Description

This modified Remington 870 Synthetic 7 Round is a pump-action shotgun chambered in 12 gauge. What makes it different from the standard Synthetic 7 Round is it has a telescoping recoil stock and a Picatinny rail.

Specifications

Remington 870
Capacity:	Holds 6 plus 1
Sights:	Single bead front sight
Gauge:	12 gauge
Stock:	LEO telescoping recoil stock
Material/Finish:	Steel/blasted black oxide
Scope:	Picatinny rail
Type:	Pump
Chokes:	Fixed cylinder
Weight:	7.5 pounds
Barrel Length:	18.5"
Overall Length:	38.5"
MSRP	$610.00

Editor Review

Oooo, I like that if it had…

I had an itch to buy a shotgun – any shotgun really. I wanted one that was, for the most part, fun to shoot. So I bought a Remington 870 Synthetic 7 for $330. Just luck of draw really that I got the 870 7.

With it I created some of the silliest configurations for a shotgun ever. Stuffy you’d see in bad action movies. At one point I removed the buttstock and replaced it with just a pistol grip.

It wasn’t practical and the recoil was harsh, but that didn’t stop me from buying double-ought buckshot and shooting some clays with some friends.


(Sorry for the shitty quality - cell phone cam)

By the end of the day, experiencing a stockless shotgun proved too much for me and I put the buttstock back on.

I may have modified it in a silly way, but it was that easy to modify, which is great to say about a non-modular firearm. And it’s easy to disassemble too. I had enough money to buy a more expensive shotgun, but chose to buy a less expensive one and some accessories.

So I say, for that single day the Remington 870 was the silliest gun I ever shot, but since then it has evolved from plain Jane to a fiery fox.

Can We Talk About Family, Please?

Originally the Remington 870 began with the Wingmaster, which was intended to kill most types of bird, and has since branched into 27 different models that range in price from $350 to just under $800. They all share the same action (like most families of guns) and they’ll vary by size, stock or sights in turn use.

The 870 7 started out with a single bead front sight, black synthetic stock and a fixed choke. It’s a no-frills, all-purpose design. But what is special about it is that its tubular magazine holds six rounds instead of five (the seven is for the one in the chamber).

Since it’s pump-action one could fire it all day without having a single jam. It’s listed as weighing 7.25 pounds, but it’s a light 7.25 pounds. There’s no real problem in toting it around. However, it’s so light because the stock is plastic, but the thick kind. Honestly, the stock sort of felt cheap and fixed to the end of the stock is a soft rubber recoil pad that weakens the recoil a tad.

For about the price of the shotgun, this hunk of plastic and steel was turned into a comfortable hunk of plastic and steel.

What was added?

Well, the first attempt to modify the 870 was meant to be funny rather than comfortable. A playful experiment that, in the end, failed to meet realistic standards.

For the accessories I went to TacticalShotgunner.com and got a LEO telescoping recoil stock kit and a saddle rail Picatinny top rail both made by Mesa Tactical. The stock package includes the stock, which is adjustable, and a pistol grip. It cost $230 and it reduces recoil no matter the shell provided. It significantly reduces double-ought and triple-ought shells. The science behind the stock is it has a recoil spring that absorbs and compresses with the backward movement in turn reducing felt recoil. I also added a Picatinny rail, which I got for $50.

How does it stand up to the competition?

I’m not one to modify a gun too often. I’m not hunter and I’m not a mall ninja either. I just like shooting guns and I’m interested in how they work. With that said, I’d like to try to answer whether or not this modification was worth the extra money. Or, should I have kept it as is?

Well, to partly answer that question, someone once said to me most shotguns are pretty good. If you get a pump, you don’t have much to worry about.

For the experience, the price was worth it. It was a lot of fun working through the steps of transforming this gun into something more.

As for the stock and pistol grip, again, sort of. It did make something I thought was uncomfortable more comfortable. After perusing several shotguns and selecting the ones with, the very least, a pistol grip most people look to be dropping at least $500. A good shotgun costs $250 to $300. So it seems like the cost of my 870 plus the added accessories was all purchased at about the same price if one were found with all the desired accessories.


The Verdict

Would I suggest every gun owner buy a shotgun? Absolutely. At least one shotgun should be included in every collection. They’re fun, dependable and ammo is relatively cheap.

Would I say the modifications to the Remington 870 Synthetic 7 a must? Absolutely not. They’re fun, but they’re not what makes the gun work the most. Ultimately they assist, but the shotgun overall can handle a lot birdshot through buckshot. No magnums though. But to comfortably use heavier shells, it would be advantageous to modify the stock.