When I started my law enforcement career in 1978, we carried revolvers, 12 rounds of spare ammunition and a nightstick–more politely called a baton. We had no Tasers, pepper spray or patrol rifles. Instead, we had trusty Remington 870s we looked to any time we needed a little more. While checking out shotguns at the start of a shift and returning them after the shift was a hassle, I rarely took to the beat without one.

Our Remington 870s were parkerized guns with 18” barrels. These shotguns started out with wood furniture and were later upgraded to Choate synthetic stocks and forends. Although the guns were rained on, dropped and generally beaten to hell in the patrol cars, I never knew of an 870 going down.  I came to rely on “the gauge” for felony traffic stops, warrant service and answering hot calls. There were several occasions where I would get to work with FBI agents. Every time they came around, I would  always be jealous of their Remington 870s with 14” barrels. There was nothing sexier than a short barrel 870!

The Genesis

I was in a gun shop last year and noticed that they had a number of police trade-in Remington 870s. These guns were marked “Police Magnum” indicating they had specific upgrades for law enforcement agencies such as stronger springs in the sear, shell lifter, and magazine. These shotguns also included improved extractors and alloy trigger guards.

These trade-in guns were typical police shotguns with Choate furniture and weathered parkerized finishes with numerous discolored spots. Interestingly, this batch of shotguns had 20” barrels with bead sights. Having been on the lookout for a good donor gun for this project, I brought home the best looking one out of that bunch.

My new shotgun sat in my safe for several months while deciding how to proceed. What I really wanted was a 14” short barreled FBI clone with a few upgrades. I was fortunate to source a used FBI model factory barrel with a parkerized finish and express sights; this barrel even had a modified choke, an added bonus.

ATF E-FORM Process

As most readers know, a shotgun with a barrel shorter than 18” falls under the National Firearms Act and requires a federal tax stamp. In recent months, the ATF NFA branch has made major improvements in their “e-form” (electronic) process. In past years, paper Form 4s and Form 1s often took more than a year for approval. With the upgraded e-form process, either transfers (Form 4) or the manufacture of a NFA weapon (Form 1) are now being approved in a matter of days.

Processing an e-form is quite simple but attention must be paid to all details. The first order of business is obtaining an electronic copy of your fingerprints in a specifically formatted file known as an “Electronic Fingerprint Transmission” file. I found a local business that could digitally scan my fingerprints and create the special file. You need a passport size photo that is properly cropped. A reasonable cell phone photograph is also acceptable.

On a Friday afternoon, I logged into my existing account at ATF E-forms and started the process. Since I was technically “manufacturing” an NFA weapon, I selected the appropriate ATF Form 1. 

After inputting my personal information, I was required to enter the specifications of the SBS (short barreled shotgun) including its overall length. Completing a Form 1 also requires answering a bank of questions similar to those found on a standard Form 4473. As you go through each page, the website validates the information. If there is an error, you cannot proceed to the next step. The very last step before submission has you validating and attesting that all the information is accurate. Afterward, you provide a credit card for the $200 tax stamp. 

The entire process took me approximately 20 minutes.

The Wait

It is unlawful to add a short barrel onto a firearm’s receiver until the approved Form 1 is returned. To obtain the overall length measurement of my Remington 870 SBS project shotgun, I placed the “new” barrel next to the shotgun with its original barrel in place and recorded my needed measurement. After submitting the Form 1 on that Friday afternoon, my wait began. A few days later on the following Wednesday, my inbox tone rang letting me know I had an approved Form 1.

Shots Fired

Although I knew I’d refinish and upgrade the Remington 870 SBS’ furniture, I was impatient. So I hit the range at my first opportunity. Shotguns are funny things. Every barrel, even identical ones, tend to shoot slightly differently. 

For 12 gauge buckshot loads, the state of the art is Federal’s Flite Control. Flite Control loads feature a wad that promotes a more consistent release of the pellets during flight, resulting in tighter groups at longer ranges. Flite Control loads have proven to work so well that they’ve become the preferred load for many law enforcement agencies that still issue shotguns. As the chart reflects, the Federal Flite Control load significantly outperformed traditional buckshot loads. We even shot targets from 30-yards with it; the extreme spread was 12.5” and all 9 pellets were on target. That’s impressive!

Slugging It Out

I also shot a 3-round group of slugs, from a bench at a 50-yard bullseye target. Shooting slugs is where the barrel’s express sights are a real benefit. The result was a spread of 4.25” with two rounds in the 9 ring and one round in the 8 ring.

Remington 870 SBS Magpul Upgrades

My first call was to Magpul. The SGA Magpul shotgun stock for the Remington 870 is an engineering marvel that improves ergonomics and reduces felt recoil. The length of pull is adjustable by adding or removing spacers between the stock and the recoil pad. Optional cheek risers can be had for Magpul SGA stocks if shooting with taller-mounted optics. Magpul’s complimentary shotgun forend is equally impressive. It features high sides that allow for a more solid purchase without coming in contact with the barrel. In addition, it is longer than the typical shotgun forend and it includes front and rear hand stops to improve manipulation. The Magpul forend’s integrated M-LOK slots allow for the easy installation of accessories.

Since my goal was to keep my Remington 870 SBS as lightweight as possible, I decided against a magazine extension or a side saddle. To address the original finish on this shotgun which was in rough shape, I contacted a local shop to  apply a matte black Cerakote finish over the barrel and receiver. The end result is a stunning shotgun, especially when accented by its Magpul sniper grey SGA furniture set. 

ATF requires that anyone manufacturing an NFA item have the receiver of the firearm engraved with the name, city, and state of the maker, so I had a local engraver handle everything in compliance with the law.

Wrapping It Up

Despite pundits’ opinions, the shotgun is still a very relevant tool for personal protection and law enforcement. Its versatility simply cannot be matched by a carbine. From buckshot and slugs, to less-lethal and chemical munitions, the 12 gauge offers a lot of capability. Bundling a shotgun like this Remington 870 SBS with modern furniture like that of Magpul’s and ammo like Flite Control only makes things better.

For a little less than $900, I took a ragged Remington 870 police trade-in shotgun and turned it into a modern fighting tool. If your local laws allow NFA firearms, and you love the “gauge”, I highly recommend that you consider an SBS for your inventory. I don’t think you will regret it.

Remington 870 SBS Shooting Results

I shot the following loads from 10 yards, 15 yards and 20 yards. 

Pellets were counted and the size of the group was measured by the extreme spread, and pellets off the target are noted in parentheses.