Accessories

The nearly unquestioned champion of home defense is the shotgun, which provides power, capacity, and hall-clearing firepower when youre the only one standing between some zombies and your loved ones. Unlike in concealed carry, where portability is extremely important, the home shotgun can stand magazine-loaded but in a safe condition in a corner, waiting to answer whatever bad news the night brings in on size 13 boots.Assuredly, the plugged-for-ducks pumpgun can do double duty in this role, offering three shots of No. 4s, but 5 or 7 or 12 handy shots are better, most would agree, so a certain tactical design comes to the fore.Many consumers love the Remington 870 pump shotgun both as a field product or as a tactical shotgun. We have tested and rated many of them very highly. This round we wanted to take an 870 that had good basic appeal and see if adding some stuff to it would make it better.Toward that end, we looked back nearly six years and found an 870 that earned a Buy It rating, but which lost ground to the test winner in part because of its stock. In the September 2005 issue, we tested the Remington Model 870 Express Magnum Synthetic 12 gauge No. 25077, $345, against the Mossberg Persuader Model 590A1 No. 51411 and the Winchester Defender Model 1300 Pistol Grip & Stock Combo No. 512907308. All three guns were matte-black synthetic-stock pumps with 3-inch chambers, with 18- to 18.5-inch barrels and weights around 7 pounds. One of our staffers wound up keeping the Model 870 Express Synthetic, but he wasnt happy with the furniture. The fixed 870 buttstock had an LOP of 14 inches, a drop at comb of 1.5 inches, and a drop at heel of 2.5 inches, with no noticeable cast. In the 2005 test, the Winchester came with a pistol grip, which gave it flexibility the others couldnt match. Also, the Winchester had a noticeably better buttpad than the others. Its ventilated design was much softer, and the edges were already rounded off. As well, the Mossberg and Winchester buttstocks included molded-in studs for rear sling swivels, and the Winchester also included a screw-in stud on its magazine cap. Overall, our team said the Winchesters stock was much better than the Remingtons, so that naturally became the area we wanted to try to improve.So we ordered five replacement buttstock kits from Brownells, along with some tools to make assembling the upgraded 870 parts easier. Because Brownells offers so many buttstocks, weve listed the companys order numbers to ensure you can find the right product if you choose to follow our advice and buy one. Our test units were the Blackhawk Knoxx SpecOps Folding Stock ($130; #100-003-180), the Blackhawk Knoxx SpecOps Adjustable Recoil-Reducing Stock ($135; #100-002-438), the Phoenix Technology KickLite Tactical Stock ($110; #100-005-357), the Brownells Remington 870 Tactical Conversion Kit ($180, #080-000-567); Choates Top-Fold Stock ($103, #159-000-014), and the Mesa Tactical Products Low-Tube Kit ($230, #100-003-297).Along with these stocks, we also ordered a Brownells Magna-Tip Ratchet Handle ($30, #080-000-513) and a Remington Forend Wrench ($51, #080-870-202). Not to veer too far off course, but its worth noting that our team came to depend on these two tools very heavily while moving the stocks on and off the test action. The ratcheting driver has an ergonomically designed T-shaped handgrip of high-impact plastic contoured to ensure maximum comfort and control. It provided extra leverage to quickly tighten or loosen the stock screws, and it accepts all Magna-Tip bits, which are magnetized. On a couple of the stocks, the magnetism was a godsend in aligning screws in dark, deep pockets and getting them started with a twist of the wrist.The Remington Forend Wrench made getting to and removing the action nut on the 870 simple, which was helpful on the three kits that had forend replacements. That became doubly important because we compared the forends to each other in administrative handling indoors, and decided to keep the original Remington forend on throughout our shooting tests. Making those "is-A-better-than-B?" forend changes without the forend wrench would have been arduous.

