Extraction got attention next.
I dropped in a Volquartsen Exact Edge Extractor. EDM cut, not MIM. Sharp edge. Precise tolerances. It will not roll over like stamped steel extractors do after hard use. If a shell needs to come out, it’s coming out.
Feeding got an extension tube for more capacity. The only thing that’s better than ammo is more ammo.
Controls become a challenge when your hands are cold, wet or when you’re wearing gloves, so I installed a Scattergun Technologies oversized safety. Easier to index. Positive engagement. No fishing around for it.
Then I made a decision some folks here probably won’t like.
I installed a Pachmayr Vindicator pistol grip.
I do not hunt with it. I needed the overall package to be as compact as possible for defensive use in confined spaces. The pistol grip shortens the footprint and makes the gun easier to manage inside a vehicle or camper.
Up front, I added a barrel clamp with a Picatinny rail. Mounted to that is an O-light clamp and an Elzetta Alpha Tactical light. Positive identification is not optional. If you are pointing a 12 gauge at something at 0200, you better know what it is.
A Velcro side saddle rides the receiver. Extra shells on the gun and these rigs make it easy to pack more in a standard mag pouch. Pull the empty one off, slap a full one on.
G&G front and rear sling mounts anchor a Magpul sling. A long gun without a sling is not happening in my inventory. Period.
None of this is cosmetic.
Every piece serves a purpose.
What I Use It For
I do not use this gun for home defense.
I live in a tight suburban environment. Houses are stacked in close and if I have to step outside to investigate that bump in the night, I’d rather not show my shotgun off to the neighborhood.
My handgun is a better tool for that. It gives me maneuverability and the ability to conceal the fact that I have a gun. I’m not out to scare Liberals.
Instead, this shotgun goes truck camping with me into the remote areas of the Pacific Northwest.
Out there, it rides in the truck and sits by the bunk when I’m sleeping.
When you are miles from pavement and cell service, your situational awareness dials up to 11. Your eyes snap open when a twigs cracks at 0200.
Bears are not a huge issue here yet although the population is growing. Mountain lions exist. They are around, but are rarely seen. Neither is the primary concern.
Humans remain the apex predator.
Remote areas attract good people who want solitude. They also attract drifters, addicts, and opportunists who assume isolation equals vulnerability.
I don’t do vulnerability.
A 12 gauge with buckshot levels the playing field fast and this gun gives me peace of mind.
The 870 in Context
Most people don’t realize how much the 870 changed the market.
After World War II, manufacturing evolved. Remington needed a shotgun that could be mass-produced, affordable, and durable. The Model 31 was smooth enough to earn the nickname “the ball bearing repeater,” but it cost too much to build.
The 870 fixed that.
Dual action bars prevented binding. The solid steel receiver handled abuse. The design was simple enough that anyone could field strip it and get it back together without a gunsmith.
It became the standard other pump guns copied.
Law enforcement adopted it. The military used it. Sportsmen trusted it. Home defenders relied on it.
There are fancier shotguns.
There are lighter shotguns.
There are faster shotguns.
The 870 remains what it has always been.
A gun that works when you need it to.
Final Thoughts
When I run this gun, I feel the mechanical certainty of it and think about my dad. He bought it as a budget two-barrel package in 1988. Probably never imagined it would end up riding shotgun in the backcountry of Washington State decades later.
Now It’s upgraded and modernized. It sports a light and a sling. But, at its core, it’s still a 1988 Remington 870 Express with a heart of steel.
And when something moves outside the camper at 0200, that heart of steel is exactly what I want beside me.
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