Ultra - Tech 870

Guns Magazine, August, 2001 by Cameron Hopkins

Combat shotguns are more sophisticated than ever, customized with computer-designed ports, laser-sighted, infrared-equipped and tuned for total reliability. Say hello to the next generation of Remington's classic 12 ga. pump.

Combining the latest, most sophisticated technology available for combat weaponry in 2001 on an "old fashioned" Remington pump shotgun may seem like putting a turbocharger on a Model T, but the tried-and-tine Model 870 is so fundamentally sound that it easily adapts to these ultra-modern enhancements.

Having proved itself in combat in Vietnam with the Marines, the Remington 870 in "riot gun" guise is the quintessential social shotgun. Carried in countless police cruisers and leaned against innumerable bedroom nightstands, the 870 is the best-selling pump shotgun of all time. Remington had sold over 8 million 870s as of the end of 2000. That's an awful lot of life insurance for one gun company to sell.

The use of scatterguns as fighting weapons -- remember, the Second Amendment ain't about duck hunting -- dates to the trenches of World War I when American doughboys found the devastating power of a magazine tube full of 00 buck to be a great "sweeper" for cleaning out a Jerry position. The German military officially protested the use of shotguns as "barbaric."

The 97s used in World War I were modified from their sporting configurations with ventilated handguards and fitted with bayonet lugs. In Vietnam, Remington 870s were outfitted with extended magazines, again to enhance their combat effectiveness.

Remington's police version of the 870 comes with a three-shot magazine extension, special sights and optional Davis "speed feed" magazines for fast reloads. The principle here is clear -- it makes sense to modify the slide- action for increased capability in a fighting role.

From the side-by-side Greeners of the frontier gunfighters to the leathernecks in the trenches of Flanders to the "men with green faces" in Vietnam, the combat shotgun is a proven performer. To show just how far the combat scattergun has progressed, we set about designing the ultimate fighting pump gun.

Combining the talents of three of the top companies at customizing fighting firearms, our "ultratech" 870 is a demonstration of just what is possible with today's technology to enhance a basic pump gun. Some of the modifications are rudimentary -- slicking up the action bars for a smoother slide -- and some are quite sophisticated, like the M900 vertical grip lighting and laser module.

Let's catalog the modifications that are possible on an 870 and explain why they are desirable,

Basic Building Block

We began with a Remington Express Synthetic HD version of the 870. The HD stands for "home defense," and this is essential the same as their police model, your basic, garden-variety "riot gun." It comes with an 18", cylinderbored barrel, a plain gold-bead sight and a standard four-shell magazine. This is a plain vanilla shotgun, more than adequate as it comes from the box for self-defense purposes, and very affordable,

We sent the HD to Scattergun Technologies, a division of Bill Wilson's ever-expanding custom gunsmithing operation at Wilson Combat, for upgrading with Wilson's best-selling "Border Patrol Package." This set of modifications and improvements is identical to what the U.S. Border Patrol orders from Scattergun Technologies.

The Border Patrol Package includes Wilson's adjustable "Trak-Lock" ghost ring rear sight mated to a high-visibility, ramp front sight with a tritium insert. The ghost ring rear sight is hands-down the best sighting system for a combat shotgun because it allows the precise placement of slugs and tight-patterned buckshot at close range. The "ghost" refers to the large aperture which fuzzes out, or ghosts, when you focus on the front sight.

With its adjustable base, the "Trak-Lock" sight can be moved for both windage and elevation, making it possible to zero for slugs at your desired range. We set ours for point-of-aim at 50 yards, which means we can hold at the upper chest and still drop 1 oz. chunks of spiraled lead into the K-zone at 100 yards. That setting is good for making head shots at 25 yards too.

The front sight contains a tritium dot -- a self-illuminated aiming point. A tactical shotgun should always have a tritium front sight.

As a quick aside, we are aware that shotguns for aerial targets should be "pointed" instead of "aimed," but the entire dynamic changes when confronting land-based targets. The shot pattern of 00 buck is much smaller than a typical hail of No. 8 shot at 40 yards. A 00 buck "group" at 15 yards is only about 6' in diameter, meaning you better aim and not point. The importance of aiming with slugs should be obvious. The ghost ring sight setup has evolved as the best way to aim a combat shotgun.

The Scattergun 870 also includes a magazine extension, upping the payload to seven rounds. The BP package also includes an extra power, heavy duty stainless mag spring and a non-binding follower. We opted for a four-round "Side Saddle" spare shell carrier which bolts to the port side of the receiver, which is an optional addition to the Border Patrol package. Wilson also offers a six-round Side Saddle, but we prefer the four-round for reasons of weight and balance.