Remington 870 Express using Slug shots?

Question

I a bought a Remington 870 Express shotgun and i want to know if i can use slugs with it? Will it cause any damage?

Answer 1

first things first- before you even load a slug in the chamber- CHECK TO SEE WHAT CHOKE IS IN THE BARREL!!! if there is not a choke in the barrel you are free to shoot away. if there is a choke in the barrel, however, simply take your choke wrench and unscrew it from the barrel.

Answer 2

Slugs will ruin a gun. If you use slugs, then no other bullet will be accurate.

Answer 3

You can shoot slugs through an 870 if you have an open choke.  You may damage your shotgun if you use a tight choke.

They make very good aftermarket barrels for slugs. You can get smoothbore and rifled barrels for an 870.

Answer 4

A smoothbore will handle ordinary slugs, just remove any choke, no need for one if you're using regular slugs.

Be forewarned that the slugs will fire with a lot more recoil than ordinary shot.

Answer 5

If your express has a removable choke tube, take the tube out and look at the choke tube.  If the choke tube is modified or more open (imp cyl) you can shoot a slug through the gun.

To be totally safe, you can purchase a choke tube for shooting slugs.

I am assuming the gun is smooth bore, in other words, no rifling through the barrel.

If the barrel is smooth, any rifled slug will work, but you should try at a minimum of two or three different rifled slugs to see what will shoot for tighter groups.

The rule of thumb is, rifled slugs through a smooth bore and sabot's through a rifled barrel.

Lots of people shoot rifled slugs through a shotgun, but you should not shoot a slug through a full choke tube.

I am the ammo man and work at a large sporting goods store in Mich.

Answer 6

yes BUT--- Have the gun shop look at it to see what type of choke it has... If its a full choke then the slug will damage the choke..... Usually those Remington 870 Express shotguns are sold with a choke for bird shot / trap / skeet / buckshot loads but not slugs....  The gunsmith can change it to an "open" choke in a few minutes -- Then you can shoot whatever you want thru it.....

Answer 7

There are three versions of choke if I remember correctly, improved ,modified, full. If you are planning on shooting slugs for hunting, I would invest in a rifled slug barrel for accuracy.

Check out numrich gunparts corp. for a barrel.

Answer 8

Yes you can providing you shoot them with only a Cylinder or Improved Cylinder Choke Only.* This is recommended by Manufacturers for best accuracy, and without damaging the barrel.*  

Answer 9

Read this article "Shotgun Slugs" by Chuck Hawks