So, I want a shotgun.

[Plinkerton]

Oh, one last question. A while ago, when I was planning on getting a CZ-P01 (which I'll still get one of these days) he offered to buy me a Surefire light for it.

Now that I'm getting a shotgun though, I was thinking about him getting me a surefire for that instead. I checked out the ones on their site, and have looked at some small pictures of them mounted on shotguns.

I was curious if they replaced the whole pump grip part of the shotgun? It seems like that's the only way it would go on. It looks like it has little grooves on the side for the dual pump arm thingies.

If anyone has one of these, and you do in fact replace the front end part (and it does call it a Replacement front end on the surefire website) is it a lot different? Is it still comfortable? Do you like it overall?

Some pictures of installed lights would be great also, if anyone has any.

Thanks again. I love these forums.

-Plink-

 

[Fred Fuller]

The SF light units replace the fore-end, which is part #25 in the exploded drawing at http://www.okiegunsmithshop.com/rem870.jpg . Making the exchange requires field stripping the gun (instructions in the factory supplied manual if you buy new, or online at Remington's website), removing the fore-end tube nut (part #27), removing the fore-end, replacing it with the SureFire, then reassembling in reverse order. The SF units used to come with a flat bar stock tool to do the remove & replace of the fore-end tube nut, it's been years since I bought one and I don't know if they still do.

You can see a pic at http://www.surefire.com/maxexp/main/co_disp/displ/carfnbr/92/sesent/00 . I have them on a couple of 870s but don't have any way to post pics.

A couple of caveats: SFs are battery hogs. You will get about 20 minutes runtime on a pair of batteries. SFs are widely touted to be able to blind the bad guy. Got news for you- bounce out of bed at oh-dark-thirty and hit the switch on a SF, and _you_ are gonna get blinded too- especially if your rooms are painted in light colors. I like lights on HD guns but I have gone to LEDs for the most part, they give enough light for in-home target ID but are not blinding if you are behind them. And the LEDs are tough little suckers too, much moreso than bulbs.

hth,

lpl/nc

 

[sm]

Lee

*ahem* Since you made an excellent point...

"Tag your it"

I volunteer you to start a thread about Bright lights, light painted walls, mirrors, glass and such for HD use.

Oh me? Just curious what the thread will teach us . Looking forward to your thread, and input from folks. Especially from perspectives of folks like Denny,Preacherman Sapper,Jeff White, El Tejon... folks that have taken/ taught training. Awerbuck's thoughts?

All I know is outside pitch dark, and inside with ambient lighting, and aformentioned "reflections" - differences have occured for ME>

 

[Plinkerton]

I see Mr. Lapin. Thanks for the instal tips. It says on the site, thought I don't know how it compares to real use, that they will get one hour of light ith the standard configuration, and 20 minutes in the high out put configuration. But, I suppose that could all be different.

Curious, which Surefire models to you specificall have? The standard one? Or the extra bright one? or the one with the disable switch?

And how does using the light, affect pumping the action? Is it still great overall?

Thanks everyone,
-Plink-

EDIT: Oh, and one other thing. I notice that the batteries for the Surefires are those long strung together lithium batteries, which seem to cost between 15 & 20 dollars. Are those the only options for batteries? I realize they aren't going to get used a lot, but 20 bucks for a short amount of light time isn't that great of a deal.

Thanks again.

 

[Zach S]

All you need for a house gun: Bead sight, stock holder for some spare shells, and a LIGHT! (You MUST identify your target before firing)... Surefire makes the best of them.

Unless its a spped-feed stock, I wouldnt want to put shells on the stock even though a decent butt-cuff is about $25 cheaper than a Tac Star side-saddle. At some point one may need to fire from their off-shoulder, and I'd rather get a cheekweld on a semi-comfortable stock than very uncomfortable shells.

A couple of caveats: SFs are battery hogs. You will get about 20 minutes runtime on a pair of batteries.

Thats with the high-output 6 volt lamp (P61?). I think the standard lamp (P60) lasts for about an hour. Eh, Plinkerton beat me to that...

IME the 6 volt surefire I keep in my pocket seems to last more than an hour, but not much. The only thing I hate about them is the lights dont go dim when the batteries start to die, it just goes out.


I dont have a light on mine yet, when I get the fundage needed I'm going with a 623FA (no master kill switch), if I dont think its bright enough I'll get the 9 volt kit.

 

[MrMurphy]

The standard lamp runs about an hour. The pump operation works the same as the normal gun.


Loctite your Sidesaddle screws. Mine tried to desert my gun in the middle of a shotgun match cause the screws holding the shell loops to the plate began unscrewing themselves.

 

[Plinkerton]

I want the 9V model. Becuase brighter is better right?

I figure, why not get the more expensive one if I can. Might as well blind everyone in the room including the neighbors. I wish the batteries weren't 20 bucks though...

