Tacticooled my 870 today

[SacTown]

Turn thw billets upside down so you can load it quicker

Like someone previously mentioned. The whole point of the extra ammo on the side saddle is to do an emergency reload when the gun is empty. The fastest way to do this is through the ejection port. You can either go over the receiver or under the receiver. I have tried both ways and found it much easier to go over the top like in this guys video.

Skip to 3:12 to see the demo.

[SacTown]

Looking good!
Any thought on buying a sling?

I really would rather skip on the sling as this is a HD shotgun. It just gets in the way and since I will be holding the shotgun the entire time I would be using it, I just don't see the point.

[SacTown]

I have the exact same setup.... but the thing weighs a TON. I may end up taking off the side saddle to cut down on the weight.

Yea I did notice how much heavier it was with the extra shells on the receiver. This is fine with me though as I would rather have the extra ammo and deal with the extra weight. Since this is only a HD weapon and I will not be carrying it for a great deal of time, it is fine with me.

[Darklyte27]

What do you think of this clamp? http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=648514

[kantstudien]

Like someone previously mentioned. The whole point of the extra ammo on the side saddle is to do an emergency reload when the gun is empty.

Notice in the video he fumbled two shells when attempting to insert them into the chamber. I guess that would be why you need a 6+ carrier if you plan on dropping rounds?

The reason you would turn the shells the other way would be to facilitate tactical reloads. If you do it right (keep topping off) the gun won't ever be empty, and the situation is such that you do end up empty you should be transitioning to a handgun, not trying to fiddle with the shotgun at that point.

But just my opinion.

[SacTown]

What do you think of this clamp? http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=648514

That clamp seems very solid when compared to the thinner aluminum ones. I like that it gives you options to mount a sling/light to it.

[stix213]

Clicked thread expecting a UTG infomercial....

Pleasantly surprised with what I found

[SacTown]

Notice in the video he fumbled two shells when attempting to insert them into the chamber. I guess that would be why you need a 6+ carrier if you plan on dropping rounds?

The reason you would turn the shells the other way would be to facilitate tactical reloads. If you do it right (keep topping off) the gun won't ever be empty, and the situation is such that you do end up empty you should be transitioning to a handgun, not trying to fiddle with the shotgun at that point.

But just my opinion.

Yea, I actually like the fact that he fumbles the shells in that video. Goes to show that even during low stress training things don't go as planned. Just imagine in an extremely high stress scenario what can happen.

As far as shell placement on a side saddle. It really comes down to personal preference. I can do a tactical top off just as quick whether the shells are facing up or down, but I have noticed a significant difference in port loading time/consistency when the shells are facing brass side up and going over the receiver. At least for me. Let's be honest about one thing, though. If you need more than 6 shells of 12 gauge 00 buckshot you're in some deep sh**.

[SacTown]

Clicked thread expecting a UTG infomercial....

Pleasantly surprised with what I found

Haha! Thanks. I like to keep things simple, especially on a HD weapon.

[Bobby Ricigliano]

Tacticooling is bolting a bunch of heavy Chinese crap onto a shotgun and making it into a useless boat anchor.

The additions you made to that express were smart, quality upgrades to a good fighting gun. The Mesa side saddle is a must have on a HD shotgun and any other plastic ATI hot mess style side saddle is a cheap joke compared to that.

[roc_my_tims]

Not sure if this is a joke or not... But I'll respond.

If you are loading singles through the ejection port having the rounds brass up is faster.

thanks for the video responce, that makes since, I was only thinking of possibly loading from the bottom. and filling up the tube.

[SacTown]

Tacticooling is bolting a bunch of heavy Chinese crap onto a shotgun and making it into a useless boat anchor.

The additions you made to that express were smart, quality upgrades to a good fighting gun. The Mesa side saddle is a must have on a HD shotgun and any other plastic ATI hot mess style side saddle is a cheap joke compared to that.

Yea, I guess I misused the word tacticool. Maybe I should change the thread title to "HD readied my 870"?

I agree with the KISS principle, especially on HD/SD/duty weapons.

[unamused]

After taking a shotgun course, I found it easier and more reliable for me to load from under the shotgun, rather than over the top. That way, once my hand is done ejection port loading, i just slide it forward to chamber the round. I found a youtube vid illustrating how I do it....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rhf-Ecjk3Y

Of course, whichever method you choose, keep practicing! Theres more than one way to skin a cat!

The point of reloading like this is if you don't a back up weapon and your shotgun is completely depleted. Obviously, if you have time to keep on feeding the tube, you would, but that would mean there is a lull in the fight. Keep shooting until its empty, then transition to a secondary weapon or ejection port load, shoot, ejection port load, shoot.

Another note Id like to make about your setup... good choice on the mesa side saddle! I went the "cheap" route with the tacstar side saddle. Well after the backplate screws worked themselves out and got lost, I decided it was time to upgrade to the mesa.... so what started as a cheaper alternative ended up costing me more since I paid for the tacstar AND the mesa side saddle. buy it once, buy it right!

[9mill]

heres the pic sac, unthoughtout, rushed and unfinished

[SacTown]

heres the pic sac, unthoughtout, rushed and unfinished

Thanks. That's an interesting design. Mainly to cut out weight?