[moonpieandrccola]

I am considering buying my grandson (10 years old) a Remington 870 in 20 gauge. I have found an 870 with wood stock and forearm, and a "special edition" with laminate stock and forearm and twin-beaded vent rib barrel. I cannot find the "special Edition" listed on the Remington website. My questions are: Is this an appropriate gun for a 10 year old? Would $329 be a reasonable price? Is anyone familiar with the "Special Edition" gun?

Thanks

[bigdaddy573]

I would if it's his first it would mean more to him

[willfully armed]

You'd be better off finding one of the older blued models.

The newer parkerized models just don't have the fit and finish.


That was my first shotgun. 870 lw20 3" with the 19" barrel.

[mrb1982]

I don't know much about the newer ones, but I can tell you this. I come from a good pheasant hunting area where it is highly popular. Just about anybody who has just started out hunting with a shot gun has bought this gun, and some people, like me, still use it. If you are looking for a gun they can use for a million years and pass on to their kids someday, this would be the one.

[Gatoragn]

An 870 20 ga would be an excellent first shotgun. What ever edition you give your grandchild, it will be special.

[Hookeye]

There is a special run section on the Remington website.
But they also reportedly do runs that don't get catalogued.
Some specials are distributor only, so I'd check Davidsons and other distributors/wholesalers for what they might have.
I dunno if they make a youth model in polish now (haven't checked).

Current youth models (Express) run a reg length mag tube. So standard LW bbls will fit.

Special Fields are sweet, older and better built, come with 21 or 23" bbls..........but those bbls don't swap with regular 870's. Special Fields run a shorter mag tube, so with 870 versions you'll run only Special Field bbls.

If $ is not a problem, get an old Special Field 20 gauge, and swap in a youth wood set. But you're hosed on getting a longer than 23" vent rib bbl.

The newer Express models seem to be a bit iffy on quality (Cerberus era guns) older youth Express models can be fine. Get one of those and a deer bbl or longer reg one will be easier to find (compared to a Special Field).

New Remington bbl prices are scary.

You could always just get a walnut/polish LW 20 gauge and buy a synthetic youth set, or cut the reg walnut buttstock and have a pad put on at youth dim. I've seen some older RKW finish mid 80's/early 90's LW mags with Remchoke go for $350 clean. Some shops charge around $80 to fit a good pad. So for a better gun like new you'll be just over $400, maybe score a better deal than that.

You won't touch a Special field for that, not on the current market. Expect almost twice that for a minty one

[zimm]

Let me give a word of caution based on several years of helping young people learn how to shoot. Youth model pump shotguns from companies like Remington and Winchester have a shorter stock and thus shorter length of pull, but the actual pump stroke is unchanged. I have seen many 10 - 13 y.o.'s have trouble with this. In order to cycle the action, the fore end must travel the same distance forewords and backwards as any other 3" pump shotgun. Youngsters frequently have trouble with this, either "short shucking" by not bringing the fore end fully to the rear before trying to push it foreword again or by not pushing the fore end fully foreward and thus not locking the action into battery.
These problems can be overcome with practice and training, but it is much easier for kids to operate a semi auto or single-trigger double barrel. A proper sized semi auto also has the benefit of having less felt recoil.
For what it's worth, the local Boy Scout Camp uses Remington 1100's and the gun I bought for my own sons is a Berretta AL-390.

[Hookeye]

Remington has a Compact version with a lengthened forend

[Hookeye]

The stock set might be available to upgrade a regular LW 20.
Site doesn't have it listed, but a call to customer service might prove beneficial (never know until ya ask).

[cottontop]

Originally Posted by zimm

Let me give a word of caution based on several years of helping young people learn how to shoot. Youth model pump shotguns from companies like Remington and Winchester have a shorter stock and thus shorter length of pull, but the actual pump stroke is unchanged. I have seen many 10 - 13 y.o.'s have trouble with this. In order to cycle the action, the fore end must travel the same distance forewords and backwards as any other 3" pump shotgun. Youngsters frequently have trouble with this, either "short shucking" by not bringing the fore end fully to the rear before trying to push it foreword again or by not pushing the fore end fully foreward and thus not locking the action into battery.
These problems can be overcome with practice and training, but it is much easier for kids to operate a semi auto or single-trigger double barrel. A proper sized semi auto also has the benefit of having less felt recoil.
For what it's worth, the local Boy Scout Camp uses Remington 1100's and the gun I bought for my own sons is a Berretta AL-390.

I personally would insist that the child load only one shot at a time and thus use the pump as a single shot of sorts. The gun would be more safe as you would know that it only had one shell in it at all times. After a while, when he becomes efficient w/ the gun, then let him use it with more than one shell. Not only would the gun be more safe, but any problems w/ short shucking would be eliminated and the child would gain more confidence w/ gun handling.
cottontop