The nearly unquestioned champion of home defense is the shotgun, which provides power, capacity, and hall-clearing firepower when youre the only one standing between some zombies and your loved ones. Unlike in concealed carry, where portability is extremely important, the home shotgun can stand magazine-loaded but in a safe condition in a corner, waiting to answer whatever bad news the night brings in on size 13 boots.Assuredly, the plugged-for-ducks pumpgun can do double duty in this role, offering three shots of No. 4s, but 5 or 7 or 12 handy shots are better, most would agree, so a certain tactical design comes to the fore.Many consumers love the Remington 870 pump shotgun both as a field product or as a tactical shotgun. We have tested and rated many of them very highly. This round we wanted to take an 870 that had good basic appeal and see if adding some stuff to it would make it better.Toward that end, we looked back nearly six years and found an 870 that earned a Buy It rating, but which lost ground to the test winner in part because of its stock. In the September 2005 issue, we tested the Remington Model 870 Express Magnum Synthetic 12 gauge No. 25077, $345, against the Mossberg Persuader Model 590A1 No. 51411 and the Winchester Defender Model 1300 Pistol Grip & Stock Combo No. 512907308. All three guns were matte-black synthetic-stock pumps with 3-inch chambers, with 18- to 18.5-inch barrels and weights around 7 pounds. One of our staffers wound up keeping the Model 870 Express Synthetic, but he wasnt happy with the furniture. The fixed 870 buttstock had an LOP of 14 inches, a drop at comb of 1.5 inches, and a drop at heel of 2.5 inches, with no noticeable cast. In the 2005 test, the Winchester came with a pistol grip, which gave it flexibility the others couldnt match. Also, the Winchester had a noticeably better buttpad than the others. Its ventilated design was much softer, and the edges were already rounded off. As well, the Mossberg and Winchester buttstocks included molded-in studs for rear sling swivels, and the Winchester also included a screw-in stud on its magazine cap. Overall, our team said the Winchesters stock was much better than the Remingtons, so that naturally became the area we wanted to try to improve.So we ordered five replacement buttstock kits from Brownells, along with some tools to make assembling the upgraded 870 parts easier. Because Brownells offers so many buttstocks, weve listed the companys order numbers to ensure you can find the right product if you choose to follow our advice and buy one. Our test units were the Blackhawk Knoxx SpecOps Folding Stock ($130; #100-003-180), the Blackhawk Knoxx SpecOps Adjustable Recoil-Reducing Stock ($135; #100-002-438), the Phoenix Technology KickLite Tactical Stock ($110; #100-005-357), the Brownells Remington 870 Tactical Conversion Kit ($180, #080-000-567); Choates Top-Fold Stock ($103, #159-000-014), and the Mesa Tactical Products Low-Tube Kit ($230, #100-003-297).Along with these stocks, we also ordered a Brownells Magna-Tip Ratchet Handle ($30, #080-000-513) and a Remington Forend Wrench ($51, #080-870-202). Not to veer too far off course, but its worth noting that our team came to depend on these two tools very heavily while moving the stocks on and off the test action. The ratcheting driver has an ergonomically designed T-shaped handgrip of high-impact plastic contoured to ensure maximum comfort and control. It provided extra leverage to quickly tighten or loosen the stock screws, and it accepts all Magna-Tip bits, which are magnetized. On a couple of the stocks, the magnetism was a godsend in aligning screws in dark, deep pockets and getting them started with a twist of the wrist.The Remington Forend Wrench made getting to and removing the action nut on the 870 simple, which was helpful on the three kits that had forend replacements. That became doubly important because we compared the forends to each other in administrative handling indoors, and decided to keep the original Remington forend on throughout our shooting tests. Making those "is-A-better-than-B?" forend changes without the forend wrench would have been arduous.

(GunReports.com) -- New GunReports.com Videos: 1: Rendered in high-speed video, here’s what a 130-grain .308 Barnes Tipped TSX Lead free bullet looks like when shot into into 3' of ballistics gel. Then it's shot into a longer segment of gelatin. 2: This video shows you the contents of the Brownells DIY S&W J-Frame Revolver Upgrade Kit and how to install the parts. 3:GunReports.com's Kevin Winkle surveys new products at SHOT Show 2011. Here, National Sales Manager Brandon Williams with American Tactical Imports discusses aspects of the company's Filipino-originated 1911s.

