Sling mounting options for the 870 (that I’ve tried)
Option 1: Using swivels with factory stud secured to bottom of stock.
I tried this option with a BFG Vickers sling using a swivel – did not work for me at all. With the shotgun slung and draping, the firearm did not rest comfortably with the side of the receiver against my chest as the attachment point of the sling pulled the stock and the weight of the receiver pulled and rotated the stock. This was more pronounced with the standard stock, which made acquiring a quick firing grip an act of contortion at the wrist. The pistol gripped Speedfeed IVs prevented this rotation somewhat, but was uncomfortable as the hardware was quite bulky.
Note, the Speedfeed IVs is a reduced 13” LOP stock. The pistol grip was modified by me to remove the 2x4 feel of the stock grip, and re-stippled. The stock shown below the IVs is a 14” take-off stock (looks like a speedfeed as well) from an 870P.
Option 2: Receiver (rear) attachment point – can’t find the photo I just took.
Burnsed 870 sling loop
While this may be the only viable solution for a single point sling (which I never liked), using this loop for the rear attachment for the Vicker’s sling did not work well for me either. I found the sling too close to receiver when it came to performing any manipulation around the trigger, side saddle and loading port. Also, when slung, I found the stock moved too much. Nevertheless, many people find this works for them, and is a popular point of attachment for slings on an AR.
Option 3: Buttstock adapter
The one pictured above came with a Wilderness 3-point Giles Sling. Because it is secured (to prevent rotation and movement) using the swivel stud, these are made to fit items, as each stock brand/model/LOP may place the stud at a different distance from the pad, as well as having different dimensions. The stock pictured is a Speedfeed IVs with a 13” LOP that came with a Remington 870 pmax. When I ordered the sling a while back, they only had the adapter that fit the standard 14” LOP stock. I actually had to send my stock in for them to prototype an adapter to fit the 13” LOP stocks.
Specter Gear makes a buttstock shell holder (
http://www.spectergear.com/shotgun_bsh.htm) that also includes a sling loop. If you don’t need the shell holders, you can actually remove that portion, and use just the nylon straps and sling loop. Because it is not secured with the stock’s swivel stud, there is some bulk associated with the setup as you need both the fore and aft straps to ensure the loop doesn’t move around too much.
For me, the take home lesson was that a sling secured to the side of the stock worked the best. Kept the stock close to the torso, limited excess movement and rested comfortably. The only issue I could think of was the inability to quickly remove the sling at the rear attachment point w/o the use of fastex buckles, and the custom nature of these adapters when using different stocks. As for the sling, I quickly gave up on the 3-point, but kept this adapter for securing the Vicker’s sling.
Option 4: Custom QD swivel stud and flush cup (current setup)
I’ll get into the details on a how-to in another separate post, but this solution came about out of necessity, as my plans for a reduced LOP 12.5” standard stock required something truly custom. Having QD swivels secured in various adaptors and cups on my rifles, I figured why not on a shotty? Surely it would make for quick removal, be secure, swivel to accommodate various positions and look sleek and clean.
Well, just finished this project up this weekend and it works! While I would have liked the cup more along the center-line of the side of the stock, the tunnel used for the bolt that secures the stock to the receiver limited placement options. This is the same heavy duty flush cup used by McMillan in their custom stocks, made in the USA by Grovtec. Add to that a HD QD swivel, and the sling is going nowhere.
In terms of comfort, there is no issue or interference when mounting or with the shotgun mounted. Like the side-mounted sling on the buttstock adapter, the shotgun sits securely and rests comfortably on the chest.
With the Fastex buckle up front and the QD swivel at the rear, the sling can be removed easily…
…HOWEVER….WARNING…BIG WARNING…
Using a shotgun in this manner MAY cause a failure to chamber a shell, prevent the closing of the action and ultimately rendering the shotgun useless if the fastex buckle happens to rest along the magazine tube and block the forward movement of the fore end, as seen in the picture above.
I guess the take home message here is that if you do have a similar setup and have the sling removed, you must secure that buckle (probably around the extension, to prevent it from swinging back into the path of the fore end. I have tried removing all slack in the webbing that attaches the buckle to the sling loop, but still can move the buckle to the rear and block the action from closing completely. For now, I don’t plan on removing the sling when in use. Just thought I’d share this finding with you.
The Form 1 approval took much longer than my previous approvals, but sure was worth it.
Dave.
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