instructions - replacing stock on and 870 with Synthetic stock

[Jekemi]

I took a puzzled look at my Remington standard 12 GA 870 Express and I'm wondering how to replace the factory wooden stock with the Synthetic one I just ordered. Any tips?

[Antlershed]

There are two holes in the butt pad that give you access to the two screws to remove the butt pad. Just take a large philips screwdriver (the head on the screws is pretty big) and stick it in there. Once the butt pad is removed, there is a bolt that will be visible. Remove that, and the butt section of the shotgun will come off. For the fore-end, there is a nut that you have to unscrew towards the top end that allows you to disassemble it. I have never been able to get the fore-end of mine off though. 

[Bofire]

 :)The forearm requires removing the trigger group then sliding the bolt assembly out the front of the action, then a special little tool to unscrew the weird "nut" that hold the forearm and slide operating arms and tube together. Once the trigger group is out you gottaa poke you finger thru the loading port and push in the magazine stop deal, the deal that keeps the shells in the mag. tube and releases them one at a time.
Its not as hard as it sounds but a bit tricky.
Carl

[Ray]

Disassemble it

Removing the front end piece from the lower receiver requires that you depress the small "buttons" holding the slide arms in place with the lower receiver. It is in the video briefly.

Then I cut the recoil pad off the butt stock so that I could get to the screw for removing the rear stock... and unscrewed the butt stock.

Then I removed the front stock

I used needle nose pliers. Just don't pull too hard or it can damage it. It will be obvious if you are about to damage it...

Oh and you don't have to actually remove the trigger assembly to take out the front slide and stock or the rear stock. However you will need to remove it if you want to clean and oil it periodically. You will need to remove the bolt though....

[dbllunger]

What he said.  Super easy to do.  Watch the U-Tube and it is easy.

[Jekemi]

Thanks to everyone. I watched the YouTube video a couple of times. Seems pretty clear. The only thing you can't see clearly is pushing the two internal pins or rails out so you can slide out the magazine assembly. I'm sure I can figure it out.

[Antlershed]

I guess I forgot the step where you remove the slide from the rest of the shotgun... 

[cully]

The bolt carrier works great for taking the fore arm off, fits in the grooves like is was made just for that purpose.

[bobcat]

Ray, why did you cut off the recoil pad? There are two screws that hold it on as Antlershed stated.

[Ray]

Because those two screws were not visible or even accessible until I cut that piece off. I'm willing to bet not all of them are created equal so to speak. Mine was a stock Remington...

[bobcat]

It's sometimes really difficult to find the holes in the recoil pad, but they should be there. It's sometimes necessary to remove the stock in order to do a thorough job of cleaning. I would always do that at the end of duck season, or more often if it got really wet in there.

[Kain]

I didnt buy the special tool to remove the fore end.  I used a pair of needle nose pliers and open them till they fit in the notches of the fore end nut.  hard to explain in words but very easy.

[Bofire]

If you get to a problem, what I wrote is the standard instructions from Remington, I'l be glad to copy and fax them to you. let me know.
I repeat- from Remington-. I have the book.
Carl

[dbllunger]

If I have this right the outside first, and the forearm will slide forward about 1/8" then the inside and it will slide right out.  If you can not get them to push outward back the forearm up about that same 1/8".  If you have the forearm up tight it will not allow the shell catch to be pushed into the receiver channel. Reverse order if you get no movement.

[Ray]

I didn't need to keep the old recoil pad so cutting that piece off made complete sense and was a lot more practical and expedient when I was replacing the stock. Whether or not the little holes were there didn't matter to me and likely not for anyone who would not intend to reuse or sell the old stock. More importantly, I am sure that Dave has it all figured out or I will be over there helping him out soon enough.