CA870 custom barrel set (long version) - ArniesAirsoft

Author

rhino

FRAN-TICK-TICK-TOCK!!!

Registered: September 2004
Posts: 306,966

Review Date: 18/2/06

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 9

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	adds weight, makes the CA870 full size, larger pump
Cons:	fiddly to fit, makes CA870 much heavier

I'd decided very early on, that one of the shotguns i would hopefully like to own was an M870 full sized shotgun. Now with my meagre earnings, i knew that i was going to struggle obtaining one of the gas versions by Maruzen (considering that the only full sized versions were the M1100 series and an out-of-production M870 full size that came with a folding stock)

So imagine my delight when it came to my attention that Maruzen would be bringing out a spring version of their M870 range; delight that went to dismay as soon as i realised that the new 870 range (CA870, check Snowmans review on it) was going to come with a small CQB style barrel. Hmmmm....

I however decided that i'd get one anyway, as i was sure that someone would eventually bring out a custom kit for it. I was right! G&P brought out a plethora of accessories and custom parts for the small CA870 shotgun to turn it into a meaner, larger beast just like it's gas counterparts.

So i ordered the G&P barrel extension set "Long version" from WGC along with a folding metal stock also by G&P (i'll leave that for a later review though).

When it arrived, i took it out the box and was surprised by the coldness and weight of it (around a kilo just on it's own!) It also came with a longer inner barrel that replaces the current one on the standard CA870.

Installation was a bit fiddly though. After managing to pry off the old foregrip from the CA870 though, the installation took little more than a minute and what a difference it made to the look of the gun! One little niggle is that there are no sights (rifle or beaded) on the replacement barrel, but i'm sure i'd be able to get some from a retailer. The length of the barrel set is approx 508cm's in length which, coupled with the CA870's body (mine had the full stock) clocked in at 1,040cm's!!! A Monster!

The barrel clamp that holds the 2 barrels together is adjustable and can be loosened/tightened with an Allen key. A spacer stops the inner barrel from rattling around the exterior barrel and stays firmly in space. the barrel is secured by screwing the magazine tube to the shotgun and by two grub screws that lock the barrel to the top part of the shotgun and stop it from sliding around.

Be careful when taking the old foregrip off though, as i was a little too "excessive" in persuading it to come off and as a result, slightly bent out the bars that lead to the pump assembly resulting in the pump being a bit stiff. Apart from that though, there's no real niggles with this add-on.

NOTE: I have had countless people ask me this question and that is, "Will the G&P barrel sets fit on the normal gas M870 shotguns also by Maruzen?"

The straightforward answer is... NO. The barrel assmbly is much thinner than the M870 shotguns.

The barrel sets also come in two other sizes;-

a smaller version that shortens the barrel of the CA870 and a medium version that has a long barrel and short magazine tube. Another thing i also discovered is that the magazine tube can be unscrewed in two, meaning that you can have a long barrelled shotgun and, after removing the front magazine tube and screwing the original CA870 magazine end cap (yes, it DOES fit!) back on, gives you another shotgun look (see photo)

NOTE: The G&P 870 extension sets come in black ONLY tat present time of review. I simulated a wood effect and painted the grip and the original stock to look like wooden furniture.

All extension sets plus other accessories can be bought from retailers such as RedWolfAirsoft, WGC and Den Trinity (to name a few)

Rhino

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Quote:

Darklite: Actually, I was using my AK - the shottie I had lent to Tink at that point.

*suitcase*, I best go and check it still works.

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siege_bison

Registered: September 2004
Posts: 108

Review Date: 14/3/06

Would you recommend the product? Yes | Price you paid?: None indicated | Rating: 8

Positive aspects of the product (pros):	Great looking, nice matt anodized finish
Cons:	custom work needed on inner barrel

Just to add to Rhino's review, the barrel is compatible with the M870 gas shotgun, but NOT the shell tube, the inner bore is too tight so shells will not go in it. This is bit of a pain but the finish and trades are really nice and gets away from the horribly plastic looking Maruzen original barrel.
Thr only isssue in attaching the barrel to a M870 is the longer inner barrel needs a custom brace to hole it in, I reversed the inner barrel added the clip around the cut out and pushed the cut down spring from original inner barrel on so that the inner barrel was under tension inside the outer barrel. Then using a cut down spare TM hop unit this secured the other end in the reciever. Using the unblocking rod the barrels could be lined up and attached, with the spring the inner barrel was held into the reciever and it all works.
So now have a rather tasty looking long barrelled M870!