My 8-year-old son Mason sat patiently on the stool as I unloaded guns from the safe; he asked, “Dad, how come you don’t have a police shotgun anymore?” My first thought was, I’m retired now, and my very next thought was, why don’t I … I need one. I’m not sure how it slipped through the cracks that I didn’t have a Remington 870 in the collection anymore. It might have to do with having my shoulder fixed up by the orthopedic surgeon a few years ago — lets just say I don’t ever want to go through that again.
Over the next few days I had this feeling something was missing from my life — it was a home-defense shotgun. Sure I could have gotten away with box stock 870, but what would be the fun in that? I put in a call to Robbie Barrkman to ask what he thought I should do — buy one already done up the way I wanted it, or build it on my own? Robbie being Robbie said, “Why would you build it when I have the best gunsmiths in the world working for me?” He did have a point. I’m a parts installing hacker at best and he is Robbie Barrkman. I also learned, while talking to Robbie, that he built the first “tactical” shotgun for Col. Cooper when he was working as the on-site gunsmith at Gunsite. Please don’t get wrapped around the axel with the word “tactical”; it has been beaten to death by the gun/shooting industry. Just because its painted black, OD or coyote brown, doesn’t make an object tactical. I prefer to look at the tactic part of the word. For example, I had to use the appropriate tactics when I explained to my wife the shotgun project was only about work. She threw the BS flag, but I had to try. Better work on my tactics for explaining to her the next project.
Back to the important stuff — building my home-defense shotgun. Robbie and I both agreed the 870 was the best platform to build on. I know there are other shotguns out there, but I’ve spent so much time with the 870, it didn’t make sense to go outside the box on this one.
I wanted to keep the gun as simple as possible. No sense in hanging all kinds of stuff on the gun I didn’t need. The shotgun needed good sights, a white light for identifying friend or foe, a place to keep some extra ammo and a sling. Robbie suggested I let him machine a magazine extension — more ammo on board is a good thing, and I’m not planning on going for a long walk with this shotgun.
