Adding a front sight to a bare 870 barrel

While out on an HK45c scouting party today, I ran across a very nice old Wingmaster for 175. I couldn't say no at that price, so I brought it home. Only Problem is the barrel has been cut down to 18 inches, so I am going to make a HD shotgun. Whoever cut down the barrel neglected to add any sights. There isn't even a bead. I've been researching this afternoon, and it seems the xs banded ghost ring sight will work. Are there any other options for a bare barrel? Also, how imPortant is a rear sight on a shotgun? None of my hunting guns have rear sights,'and I manage to knock down birds just fine.

The only hard part is to center the new hole on the barrel. It is better to have a gunsmith drill it while he has the entire weapon. I had a gunsmith drill the hole in the barrel without the receiver and he claimed that it was difficult to center the hole without the receiver.

For an XS sight, he will need to tap and drill (6-48 tap) for a brass bead. The XS sight is then epoxied to the barrel and front bead. You can probably send the entire shotgun to XS if you want them to do it. Phone them for a quote.

A rear sight may slow your sight picture down, but it would be effective for longer range slug use. XS has both and can drill and tap the receiver if you want a ghost ring sight.

http://www.xssights.com/index.php?nI...ts&sID=shotgun

Good Luck.

I'm curious on this as well. I've got a pair of 28" skeet barrels that I want to use with my shotguns, but the bead sights are far too low to work with my ghost-ring rears. I'd like to put tall front sights on the skeet barrels.

Looks like I may have to get it tapped and have a smith do it. I ordered the xs banded front sight to avoid needing a smith, but it is too loose. I guess this 870's barrel diameter is too narrow for whatever reason. It is pretty old- I dated it to 1967. I haven't found any other options for a front sight that doesn't require drilling. Thanks for the input.

Two possibilities for HD.

1. Add a rail to the magazine tube. I have a clamp on which encircles the tube and has short rails on 3 sides and I mounted a light/laser (Streamlight M6). Needed if your receiver isn't tapped for a rail. Mine is a marine shotgun and I didn't want to tap to make "rust condos".

2. Add a red dot. Burris has one, though I think it's discontinued but many vendors still have stock, which has a mount which goes between the stock and receiver.

There are various add-on options in the Brownells catalog. I'd have a 'smith permanently attache it vs. a bolt on or epoxy on model.

Also, since you mention this is a cut-down job...properly measure the bbl the ATF way by dropping a rod down it to hit the (closed bolt) breech face and marking it to make sure the previous owner didn't inadvertently create an SBS. Many times around here people fail to do it that way...they cut it using a tape measure on the outside and it's worth a good chunk of time in Federal pound you in the ass prison. I know a guy who did two years time because of it.

Just buy a new 18" barrel. It will come with a bead sight. They run around a 100.00 bucks new.

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Originally Posted by SpankMonkey

Just buy a new 18" barrel. It will come with a bead sight. They run around a 100.00 bucks new.

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There ya-go.. Ron

If you just drop a bead on a plain 870 barrel, it will hit high at anything beyond point blank range. The Remington factory short barrels have a sight base under the bead for a reason.

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Originally Posted by Avenger29

There are various add-on options in the Brownells catalog. I'd have a 'smith permanently attache it vs. a bolt on or epoxy on model.

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I assume the epoxy-on sights are going to be inferior, but how much so? For using an existing bead sight, but just having something more high profile, is that really a viable option?