GunReports.com aggregates important gun news of the week. Bookmark this page to check back often for new items added weekly, daily, or hourly, or on your Facebook page, search for 'GunReports.com' and click 'Like' to get the newsfeed pushed to your computer, tablet, or mobile device.

(GunReports.com) -- New GunReports.com Videos: 1: Dave Spaulding is back with more Ruger Tactical Carbine Tips. In this episode Spaulding shows you how to clear your carbine as fast as possible and get it back on target. 2: Gil Ash of OSP Shooting Schools explains why many shooters wrongly assume a bruised bicep is a gun fit problem when it is actually a gun mount problem. 3: This video of the Brownells DIY Remington 700 Trigger Replacement kit shows all the parts and tools you need to swap out the trigger of your 700 for one that offers a smoother, lighter pull and a precise, crisp break for more accurate shot placement.

GunReports.com aggregates important gun news of the week. Bookmark this page to check back often for new items added weekly, daily, or hourly, or on your Facebook page, search for 'GunReports.com' and click 'Like' to get the newsfeed pushed to your computer, tablet, or mobile device.

New GunReports.com Videos: 1: NSSF's Ryan Cleckner explains the measurement term 'milliradian' (mil) and how to use a mil-dot scope to measure the distance to your target at the range and in the field. 2: SureFire partnered with Desert Tactical Arms to host a four-day demonstration of tactical technology to industry professionals and members of the media. 3: What is Cowboy Fast Draw? In this episode Ruger looks at what is needed to participate in any one of the numerous Cowboy Fast Draw events that take place across the country.

GunReports.com aggregates important gun news of the week. Bookmark this page to check back often for new items added weekly, daily, or hourly, or on your Facebook page, search for 'GunReports.com' and click 'Like' to get the newsfeed pushed to your computer, tablet, or mobile device.

(GunReports.com) -- New GunReports.com Videos: 1: GunReports.com's Kevin Winkle gets the lowdown on Steiner's 2011 glass offerings. 2: Learn how to install the Blackhawk SpecOps Recoil Reducing Adjustable Shotgun Buttstock and forend. 3: Sig Arms Academy Director of Training and USAR Team shooting coach George Harris talks about competition shooting. What good is competition? Competition puts stress on you and teaches you how to use stress to your advantage.

GunReports.com aggregates important gun news of the week. Bookmark this page to check back often for new items added weekly, daily, or hourly, or on your Facebook page, search for 'GunReports.com' and click 'Like' to get the newsfeed pushed to your computer, tablet, or mobile device.

(GunReports.com) -- New GunReports.com Videos: 1: Sig Arms Academy Director of Training and USAR Team shooting coach George Harris talks about competition shooting. What good is competition? Competition puts stress on you and teaches you how to use stress to your advantage. 2: NSSF's Ryan Cleckner explains the measurement term 'minute of angle' (MOA) and how to use MOA adjustments on your scope for sighting in and to compensate for bullet drop at varying distances. 3: Ruger's Beginner's Guide to Shooting Competitions series takes you through a variety of matches to help you find an event that's right for you. In this episode we take a close look at the biathlon rifle and how it is specialized to this specific sport. US Ski Team member Annelies Cook tells you why the biathlon rifle is so very different than anything else on the market.

(GunReports.com) -- New GunReports.com Videos: 1: Kevin Winkle of GunReports.com reports from SHOT Show 2011 in Las Vegas on the S&W MP22 handgun. This pistol is a joint project between Smith & Wesson and Walther, and is made in Germany. 2: Small arms instructor and AMU reserve shooting team member SFC Chris Hansen discusses trigger control and how to improve it. He says that shooters tend to ‘get hard’ on the trigger, or jerk it. The drill he discusses will improve trigger control without having to shoot the rifle. 3: The National Shooting Sports Foundation's 'Introduction to Range Safety and Etiquette' is an 8 minute video that rules of gun safety, eye and ear protection, range rules, and more.