Remington 870 Express 20 gauge--thoughts?

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Hi, I am looking for a shotgun for all-purpose: deer, birds, turkey, maybe some trap and skeet for practice. Someone at a women's event I went to today had one of these and really likes it. It has two barrels. Anyone ever had one? I am looking for something that won't break the bank but won't make me regret the purchase. I am also hoping to get away with no scope for now, as I doubt I'll shoot more than 25-50 yards anyways. Also, I noticed it comes in 26" or 28" barrel length. Never having owned a shotgun, I don't know what would cause one to choose one length over another. Thanks for any advice!
"...just smash your piano, and invoke the glory-beaming banjo!" ~Mark Twain

Re: Remington 870 Express 20 gauge--thoughts?

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I used to have a Remington 870 Turkey Gun in 12ga and I actually shot trap with it once just to see if I could.
It wasn’t ideal, but I busted plenty of clays with it. It’s a proven design. As a rule of thumb, though, whenever you have an all-purpose gun it ends up doing a number of tasks just passably well and none of them really well. So, in the end, you always end up getting more guns. :)
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Re: Remington 870 Express 20 gauge--thoughts?

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When you say “two barrels,” what lengths do you mean? Another proven design, the Mossberg 500, is marketed with an 18.5” smooth bore and a longer (26”?) barrel with screw-in chokes. Worth a look.

There are endless arguments about which is better, the 870 or 500, mostly about what the receiver is made of and whether it has one or two action bars. My take is that, if you are looking for a decent pump shotgun, you would be well-served with either.
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Re: Remington 870 Express 20 gauge--thoughts?

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Bucolic wrote: Sun Oct 21, 2018 6:56 am When you say “two barrels,” what lengths do you mean? Another proven design, the Mossberg 500, is marketed with an 18.5” smooth bore and a longer (26”?) barrel with screw-in chokes. Worth a look.

There are endless arguments about which is better, the 870 or 500, mostly about what the receiver is made of and whether it has one or two action bars. My take is that, if you are looking for a decent pump shotgun, you would be well-served with either.
For 2 barrels I think it's probably referencing a shorter and longer similar to the setup Mossberg offers.

I'll second the above, the 870 and Mossberg 500 are pretty much the standard. Handle them both and see which you prefer.

Re: Remington 870 Express 20 gauge--thoughts?

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koolaidblue wrote: Sun Oct 21, 2018 7:06 am
Bucolic wrote: Sun Oct 21, 2018 6:56 am When you say “two barrels,” what lengths do you mean? Another proven design, the Mossberg 500, is marketed with an 18.5” smooth bore and a longer (26”?) barrel with screw-in chokes. Worth a look.

There are endless arguments about which is better, the 870 or 500, mostly about what the receiver is made of and whether it has one or two action bars. My take is that, if you are looking for a decent pump shotgun, you would be well-served with either.
For 2 barrels I think it's probably referencing a shorter and longer similar to the setup Mossberg offers.

I'll second the above, the 870 and Mossberg 500 are pretty much the standard. Handle them both and see which you prefer.
Or whether or not you like tang or cross-bolt safeties. The Mossberg’s tang safety is preferred by lefties as it’s ambi, while the 870 prefers right handers.
LGC Texas - Vice President

Re: Remington 870 Express 20 gauge--thoughts?

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The Rem 870 is an excellent general purpose shotgun. Good value, and endlessly configurable.

My first firearm purchase about 12 years ago was a pair of 870s, a 12g and a 20g. I have used the 12g for trap and 3-gun competition (with an extended tube), and might one day use it for hunting. The 20g, which I bought thinking it would be easier for my wife and daughters to handle, is currently configured for home defense, with a 16.5" barrel, sling, and attached light.
"To initiate a war of aggression...is the supreme international crime" - Nuremberg prosecutor Robert Jackson, 1946

Re: Remington 870 Express 20 gauge--thoughts?

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Thanks for the advice and comments! It sounds like a good buy and not too expensive for a starter shotgun. I need a 20 gauge because sitting on the ground I get pushed back too much by a 12 gauge, and otherwise a 12 gauge just feels too much for me, even with a good stance. By two barrels I mean a vent rib barrel and a rifled slug barrel. I was mistaken, you can get the vent rib as a 26" or youth 21" in the 20 gauge. I assume 26" would be what I want. They sell them as a combo, here's the link: https://www.remington.com/shotguns/pump ... ress-combo
"...just smash your piano, and invoke the glory-beaming banjo!" ~Mark Twain

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