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How to Choose the Best Remington 870 Barrel?

The Remington 870 is one of the most popular shotguns in the market that’s also very customizable to fit your individual preferences. In fact, most parts of the 870 can be modified or upgraded. In fact, the amount of aftermarket parts and accessories for the 870 rivals other gun models such as the AR-15, Colt M1911A1, Beretta 92, Glock pistols, and the Ruger 10/22. 

The Remington 870 is the fourth generation of the Remington pump action shotguns. There are actually numerous different models of Remington 870 available in the market, including budget minded Express model, hunting/clay pigeon shooting oriented Wingmaster model, and the combat/home defense oriented Tactical models. 

Why Should You Upgrade the Remington 870 Barrel? 

The Remington 870 is a well-made shotgun, but even then, there’s always something that can be improved. Though the factory barrel is solid, you can upgrade it to improve accuracy. Some barrels even come with special designs on the inside to help you boost its accuracy. 

Another reason why some gun owners may choose to upgrade the Remington 870 barrel is to improve their weapon’s capabilities as a self-defense weapon. One such example is a 870 barrel that comes with a bead on the front sight that makes it much easier for you to line up your sights on the target. The rifle sights also make it easier to shoot the shotgun and improve accuracy at distances of twenty yards and above. 

Additionally, upgrading the barrel can make it more rust and corrosion resistant. Blue barrels may look nice but there’s no protection against moisture at all. Hence, it is advisable to get a parkerized, nitride, or stainless steel barrel that offers good rust and corrosion protection. 

Some Remington 870 barrel come with fixed chokes that may impact the spread and accuracy of your shot. With that in mind, some may prefer to use different chokes on their shotgun and would therefore need to replace the entire barrel that can be paired or used with their desired choke. It might also be worthwhile to get a barrel with replaceable choke so that you can remove or swap it out if you decide to change later. 

One more reason to replace the barrel is to change the barrel length. The 870 shotgun may have a long 24 or 28 inch barrel that’s great for hunting and clay pigeon shooting but it might not be suitable for home defense purposes. A long barrel is not very maneuverable in tight conditions, and you may want to get a shorter barrel instead. But rather than buying a whole new shotgun with a shorter barrel, you can just swap out the current barrel for a shorter one with less money. 

How to Choose the Best Remington 870 Barrel?

Getting a new Remington 870 barrel is not as simple as just picking one off a shelf but you will need to consider a few important factors too. In this section, we will talk about what you need to look into when buying a new 870 barrel. 

Choke

The word choke gets thrown around a lot when it comes to picking shotgun barrels. If you’re wondering what exactly is a choke, a choke is a tapered construction at the end of your barrel whose main purpose is to spread your shot to help you gain better accuracy. Some barrels come with replaceable choke while others may have it fixed. A fixed choke is one that’s screwed into the barrel and cannot be replaced. So, if you want to get a new choke, you will need to replace the entire barrel along with it. 

Length

As mentioned earlier, a longer shotgun barrel of 24 to 28 inches is too long for home defense purposes. If you need it for home protection, you should get a shorter barrel length of about 18.5 or 20 inches for your shotgun. This length makes it much easier to maneuver in tight conditions, especially in home. However, if you use your gun for hunting or clay pigeon shooting, then you may want to get a longer barrel instead. 

Sights

Most shotguns come with a simple bead located at the end of the barrel that works but it might not be suitable for home defense, self-defense, or tactical purposes. For such applications, you may want to look at barrels with rifle sights instead. 

You might think it’s off to have rifle sights on your shotgun barrel, but they do make it much easier for you to line up on target compared to a bead. Not only that, but they significantly improve accuracy of your shotgun out to distances of twenty to thirty yards. 

Balance

When buying a new barrel, make sure that you get one that will not adversely affect the balance of your firearm. Longer barrels are heavier and will make the gun difficult to balance and shoot effectively. This is why hunters who use longer barrels may modify them by boring them. 

Finishing

Another important aspect to consider when shopping for a new shotgun barrel is its finishing. You need to make sure that you get a barrel with a very rust and corrosion resistant finish such as Parkerizing. Most Remington 870 shotguns factory barrels are blued or parkerized. While parkerized might look more crude than traditional bluing, the finish offers far better rust and corrosion resistance. This makes it a preferable finish compared to bluing since it can withstand bad weather conditions such as rain or humid tropical areas. 

Conclusion

The 870 Remington is one of the most customizable firearms in the market and it’s one of the best for shotguns. While the Remington 870 offers great performance right out of the box, there is always room for improvement. One such improvement is to change or upgrade its barrel. When picking out the best Remington 870 barrel, you need to always keep in mind your shooting needs so that you can be sure to get one that meets your expectations. We hope this article on how to pick the best Remington 870 barrel will help you make a sound decision.  

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