Best Remington 870 model + other questions

[Swift Finch 0]

You might remember me from the introduction post I made about 2 months ago. If not, then hello.

 

Again, I'll be opting for a shotgun over a rifle or handgun. After some consideration, I've concluded that the Remington 870 is the best choice. Everyone seems to agree on that; it's apparently extremely reliable and efficient.

The problem is that there are so many different models and versions that I don't know what to choose from. I'm sure any model would work fine, since it's such a praised gun, but I wanted the best one for my interests. As noted in my introductions thread, I don't really care about home security, I'm mainly interested in hunting. I googled it a bit and saw that people seemed to claim the Police model as the superior gun, but I'm not really sure what kind of things they were talking about using it for. The Wingmaster or the Express lines seem to be alright, but I'd like some opinions on it.

 

As a second question, I'm a bit curious on the barrel gauges. I was considering a 16-gauge for a while, but then I just recently realized that support for said gauge is probably limited; people only seem to be interested in 12 and 20 gauge (particularly the former), and after learning this, I've decided that a 12 gauge would be more appropriate. I'm a bit concerned about this, though. I've only shot 1 shotgun back when I was at a boy scout summer camp last year, though I don't know what gauge it was. I'm not the strongest man on the planet, but after holding it in position for a while, I did get a bit tired. How heavy are 12-gauges compared to others? I did read that advances in technology have allowed it to be lighter, but again, extra opinions are always helpful.

 

Third, are peripherals easy to install on the R870? What about sights, can they be easily interchanged? The sight on the shotgun that I used before had a bead on the end of the barrel, and there may have been another one near the breech (I don't entirely remember). I liked it quite a bit, it enabled quick target-acquisition and was pretty easy to use. What was this kind of sight called? Are there superior sights for a shotgun?

 

I guess that's all the questions I have for now. If I think of more, I'll make sure to update you guys.

 

EDIT: Just remembered another few things I was questioning. Can the barrel be interchanged to switch gauges?

 

Also, can alternating rounds be loaded into the gun in sequence? For example, can I load a shell, then a slug, then another shell and have it fire all 3 without a problem?

[Gun Guy in NJ 10]

Hello, I have a 870 Express Combo (Model 870 Express Combo packages are available in both 12- and 20-gauge: a 26-inch vent rib barrel with Modified Rem

[Gun Guy in NJ 10]

Also, you can alternate rounds in sequence. A birdshot shell, then a slug, then a buckshot shell and it will fire all 3 without a problem as long as it