 

[Justang]

So did you decide on the 870?

 

[Plinkerton]

Yup. Decided on the 870 for sure. I'm thinking about going and putting a deposit on it today, just to make sure no one buys it.

I told my dad about it, and he brought up that the Maverick we have is mine. I told him I didn't want him not to have one, and he said I should just take the Maverick, and he could buy another one. I told him he could buy the Maverick off me, half joking, and he agreed.

My dad's awesome. Always wants to help me out. So, I'm definitely getting that 870.

Kickass.

 

[Fred Fuller]

SureFire pairs batteries for its shotgun lights by banding them with heatshrink tubing. I think they're soldered together under there too, can't recall. That's why they are expensive. Batteries in shotgun lights take a pounding from recoil too, just like bulbs. In spite of the shock mounting both can fail under use, and not necessarily heavy use either. SF used to sell a 'practice plug' for its shotgun lights to keep gunk out of the unit when the light and the batteries were removed, there's one in a pocket of the soft case my working gun rides in. I avoid battering bulbs and batteries whenever possible, just a habit I picked up along the way.

A couple of the SF units I have were castoffs from a place that went through them pretty rapidly (they went through pretty much _everything_ pretty rapidly, even shooting houses). I repaired them, restored them to function and mounted them on guns that now spend by far the most of their time in the safe. I bought one used and a couple new. All of them are set up as high output lights. All of them are older models, dunno model numbers. They came along early and I didn't know about cutoff switches when I was working with them. Mine all have ribbon switches, and that's all. I use switch guards on all mine, the rectangular part of a handle off a Wendy's spoon positioned properly under some skateboard tape works just as well as the $6 item from SF.

Installing the SF unit properly will not affect the action of the gun at all. As to possible effect on the shooter, there is no real difference except the loss of some "hand room" on the short forearm. That means some shooters whose arms are shorter (and there are some small statured folks running 12 ga. 870s, like my wife) don't have the reach to be comfortable with the SF unit installed. The long field type forearm works better for them since it gives them more to hold onto and doesn't require the weak hand to be extended so far forward.

Another thing I have seen a couple of times with the SF shotgun units on 870s is shooters getting a 'bite' taken out of the heel of the hand when it gets caught between the back of the short forearm and the front of the receiver. More get pinched than actually bitten, blood blisters are more common than blood but people who work the pump hard have been bloodied on a couple of occasions I know of. Some folks cut the back of the forearm shorter so it doesn't overlap the receiver at all, and round off the bottom corner of the receiver in order to avoid this. Understand, I am talking about people who were getting the best training Uncle could muster, who went through a lot of ammo and got pressured a lot in the process. It doesn't usually happen in more ordinary circumstances, but I do know of students in some high pressure shotgun classes who got bitten this way.

May be more than you wanted to know, but fwiw there 'tis...

lpl/nc

 

[Justang]

Cool. I have the Mossy. My best friend has an 870. Not a tactical shotty... it has a longer barrell. I have yet to shoot it... I look forward to shooting it after x-maz.

 

[Plinkerton]

Thanks a lot Mr. Lapin. There's no such thing as too much knowledge, so it's all welcome.

I went and looked at it again today, and I'm still getting it.

I'll post some pics and all that jazz when I get it.

Thanks everyone,
-Plink-

 

[Plinkerton]

Well, plunked down the cash today. I walked into the gun store, and said I wanted to buy it, and the guy there said I put up a good fight. I've been in there a few times looking at the same gun.

But, I caved, and I'm stoked. I'm going out of town and coming back one day before my 10 days are up, so I won't even feel the waiting period, which is nice.

Thanks again everyone,
I can't wait to shoot it.
-Plink-

 

[Plinkerton]

Not that anyone's paying a whole lot of attention, but it's 9 days! I'm gonna go pick it up tomorrow!

I doubt I'll be able to shoot it any time soon, as it's all rainy up here, and I have to move this week and the next.

I'll keep you updated.

-Plink-

 

[Plinkerton]

Alright. Picked it up today. I have a question.

I figured out how to get the mag extension off, but I can't figure out how to actually dissassemble the gun. I got the mag extension off by removing the extension to barrel holder thing, and then the entire extension unscrewed. There is no real magazine plug thing though, as the extension takes it's place. There is that ribbed cap thing, that looks like it should be unscrewed, but it doesn't want to budge, and I don't want to take pliers to it, if it's incorrect.

The barrel won't move, as that barrel ring, that fits over the magazine, is held on by that cap, that holds the extension on. Any tips? My other shotgun comes apart no problem, as the mag cap, is connected to the barrel, and when you unscrew it, the whole barrel comes off.

Thanks,
Plink

 

[Dave McCracken]

Use channelocks padded with scrap leather or tape on that collar. Go easy....