Don’t give up if a replacement firing pin is unavailable from your catalog suppliers. Instead, use these tips to solve the problem.

One of the things some gun owners—engineers or fairly well-educated hobbyists who have a good grasp of mechanical things—ask about is how to handle the different kinds of pins in their guns. Particularly, they often want to know if their punches are the right ones, or if they can use a slightly different one without damaging their pins.

“Shouldn't an army base be the last place where a terrorist should be able to shoot at people uninterrupted for 10 minutes? After all, an army base is filled with soldiers who carry guns, right? Unfortunately, that is not the case. Beginning in March 1993, under the Clinton administration, the army forbids military personnel from carrying their own personal firearms and mandates that 'a credible and specific threat against [Department of the Army] personnel [exist] in that region' before military personnel 'may be authorized to carry firearms for personal protection.'

From MonroeRising.com: Recently, a friend and I were lamenting the steady dissolution of our Constitution. It seemed to us that the further our politicians have strayed from the spirit, meaning and intent of the Constitution, the more enervated, disunited and dispirited our nation and its people have become. Discussing how best to remedy the nation’s decline and to restore Constitutional governance, we briefly alluded to the discredited doctrine of nullification about which neither of us knew very much at all. So, I decided to briefly revisit the subject to see what I could learn. In a nutshell, this is it. I hope it will be of some interest to you.

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Remington 11-87 Sportsman No. 29825 3-inch 20 Gauge

Courtesy, Gun Tests

The Remington’s strength was that it didn’t do anything big wrong. unlike the Mossberg, it loaded fast and easily. unlike the Browning, we didn’t notice any problems mounting it. Yes, it was heavier than the other two, which might be disqualifying for some shooters. Basically, its cosmetics are a metaphor for its performance—low-key, but very competent.

One of the major reasons hunters choose a 20 gauge over a 12 gauge is the former’s smaller frame, weight, and recoil. Though they may already own a 12, many field sportsmen wind up reaching for their 20s because the smaller gun is just easier to handle, and there are just a few hunting situations—layback goose hunting and spring turkey hunting, to name two—in which the bigger payload might make a difference.

The Remington Sportsman line has two 12s and three 20s. The 12s come in 26- and 28-inch barrels and weigh 8.1 pounds and 8.25 pounds respectively, compared to the weight of our test 28-inch-barrel gun, about a full pound lighter.

The Remington’s numbers are just as basic as its finish. This gas-operated shotgun measured 48.0 inches in length and weighed 6.6 pounds. It’s heavier than the other two guns, a pound-and-a-quarter more than the Mossberg and three-quarters of a pound more than the Silver.

It handled 2.75-inch and 3-inch shells and had a four-round capacity. Its LOP was a standard 14 inches, with a ho-hum drop at comb of 1.5 inches and drop at heel of 2.5 inches, and a downward pitch of 2.5 inches. It had a synthetic stock and forearm, a stiff black-rubber buttplate, all-black finish on the trigger,

Courtesy, Gun Tests

Like the Mossberg, the Remington balanced at the front of the action. Unlike the Mossberg, Remington chose a basic black non-color scheme that placed a premium on non-reflective surfaces. Can a shiny bolt handle or trigger scare off a dove? You never know, and the bigger issue is that you’ll never know.

It comes with only one choke, a Modified tube, and like the other guns, needs to be drilled and tapped to accept scope mounts.

But it just shot so well. The added weight did make the gun slower than the Mossberg, but we can’t think of a target we missed because of that. Its patterning was biased low, with 68% of its shot charge hitting below the point of aim, but we still managed to hit targets with it. The sighting plane was clear and wide, and the trigger was a reasonable 6.6 pounds. It was easier to load than the Mossberg by using a shell to activate a tab on the elevator.

Its buttpad was stiffer than the others, but with these guns shooting 2.75-inch shells, it wasn’t an issue.

Reader Comments

I recently purchased an 11-87 Compact (formerly referred to as a "Youth" model). A 21" vent-ribbed barrel, 13" LOP and a lighter weight makes it real handy to carry and shoot. It easily doubles as a home security shotgun when loaded with #3 (not 000) buckshot.

Comment by: RICHARD H | August 27, 2009