Remington has upped its popular pump-action shotgun's game with the introduction of a detachable box magazine variation — the 870 DM.

What do the new Remington 870 DM shotguns offer?

• The 870 DM's box magazine permits faster reloads and more versatile ammunition.
• Three- and six-round magazines are available for the pump-action shotgun.
• The 870 DM's receiver has been reworked and is not compatible with earlier models.
• The controls and trigger remain the same, making it intuitive to operate.

You would think a gun that has sold in the tens of millions, wouldn’t need any improvements. After all, with that sort of production run, the proof is in the proverbial pudding that the gunmaker has plum figured the magic formula. But, as it pertains to the most prolific shotgun of all time, you’d be dead wrong about the potential for improvement.

Adding a detachable magazine variant to the Remington 870 pump-action line — the 870 DM — must have been obvious to many. But it has taken more than half a century to turn this elegantly simple shotgun daydream into reality. And, in most respects, the execution of the new variant and highly desirable ammunition-feeding system appears well worth the wait.

Remington hasn’t just slapped together a magazine attachment that turns the 870 into a shotgun lightning-fast on the reload. Instead, it has redesigned the receiver to work flawlessly with the mag system, while retaining all other design points and operation that make the scattergun a classic.

In the process, Big Green appears to have injected some fresh blood into the proven design, especially in an era defined by firearms versatility.

Why Box It Up?

You needn’t delve into the tactical applications — of which are legion — to discover the usefulness of the 870 DM. A duck blind on a late autumn day will do nicely.

Switching from 2¾-inch shells loaded with No. 4 shot for those ducks over decoys to say 3-inch shells loaded with BB or BBB for a pass-shot opportunity on some Canada honkers is now a reality. What was a missed chance or a mad scramble to empty and reload a shotgun with the appropriate ammo is now simply an exercise in trading one box magazine for another.

Now apply this concept to anything you might work the trigger of you’re 870 on, and the advantage of the DM variants become obvious. It has the potential to all but do away with the need for a side-rail on a home-defense shotgun. And Remingtion has done the utmost to make the 870 DM as fast as it is versatile.

Mercifully, the three- and six-round magazines do not require rocking to insert or release from the well. The large paddle release doesn’t drop the mag like an AR, it requires the operator to slide it out. But it does slam back in just like the popular rifle, making the system intuitive and fast.

Same Old Gun, Only Different

The 870 DM certainly cuts a different profile with a six-round box magazine dangling off its underbelly. But, for the most part, it’s the same old pump-action that’s been pelting coyotes and bad folks for decades.

The shotgun comes with the same trigger components, same cross-bolt safety and same dual action-bars. Nothing in particular has been moved around on the 870 DM — just the addition of the mag release — so shooting one is like slipping into an old pair of slippers.

The new shotgun, however, is not a carbon copy of the original. While the receiver of the 870 DM looks like the original's, only with a mag well, it is not compatible with existing 870s. This is namely due to the other big difference with the detachable magazine variant to the line — the lack of a tubular magazine. It’s quite apparent the tube is still there, but it no longer feeds ammunition, it only acts as a mount for the charging forend.

This revelation is certain to disappoint some hopefuls on the Internet, who upon first release of the 870 DM postulated the gun operated off both ammunition-feeding systems. No such luck.

Full Magazine Of Models

Remington hasn’t held back with the release of the 870 DM, introducing six models of the box-fed beast. Given the configurations range from the short and stout Tac-14 to a classic wood-stocked model, it’s apparent Remington has no plans to pigeonhole the shotgun. And perhaps best of all, like the original pump-action, the DM doesn’t break the bank with models starting at $529 and running up to $799.

870 DM

Gauge: 12-gauge
Barrel Length: 18.5 in.
Choke: Fixed Cylinder Bore
Furniture: Black Synthetic Stock with Super Cell Recoil Pad
Magazine Capacity: 6 rounds
MSRP: $529.00

870 DM Magpul

Gauge: 12-gauge
Barrel Length: 18.5 in.
Choke: Rem Choke Barrel with Extended Ported Tactical Choke
Furniture: Magpul SGA Stock with Super Cell Recoil Pad, Magpul MOE M-LOK Forend
Magazine Capacity: 6 rounds
MSRP: $799

870 DM Tactical/Predator

Gauge: 12-gauge
Barrel Length: 18.5 in.
Choke: Rem Choke Barrel with two Trulock Extended Chokes (Boar Blaster and Turkey /Predator)
Furniture: Over Molded ShurShot Thumbhole Stock with Super Cell Recoil Pad, Tactical “Corn Cob” Fore-end
Magazine Capacity: 3 and 6 round
MSRP: $799

870 DM Tac-14

Gauge: 12-gauge
Barrel Length: 14 inches
Choke: Cylinder Bore
Furniture: Shockwave Grip and Magpul Fore-end
Magazine Capacity: 6 rounds
MSRP: $559

870 DM Hardwood

Gauge: 12-gauge
Barrel Length: 18.5 in.
Choke: Cylinder Bore
Furniture: Hardwood Stock and Fore-end
Magazine Capacity: 6 rounds
MSRP: $529

870 DM Tactical

Gauge: 12-gauge
Barrel Length: 18.5 in.
Choke: Extended Ported Tactical Choke
Furniture: Pistol Grip Buttstock and Tactical “Corn Cob” Fore-end
Magazine Capacity: 6 rounds
MSRP: $799

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