police 870 short barrels

[SW CQB 45]

I revamped our 870 inventory and have one 14" and three 12" that have no front sight.

They are stamped but the 14" has the front sight at 12:59.

I would to install front sights and would prefer something simple.

I am concerned with soldering a front ramp and the lug is right there. Remington told me, if you heat and the lug falls off....time for a new barrel.

Sage Int used to make an interference sight that you drive over the barrel or some type of simple bead.

Anyone point me in the right direction?

I called Briley who said they would want to see the barrels first before they would commit to a solder job.

Thanks in advance

 

[mc5aw]

I have the AOW version of the 870, complete with factory bead sight. I'll offer up a suggestion that may seem ridiculous, but it's the route I'd go without expensive gunsmithing or potentially damaging heat. 1) Mark the end of the barrel where you want the bead sight, then make a small indentation with a punch or drill bit. 2) Epoxy a bb onto the indentation. How durable the bb sight will be is based upon usage and type of epoxy. If done carefully, it won't look like a Bubba job, and should function much like a factory bead sight.

 

[Texas Star]

You really feel a need for a sight on a shotgun barrel a foot long? Or 14"?

I didn't get out my 870 and see how long the magazine is, but a 12" barrel sounds awfully short.

You presumably know that these barrels are illegal for most to own? I think you can/could get a license for a "sawed-off" smothbore? I think it used to cost five bucks and some red tape. Been decades since I checked.

What's the legal length on a shotgun bbl.? Eighteen inches? I wouldn't go shorter even if I could, and think 20" is fine for a defense shotgun.

But good luck with your project if legal for your circumstances.

 

[SW CQB 45]

Legality is not an issue.

We have ATF papers on all.

These mods were done in the 90s but what is odd, these have been used by narcs and they dont qual with these guns.

I told them they will need to qual with them and will make an effort for at least a bead front but it needs to be durable.

I guess drill and tap is going to be my cheapest route....now if i can get it square with basic tools but I like the base with a bead.

 

[SW CQB 45]

If anyone knows of a quality clamp on or press fit.....let me know the manufacture.

Thanks in advance

 

[beach elvis]

I believe it's Butler Creek that makes a magnetic clamp-on fiber-optic front sight for vent ribs. I'd also definitely check Brownells.

 

[Gunslinger808]

Here ya go,
Banded Front Sight, only : REMINGTON SHOTGUN TACTICAL GHOST RING SIGHT SET | Brownells

You really feel a need for a sight on a shotgun barrel a foot long? Or 14"?

If you expect any real accuracy with slugs it helps.
Here's a pic of my 14" Benelli M1 Super 90 entry which BTW is legal with a $200 Tax Stamp.

 

[cal50]

I manufactured my short barrel shotgun and brazed the barrel lug and sight base on without issues. I used high temperature silver braze which flows around 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. For sight mounting you could use a soft solder or lead free that flows well below silver solder temps.

I back bored the barrel, long forcing cone, winchoke tubes and a tritium night sight on the front.

 

[Gunslinger808]

very nice cal50.

 

[SW CQB 45]

cal50, very nice work.

PM sent.

 

[GF]

Thread drift...
cal50 you have a nice collection of 50 cal rounds, imagine that.

Back in the day you could buy Raufoss rounds at Knob Creek for ten bucks apiece.

GF

 

[2152hq]

Tru-glo makes a number of clamp on and slip on glow bead front sights. I see a lot of clay target shooters using them.
I have no idea if they are any good or not, never use them myself. But perhaps it's an inexpensive way around the situation for you.
Or maybe some other company makes something similar but better for your needs.
Log On | TRUGLO, Inc.
Go the 'wing shooting',,then click on page 2 of offerings.

Williams Gunsight used to sell a clamp-on band type front rifle blade for shot gun bbls for slug shooting. That would probably work OK too, but I don't know if anyone still makes them.

Installing a bead by either D&T or soldering is not a particularly difficult job to perform, but it is a very easy job to have come out w/the bead in the wrong position.

The small base and bead that was used on the plain bbl Rem 1100 would do nicely on your short bbl's pumps I'd think.


