Making a remington 870 20 gauge's safety left handed

[Redhorse]

After some research I see in order to make a newer 870 with a left hand safety one has to buy a $100 trigger assembly kit. Is this really true?

 

[tenring]

After some research I see in order to make a newer 870 with a left hand safety one has to buy a $100 trigger assembly kit. Is this really true?

Not true at all, try this link.
Fortmann's Left Hand Safety Conversion Remington 552 740 760 870 1100

 

[Redhorse]

Not true at all, try this link.
Fortmann's Left Hand Safety Conversion Remington 552 740 760 870 1100

This one would work for an 870 20 gauge made in the 2000s?

 

[sloughfoot]

The safety on a pump action shotgun is a useless accessory.

 

[THE BIG SITT]

The safety on a pump action shotgun is a useless accessory.

I'm sure he appreciats your contribution.

 

[sloughfoot]

My point is, since it has no useful function, there is little point in spending money on it. The forearm works perfectly well as the safety on a pump shotgun.

 

[EvilKidsMeal]

My point is, since it has no useful function, there is little point in spending money on it. The forearm works perfectly well as the safety on a pump shotgun.

I'd have to agree with this. Firearm safety really is a simple thing that people always screw up.

You have to press a button to actuate the pump action, that's as good as a safety. The safety is only for people who can't keep their finger off the trigger once they pumped it.

I agree, no point in spending money on it when your brain should be doing most of the work anyways.

 

[sjstill]

I'll try to give some useful info. I've had good luck simply reversing the safety button inside the trigger assembly. Simple fix, but there is a spring & detent you have to be careful with.

 

[kalboy]

Reversing the button won't work on recent production 870s as the button is offset and will work only one way, so the Fortmann safety linked above by tenring is your best ( and cheapest bet) assuming you don't have the key locking safety.
No trouble to install, just be careful not to lose detent ball and spring. I've done a couple of these, takes just a few minutes.
Google Rem 870 left hand safety and you'll get plenty hits

 

[sjstill]

Ah, thanks for the info. I'm used to older 870's.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Just buy a Mossberg 500. Problem solved.

 

[t-squared]

but what if you're left-thumbed?

 

[CountryBoy19]

My point is, since it has no useful function, there is little point in spending money on it. The forearm works perfectly well as the safety on a pump shotgun.

I'd have to agree with this. Firearm safety really is a simple thing that people always screw up.

You have to press a button to actuate the pump action, that's as good as a safety. The safety is only for people who can't keep their finger off the trigger once they pumped it.

I agree, no point in spending money on it when your brain should be doing most of the work anyways.

Maybe on a range it "has no useful function" but IIRC, many guns are still used in the field. Shotguns especially are used for bird-hunting, which means trekking/walking a great distance sometimes in search of game. In the field, leaving a cartridge partially chambered in a pump shotgun could be a risk that you lose the partially chambered cartridge and miss your chance. Leaving the breech closed on an empty chamber could also mean a missed chance because chambering a round and then shooting may take too much time (the same reason it's a bad idea to carry your SD firearm on an empty chamber).

Yet, carrying a loaded shotgun through fields of bird habitat, briars, etc would be risky if you weren't employing the "useless safety".

What am I missing?

 

[sjstill]

I'd say you're not missing anything.

During a 3-day shotgun class with Louis Awerbuck, we always engages safeties after a drill. Always.

 

[Zoub]

This thread just gave me brain freeze and I am drinking hot coffee. Good lord.

 

[Woobie]

Maybe on a range it "has no useful function" but IIRC, many guns are still used in the field. Shotguns especially are used for bird-hunting, which means trekking/walking a great distance sometimes in search of game. In the field, leaving a cartridge partially chambered in a pump shotgun could be a risk that you lose the partially chambered cartridge and miss your chance. Leaving the breech closed on an empty chamber could also mean a missed chance because chambering a round and then shooting may take too much time (the same reason it's a bad idea to carry your SD firearm on an empty chamber).

Yet, carrying a loaded shotgun through fields of bird habitat, briars, etc would be risky if you weren't employing the "useless safety".

What am I missing?

Yep, good post. In a world where all guns are "tactical," it's easy for some to forget they have other uses. Liberals think guns should only be for hunting, and we don't even see that as a modern use of a gun, lol. Maybe we should all keep in mind that what I need a gun to do is different from what you need it to do, so let's respect that and be helpful. Now, that being said, I do have a home defense shotgun, and I keep one in the chamber with the safety on. Why go into a fight without a full magazine?