Whether you favor the pump-action Remington 870 Express, the gas-system Remington 870 Tactical, or the American classic Remington Model 1100, the Remington 870 platform boasts an impressive selection of mods to satisfy any shooter.

Since 1950, this shotgun has maintained a reputation for reliability and quality. This means there has also been high demand for Remington 870 accessories that reinforce its excellent track record.

Here are five (5) upgrades you might consider to make your Remington 870 Express shooting experience as smooth and comfortable as possible.

Replace the Remington 870 Stock and Forend

Texture is key in choosing a forend for the 870 Express as this section between the receiver and muzzle is usually held in the non-dominant hand (or non-trigger-pulling finger hand) to steady a shot.

Additionally, this may be where you’ll want to have an ironclad grip to smoothly chamber a round in a pump action version of the Remington 870 Express shotgun.

Another notable part of any shotgun is the buttstock. The Remington 870 stock or Remington 870 tactical stock that comes standard on the shotgun may not be a suitable fit for your body type, shooting style or application.

The stock is meant to help with accuracy by bolstering stability, so it's important that you find a model that feels steady and secure when you take your shooting stance.

Many shooters favor a Remington 870 pistol grip stock for defense purposes.

Conventional wisdom recommends upgrading your stock to either a shorter length for tactical applications or a longer one for hunting.

You can also select a Remington 870 adjustable stock if you want the freedom to change the length on a whim.

To maximize reliability, it’s a good idea to purchase a high-quality Remington 870 stock and forend together, because they are typically made of the same material from the same manufacturer.

The Magpul SGA Stock and Magpul MOE forend, for example, are two high-quality upgrades you can add to your 870 Express shotgun.

Upgrade the 870 Express Safety Button

Whether you purchase a Remington 870 for home defense purposes or not, there may be situations where you have to operate the gun under stress.

Being able to quickly and reliably disengage the safety mechanism of any firearm is just as integral to the process of protecting yourself and those around you as taking the actual shot.

Many shooters find that the stock model safety button on the 870 Express is simply too small to disengage quickly under duress or with gloved hands.

One of the simplest and most effective Remington 870 accessories is to replace the factory safety with an oversized safety button.

The good news is that you do not even need to know how to disassemble a Remington 870 in order to make this upgrade. Plenty of drop-in installation options are available to make this a quick and easy modification.

Choke Options for the Remington 870 Express

The choke is another mod option that can be done in a snap if you want to change the pellet exit pattern.

As long as your Remington 870 has a barrel with a screw-in choke design, you have the option to increase or decrease the spread of your shot to improve your range or accuracy for your needs.

If you will most likely be using your Remington 870 Express Tactical for home defense and/or up-close shots, a cylinder or improved cylinder choke will work just fine.

The more spread out shot pattern on these types of chokes improve your chances of hitting a target over a short distance. With cylinder and improved chokes, slugs will give better accuracy, while birdshot and buckshots are recommended for targets in the 20-30yd range.

Those who prefer long distance shotgun (aka 30-70yd) shooting might upgrade their 870 Express to a full choke kit.

By restricting the spread of the shot, you get more precision with a tighter shot pattern--especially with bird- or buckshot--- than you would with a cylinder or modified (see below) choke.

If you want the “best of both worlds” option, a modified choke is basically the middle ground between cylinder and full choke. Slide one of these into your Remington 870 Express muzzle for medium distance (30-40yd) and medium accuracy.

Remington 870 Tactical Accessories for Accuracy

A Picatinny rail is going to be the best way to accomplish most optics or light upgrades to a Remington 870 Express.

You may also prefer not to install an actual optic to your 870 Express. In that case, you can use the stock sights on most shotguns, which look more like a bead on top of the barrel.

Upgrade your single bead sight for fast-moving targets or a slide on a double bead set-up to train yourself to keep your cheek on the barrel for increased accuracy.

Want to be able to self-adjust the windage and elevation? Rig up a post-and-blade (P&B) sight Remington 870 Express Tactical rifle.

870 Express Extended Shotshell Tubes

A hunter who wants a couple of spare shots available without adding excessive weight to their Remington 870 might benefit most from a simple two-shell extender.

The “go-big-or-go-home” shooters, however, might be excited to hear about a new twist on an old classic: the Remington 870 pump action shotgun now comes in versions that feed from detachable box magazines. You can identify them by the “DM” designation after the model name.

Formerly an after-market only modification, this announcement is especially good news for anyone in competition, or simply looking to extend the time between reloads.

Finally, whether you’re looking to reload your 870 Express for range day, a weekend trip, or gearing up for your next competition, we’ve got your ammo, accessories, covered.