OBG,<br><br>I got your shotgun :-) or at least one of its brothers. I bought one of the Rem 870s that the CHP retired & surplussed about 10 years ago. It shows a little surface wear to the wood finish. Otherwise, it's condition was nearly perfect. It's unclear if it was ever fired before I got it. :-)) What was the rationale behind retiring those guns?<br><br>I added a Choate 7 round mag extn., a slip-on recoil pad, & a Tac Star Side Saddle. The original rubber pad seemed a little harder than the wood. In shooting skeet, I realized the need to replace/augment the pad. I also needed the extra 1" added to the length of pull. I found that loading the Side Saddle adds another 1/2 pound to an otherwise slightly light gun. It then handled more nicely for me (more like my regular sporting shotguns). OTH, it shouldered & pointed more quickly in its original configuration, but then it swung less smoothly & kicked more. Always a tradeoff. In its present configuration, it is reserved for serious social situations. It now seems physically better fitted for that now. However, I am less than thrilled with its ornate appearance, especially how that might look in the aftermath of a serious application. What are your thoughts on those modifications?<br><br>By the way, why didn't the CHP use extended magazines on their Rem 870s ?<br><br>It's encouraging to learn that the CHP did not have mag spring problems with their S & Ws despite the magazines being loaded 99% of the time over prolonged periods. Especially since I have S & Ws of about the same vintage.<br><br>Thanks,<br><br>John