My 870 Project

[C J Stahly]

I want to post this so everyone can see the transformation process and so I can have a place to put pics to share.  

Background- I bought this gun a year ago.  It is an 870 express mag and came with the 23" cantelieverd slug barrel and a konus pro 3-9x40 scope but I switched it out for a 4-12x56 IR scope from sportsmansguide.  Actually a pretty good scope for the money.  I got it off of gunbroker for about 300 after shipping (in really good shape)...it was really a steal.  I recently decided I was going to make it a multi purpose weapon and make it a turkey hunting machine.  I bought a 26" barrel off gunbroker for half the price of new...and the barrel and the 3 chokes were in better than new condition.  

Here are the pics as of now.  

[C J Stahly]

The new barrel

[JVA54]

  How much are you going to do to it?

[C J Stahly]

As soon as the new stock and fore end get here, its gonna get another face lift...then a mossy oak graphics kit face lift, then a saddle and halo (probably a mueller).

[davisd9]

Looks good Chris!  Cannot wait to see it with the Shurshot and the graphics on it.  You might have me buying another backup next year.  In a couple of weeks we can throw a few patterns!

[C J Stahly]

The next phase of the operation is complete:  Got the stock and fore end in and on today.

[JVA54]

  Looking Good!

[davisd9]

Looks like a turkey slayer for sure!  Cannot wait to see what it does on the patterning board.

[C J Stahly]

They are done; I will post the pics when I get home/go home for lunch.  Donald has gotten the sneak peek. 

[trkehunr93]

Good looking gun, can't wait to see how she patterns!

[C J Stahly]

Well, here she is.

[davisd9]

Looks great man!  Cannot wait to see how she does tomorrow.

[dirt road ninja]

How'd it shoot? Looks like killer.

[C J Stahly]

It was fair.  I patterned the JH 665 with 3" mag blends.  At 40yd I believe I was at 140-150 range..have to look at the paper again.  I will say that was with a barrel that had not been cleaned since I got it, so I do not know how many shots were through it.  That pattern was with a couple rounds of hevi through it...so I can imagine after the scrubbing it got it should be better.  The pattern was not bad.  I dont think there were any holes and was even.  Just not the numbers I wanted to see or expected to get rather.

My goal is 182...thats what my "cheap" tristar auto got and I would love to have two 180 guns that I feel comfortable going to the woods with

[trkehunr93]

I would think you should jump into the 180's after a good deep clean and a barrel polishing.  Still a 140-150 even pattern will get the job done.