78]

Hey everyone,

My question is about the differences between the Specal Ops 870 12ga that you would see inn Remmy's "sporting" catalog with the Knoxx adj stock and the 870 models you would see on Remmy's LE website.

I want to get into my first SD "tactical" shotgun and want to know what the differences are between the official LE line of 870's and the standard line of Tactical 870's are.

I really like the 870 MAX, but its probably more than I want to spend. I like the Special Ops with the Knoxx stock for its ability to be adjusted for LOP. I am not a huge fella and always have to have the butstocks on my sporting shotguns cut down to fit.

Please give me any feed back you have, and I do want to limit my choices to the Rem 870 platform. I have a Wingmaster and an Express that have been nothing short of dead nuts reliable and accurate from day one out of the box. I have a Beretta AL391 that is an AWSOME gun, but cleaning it is a royal pain, and want to keep the action mecanism on my HD gun "simple"

Thanks in advance!

-Drew

[ElevatedThreat]

I find Remington's "Tactical" line of shotguns a bit puzzling.

Their choice to base their "Tactical" semiauto on the Remington 1100, vice the 11-87, seems especially odd -- as does their use of raised ventilated rib barrels.

Remington mentions "three-gun competition" in their advertising blurbs for these guns, so maybe they view these offerings as tapping into the custom "race-gun" market? That would help explain the above observations.

The key thing for me would be to ascertain whether the trigger plate/trigger guard assemblies on the new "Tactical" guns are from the all-steel Law Enforcement/Military line, or whether they are the plastic ones from Remington's cheaper Express/Home Defense shotguns.

The fact that Remington's catalog photographs show the trigger guards on these "Tactical" shotguns to be black, while the metal actions and barrels are parkerized Olive Drab green, makes me suspect the "Tacticals" use the plastic parts. (Remington Parkerizes all the metal parts on their LE shotguns.) But someone who owns one or has handled one will have to confirm that.

Since I don't own a "Tactical" I normally would not have posted this speculation -- except I suspect these guns are so new that you may have a hard time getting a response from someone with first-hand knowledge.

I paid the extra dollars to get my 870P and 11-87 POLICE shotguns straight from the Remington LE/Military catalog, in order to get the "snob-appeal" and the all-steel parts. And I certainly don't regret that decision. But I suspect that the plastic parts are probably just as serviceable for most uses, even if they are less appealing snob-wise.

I also must admit that I am instantly leery these days of anything that is labeled "Tactical" by a gun maker. That word has lost any true meaning that it may once have had, and has become in most cases a carnival-barker's call for attracting fools, for the purpose of separating them from their money....

As you know from your "Wingmaster," it is hard to go wrong with a top-of-the-line Remignton 870. Since you already own an "Express," the "Tactical" version of the 870 might be just more of the same with a different stock. (In that case you might consider just geting the stock and applying it to the Express 870 that you already have.)

If it were me, unless I could inspect the "Tactical" up close before buying and was fully satisfied with it, I would save up the extra dough for the true 870P from the Law Enforcement catalog. Such a gun will last for several generations, and getting a true 870P will maximize your pride-of-ownership, while minimizing any chances of buyer's remorse.

A final consideration is whether you can see yourself, down the road, getting any high-end modifications done to the gun -- like a Badger Ordnance optics rail, Ghost-ring rear sights, or a Vang Comp choke and porting job. Those upgrades will make a lot more sense going onto an 870P than onto a lesser gun.

-ET

[thenewguy]

The 870P Max is a heavy beast of a shotgun. The pistol grip is somewhat uncomfortable IMO, the sights are a bit slower for me than a large, glowing BigDot, and the whole thing is just heavy. If you have not already, go heft one at a shop. Add a few ounces for ammunition hanging off the end of the magazine tube and it starts to get cumbersome.

Keep it simple. The 870 is really nice that way.

[stmcelroy]

This is information that was compiled on AR15.com

Steve






This Question comes up every other day so I will tack this infomation:

From the Vang Comp web site:

What is the difference between a Remington Express and a Police Magnum?"

The Remington Police Magnum shotgun is built heavier to withstand the
abuse and pounding that police departments inflict on their gear. It has a
metal trigger assembly versus the Express's plastic assembly. The Police
Magnum also has heavier springs (7 lb. sear disconnect spring versus's the
Express's 5 lb. disconnect spring). The Police Magnum has a 22 inch
magazine spring versus a 16 inch magazine spring in the Express.
The Police gun comes with a heavier lifter spring. Each Police Magnum
comes with front and rear sling swivel studs. These are just some of the
differences in the two guns. Remember, you get exactly what you pay for.
Both models function the same and digest the same ammo, so if you are
inclined to inflict this type of punishment on your guns then consider a
Police Magnum. Otherwise the Express model will serve you very well.

From the Remington web site:

What are the differences between the M-870 Police and the M-870 Express HD?
Question
Can you tell me the main differences between the 870 Express and the 870
Police Model (assume that the 870P is one with a synthetic stock and front
bead sight). Are the 870Express and 870P receivers different at all, that
is, other than the differences of inscription ("870 Police Magnum" or "870
Express Magnum")?
Answer
Structurally the two receivers are identical. The only difference will be that the Police model will have a more durable finish. The magazine tubes will be slightly different. The Model 870 Express will have two indents in the magazine tube to accommodate the new style plastic magazine spring retainer. However, this prevents the Express model from accepting a magazine tube extension without alteration to the tube.

Other differences will be that the Police model includes sling swivel studs, a shorter fore-end, heavier shell latches, a heavier sear spring and a heavier magazine spring.

From the Remington LE web site:

Q: What is the difference between the metal finish on the sporting goods guns and police guns?

A: A standard "blue" finish is offered in both lines, however, the "matte" finish on the sporting goods guns is a bead blast bluing. The "matte" finish on the police guns is a parkerization process. Parkerization is 60% more durable than bead blast bluing.

[Morris]

Also, police models have machined parts. Express shotguns are MIM'd. There is a whole line of "tactical" express models. They are dressed up express shotguns that give the tactical look to a budget minded consumer.

If you are low volume shooter, the tactical models will do you fine. However, spend a bit more for the police line and you get a better overall package.