When you talk about pump action shotguns in this country there are two models which tend to pop into mind. One is the Mossberg 500 series. The other is the Remington 870. Both have long histories of use whether for hunting, service, or defense, and both continue to be held in high regard while being offered in numerous configurations. Which is better comes down purely to one’s preference, however Remington did lag behind in one area until recently.
Over the years there have been 870’s used with police and military but there had always been a catch in that these models weren’t widely available to the civilian market. Remington seemed to keep the focus on hunting across the decades, at one point going so far as to put dimples within the magazine tube to prevent them from accepting extensions without permanently modifying the firearm. By comparison Mossberg had the 500 and 590 series which were available to anyone with heat shields, ghost ring sights, and full length magazine tubes.
Then Remington caught up. The company may be going through an interesting time following a recent bankruptcy but it sounds like the 870’s legacy is gearing up to march forward under new management. In Remington’s 2020 catalogue there are five different models of 870 shotguns all wearing the “tactical” badge and this doesn’t include their newer box magazine fed variants or the “Tac-14″ models. Then there are all of the semi-automatic shotguns which can also be had in tactical varieties…
Not only did Remington finally catch up, they covered all of their bases.
Today I’ll be digging into the Model 870 Express Tactical with ghost ring sights. From the factory this version has just about all of the bells and whistles save for one of their newer side folding stocks. XS Sight Systems has excellent sights for this 870 which are already installed. Compared to the Mossberg 590 these sights sit much lower and lack any of the protective ears but make for a streamlined sight picture with an uninterrupted peripheral. XS Sight Systems also offers a tritium front sight if you feel the need to upgrade.
Up front the Express Tactical comes with an extended choke tube with some aggressive teeth and plenty of circular vents. While this might look like a combination compensator and something to poke annoying problems with, I believe its real purpose is for what are called breacher rounds meant to force entry through doorways. While I’m uncertain if it has any recoil mitigating effects when firing slugs I have noticed that it tends to vent quite a lot of extra smoke. Using this device at an indoor range will quickly cloud up the area even with good ventilation. Having a standard choke tube on hand may not be a bad idea.
Down below is an extended magazine tube which holds six total rounds of 2 3/4” shells. Unlike the Mossberg, or even some of the other 870’s, this one has a standard length tube with a factory extension. I’m not entirely sure why they went this route. Not only is it a pain in the backside to reassemble but there’s a sling bracket which needs to be removed by a Phillips screw before you can take the barrel off. Before you can get the sling bracket off that wicked cool looking muzzle device also needs to come off. It’s kind of an involved process and that sling bracket does like to wear off the parkerized finish.
The barrel is 18.5 inches without the muzzle device and standard Remington choke tubes will thread right in if you want to tune your shot pattern. Inside of the magazine is an aftermarket stainless steel follower which glides nice and smooth, a very important consideration when using a tube extension. This is a great upgrade over the usual plastic followers and I’m glad to see such attention to detail direct from Remington.
On top of the all steel receiver is a length of Picatinny rail which I always find to be a good addition on any longarm. The trigger guard is one of their newer black polymer units with the company’s name molded into the bottom flat.
Even with all of the extras you get with this model the sky’s the limit for further modification. Aftermarket stocks and forends can be swapped out like any other 870. Side saddles can be added to the receiver. Because this version utilizes standard barrel lugs you won’t have any trouble swapping out to longer barrels for hunting. Add in a shorter length spring and standard magazine cap and you can limit its capacity should you feel the need. This version of the 870 Express Tactical can do just about everything.
Purists will no doubt be less than thrilled with the handling of newer 870’s but this is nothing new. Compared to the more premium Wingmaster series any 870 is going to feel a little clunky and a little gritty. The same argument could be made for the 870 Tactical, the action isn’t what I would call butter-smooth but it’s by no means bad. The Tactical series are built for utility and they’ve certainly got it covered. With the extras it has right out of the box I would rather go with a Tactical model instead of finding an old Wingmaster on the used rack then trying to bring it up to speed.
My first-hand experience with shotguns may be limited but after having spent time with other 870’s and a pair of Mossberg 500’s I am really impressed with the 870 Tactical. It may have a slightly lower capacity than the Mossbergs but it also has a slightly shorter barrel, a steel receiver compared to the Mossy’s aluminum, and balances much much better than the 500’s. Further, from what I’ve seen Remingtons seem to have better build quality.
Regardless of which model you might choose between these two manufacturers you’re not going to go wrong, but for me I’d make mine an 870 with ghost rings.
