[dirtbikingdad]

Noob here!

I just bought a used 20 gauge Remington 870 Express with the usual wear and tear with the wooden look stocks and the rear being a youth. I thought it would make a great HD weapon, being easy to handle and still be stout enough to stop invaders. So, my questions are:

1. I've read where the youth stock is great for HD, but I kinda want to jazz it up some. Are all the stocks, fore and aft the same for 20's and 12's? It seems like some are and some aren't. Or, perhaps they feel the 12's are the only ones worth converting to tactical?

2. While I will probably never hunt with the gun, I'm not sure if I want to cut the barrel. However, if I cheap out and do, where is the 18" measured from (even though I won't go that short as I want to install a magazine extension)? Also, since my barrel has a removable choke, is this barrel really worth keeping and not cutting? Also, if I do cut it, what do I do with the top rail? It tapers on the end right now and if I taper it myself the parkerized finish is gone.

3. Finally, are the nylon stocks any good? I'm sure some are better than others. Any suggestions? I saw that Remington has some of the tactical fore and aft stocks that I am sure are really nice, however, I could not find them for sale on the Remington website.

4. Finally, the parkerized finish on the gun is a little tattered. Not to bad, but it does look used. Has anyone ever powder coated the bodies of these guns? It would be easy to do, I just want to make sure that the 400 degree heat will be okay for the body and special care will have to be used to keep the insides clear of any blasting media or powder. I have not plan to PC the barrel.

Probably every one of these questions have been asked and answered many times on here, but I did do a search, but most are really focused at 12's. Thanks!

[dirtbikingdad]

While talking on the phone to a friend of mine....

I decided to measure the barrel from the point where the shell sits on the lip. (His 12 ga was like 28") Mine is 21". So, I suppose my whole gun is a youth model?? Which means that it really cannot get that shorter... 2.5" on the barrel and whatever the difference is if I put a pistol grip on it.

[dirtbikingdad]

Well, when I cleaned up the old 20 ga, I have to admit that it looked better than I thought it would. A little gun oil really helps the old parkerized finish of the gun. So, no PCing needed.

Next, I read all the fine print, of the aftermarket stocks, talked to others and decided on a AR-15 style stock to replace the wood-like one. I bought an Advanced Technology Unit that fits several different guns. Using the instructions, I had to "refine" the 12 ga 870 adapter to fit the 20 ga. The instructions were close, but not exact. I actually had to remove a factory "adapter nut" (it goes into the factory gun body) and "machined" the included plastic 870 stock adapter per the instructions. I used a dremel with a cutting wheel and a air grinder with a sanding roll on it. Taking my time, it came out good and the instructions are very clear and fairly close. Next, I re-installed the "adapter nut" and then had to elongate the bolt hole through the plastic adapter using a scroll bit. To leave the "adapter nut" in, during the instruction "machining", would have been very difficult! This hole is where the stock attaching bolt goes through and attaches the stock to the gun. The included allen bolt was the correct thread and length. Note: Because the plastic stock adapter is for a 12 gauge, there is a "nice" ridge where the adapter meets the narrower 20 gauge gun body. I used a piece of sandpaper to remove this slightly sharp edge. No biggie, but it is needed to help the gun slide through and over your hands and clothing.

Well, you can't have a block stock and a woodlike forend can you? So, I read the customer reviews and decided to purchase the Choate 20 gauge only forend. Most others seem to have to be made to fit, the Choate fit perfectly, however, the tool, which comes with the forend was for a larger 12 ga nut and magazine. No biggie, it worked, but it was not correct. I could have easily made a tool with some metal and a grinder, but as I said, it worked and did not damage the original or new forend.

So, for $85 (I caught the stock on sale at Midway) I turned my new HD friend from mild.... to wild. The next thing needed is a sling and an extended magazine.