The Remington M870 is a pump-action shotgun designed by L. Ray Crittendon, Phillip Haskell, Ellis Hailston, and G.E. Pinckney and manufactured by the Remington Arms Company Inc. It is widely used by civilians for target practice and hunting. In addition, it is also used by law enforcement agencies for riot control and by the military.
The M870 is a 12 gauge shotgun and feeds from a seven-round tubular magazine located under the barrel. Subsequently, other versions for 16, 20 and 28 gauge were also developed. Versions with variable barrel lengths were also designed. The P variant of the M870 has a foldable metal stock.
The M870 is primarily designed for close-quarter combat. Its pistol grip makes it very easy to aim and fire in close-combat situations. In addition, it also has a very high stopping power to intimidate even the toughest of the attacker.
The M870 is comparatively a costly weapon. However, it is one of most popular shotguns to be ever manufactured. Till date, more than four million units of the M870 have been sold. It holds the record of the best selling shotgun is history.
Several other shotguns have been designed on the basis of the M870. These can be broadly classified as under:
