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Posted: 8/6/2026 2:13:58 PM EDT
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With the welcome and overdue impending demise of the NFA in terms of SBSs, I'm looking at making the 870 a more practical length. It currently has a Rem 18.5" rifle sight barrel as shown here:https://www.midwestgunworks.com/page/mgwi/prod/F242554AS  First, with this barrel, is it even reasonable to chop it to 14.5 and keep the existing sight arrangement (albeit with the front sight moved back)? Or at that length is it recommended to just transition to something like LPA style? Second, does anyone have recommendations for a gunsmith to do the work, especially a Florida gunsmith? |
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Be sure it’s not a rifled barrel they spin the shot cup and throw a too wide pattern . Seems pointless to take it shorter but I’ve seen them cut at the length of the magazine tube. Note they will knock out your front teeth with heavy loads and a pistol grip. P.S. they are sold out. |
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Originally Posted By Urimaginaryfrnd: Be sure it’s not a rifled barrel they spin the shot cup and throw a too wide pattern . Seems pointless to take it shorter but I’ve seen them cut at the length of the magazine tube. Note they will knock out your front teeth with heavy loads and a pistol grip. P.S. they are sold out. I already have the barrel. It's what I've been running for years now. I'm just interested in finally getting it down to a more manuverable length and don't know if its better to mod the existing barrel or just try to find a new one (and new sights). |
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It might be cheaper to chop and add LPA front clamp on site. Salvaging that front sight will take a little effort to cleanly remove. I had a Remington 870 rifle sighted barrel where the front sight was badly damaged. So I heated it with a torch and knocked the off. I already got a replacement for $75 or so at the time, so I didn't really want to spend the cheese to have it properly repaired. It's currently at 18.5" and I'll chop it to 12" if the NFA paperwork goes away. The factory 14" barrel with rifle sights have gotten costly now that the SBS tax and potentially all NFA paperwork is going away. Brownells blew out a bunch of bead sighted 14" barrel pretty cheap on the last Black Friday. I knew I should have gotten a few, but that's how it goes. Aim Surplus also had some 14" barrels with the XS sights on them that I really regret not getting. |
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I hit the easy button and just ordered a Rem factory 870 barrel when I did my SBS. At the time it was comparable in price to having my barrel professionally chopped. That was a while ago and I haven’t paid attention to barrel prices to see if that’s still the case. Seems like AIM occasionally has used LE barrels in stock. |
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Originally Posted By KitBuilder: It would make better financial sense to buy a 14” barrel with whichever sights you prefer, and sell the barrel you have now. Especially if you want any form of choke and not cylinder bore. https://royalarms.com/shop/remington-870-factory-barrel/ They will provide 18", 14" or 12.5" Rose would be the folks if you wanted front sight & choke tubed. Bigger_Hammer 
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LIFE'S JOURNEY IS NOT TO ARRIVE AT THE GRAVE SAFELY IN A WELL PRESERVED BODY,
BUT RATHER TO SKID IN SIDEWAYS, TOTALLY WORN OUT SHOUTING "HOLY $H!T...WHAT A RIDE"!!
BUT RATHER TO SKID IN SIDEWAYS, TOTALLY WORN OUT SHOUTING "HOLY $H!T...WHAT A RIDE"!!
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I Form 1 one years ago and went with a factory barrel and kept my 18.5 intact if I needed it. There are several on Gunbroker, plus at retailers. Factory barrel with sights at Gatewood. $180, one left. Likely cheaper than a smith cutting and moving sight. https://www.gatewoodsupplyco.com/Remington-870-14-Barrel--12-Gauge--3_p_10952.html This one is comp'd (but more $$): https://vangcomp.com/product/sentinel-barrel-870-14/ |
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Originally Posted By ihon: It might be cheaper to chop and add LPA front clamp on site. Salvaging that front sight will take a little effort to cleanly remove. THIS Relocating those rifle style front sights has come to present complications. Removing the factory sight requires a LOT of heat (red hot) leaving the removed sight looking pretty rough or in some cares not suitable to use again. At one time Marbles or Williams made shotgun appropriate front sight ramps, or Remington new parts were available, so we just installed a new ramp. The supply of all those ramps has pretty much become unobtainium. |
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"Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of your walks"
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"Let your gun therefore be the constant companion of your walks"
Thomas Jefferson - 1785
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Originally Posted By ihon: ......... Aim Surplus also had some 14" barrels with the XS sights on them that I really regret not getting. Those were great barrels. I picked up two of them when I had the chance. I'd pick up another one or two if they got them in stock again. |
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There is a 14" without sights. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1198011020 Just a bead sight someone epoxied on, but only $100 buy it now. |
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Used 14” LE barrels back in stock at AIM for $150 https://aimsurplus.com/products/leo-trade-in-remington-870-12ga-14in-barrel |
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I feel really bad, i picked this up for $100. A little oil and it looks brand new. Clean bore. Going to see how much Trijicon will charge to r-lamp the sights. https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1198011240 |
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