The bbl lug is brazed in place and any normal shop used solder or even silver solder will not effect the joint.
You can break it free if you try hard enough though! Acetylene can get you there in a hurry if you don't watch what you're doing.

Using that lug for a positioning & squaring up point on the job before drilling or other attachment is useful. But like all guns, never take it for granted that everything is 'square', that the sides of the flat receiver are @90degrees to the top of the receiver, the bbl lug is at exactly 6 oclock, ect. They rarely are.
There's nearly always a bit of shimming and eyeball work to make things come out right.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Well-it it were me I'd clean the barrel and the sight base and use a little dab of 5200 fast cure ( it comes in black now). Clamp it down for an hour and you're done.

 

[cal50]

Thread drift...
cal50 you have a nice collection of 50 cal rounds, imagine that.

Back in the day you could buy Raufoss rounds at Knob Creek for ten bucks apiece.

GF

I have 3 Raufoss rounds left.
I wish I kept the ones I fired now......

 

[mkk41]

I put one of these on a Mossberg 12ga I cut down for my ex-boss.

I used an industrial super-glue with it.

HiViz MPB - Snap-On, Fiber Optic Family, Shotgun Sight

 

[SW CQB 45]

I am 15/16s tempted to try that 3m product.

it cant hurt....if it flys off, then I am sending the barrel somewhere to solder.

Thanks

Cal50, is that a Butler Creek Folder?

how is the quality of that stock?

Two of the shotguns have only pistol grips and we have to qual with slugs at 25 yds. No way they will hit with only a pistol grip. I have to get them a decent folder. I dont like the Rem folder over the top. I had one in the early 90s and I recall it cheaply made. Either the one you have or I will look at the Blackhawk.

thanks for the emails...we will keep in touch.

 

[Gunslinger808]

Trust me, as an armorer for the goobermint in a previous life, anything less than Silver solder will not hold up to daily wear and tear by line officers.
Do it once and be happy, or glue it over, and over, and over...

 

[cal50]

I am 15/16s tempted to try that 3m product.

it cant hurt....if it flys off, then I am sending the barrel somewhere to solder.

Thanks

Cal50, is that a Butler Creek Folder?

how is the quality of that stock?

Two of the shotguns have only pistol grips and we have to qual with slugs at 25 yds. No way they will hit with only a pistol grip. I have to get them a decent folder. I dont like the Rem folder over the top. I had one in the early 90s and I recall it cheaply made. Either the one you have or I will look at the Blackhawk.

thanks for the emails...we will keep in touch.

Correct, mine is a butler creek folder. I have no complaints with the stock and it's actually pretty good. It locks up tight and is easy to use. The only thing that I added was a rubber tab so when it's folded closed it does not rub the receiver. A SBS without a decent stock you are giving up a lot of accuracy and usefulness.

 

[SW CQB 45]

Trust me, as an armorer for the goobermint in a previous life, anything less than Silver solder will not hold up to daily wear and tear by line officers.
Do it once and be happy, or glue it over, and over, and over...

I have to agree with you.

The officers will tear it up.

 

[Doug M.]

Give Hans Vang at VangComp a call. He does a lot of such things. I would go with a decent and easily visible front sight and his ghost ring rear. One big advantage to his ghost ring rear is that it has a section of rail and officers can mount an Aimpoint in a Larue 661 mount on it and have a really good system. That's how my replacement 590 is being set up, of course along with a good flashlight and a sling mount for my BFG sling. (I usually use a Surefire Fury, but a friend has convinced me to try an Elzetta light and mount.)

As for the idea mentioned above that a 14" shotgun might not need a sight, I know of several agencies that use only 14" shotguns (usually 870s, some Mossbergs) and do very well with them, using slugs out to 100 yards. If I were to return to an LE slot, I would try like heck to go with a good 14" barrel shotgun, set up as a above, along with my AR. An 18" barrel is too long an unwieldy for most social uses. The 12" presents different problems, with reduced capacity and being too easy to get one's hand too close to the muzzle in ordinary use/manipulation.