One of my favorite things about writing for TFB is being able to write about the crazy things I find in the wild. Last week I was running around the various shops in western Michigan and came across this bullpup 870 conversion. The guy behind the counter was an extremely grumpy old-timer who went on about MUH 1911 and how polymer guns are Chinese junk. I could write an entire article on the employee but the shotgun was something I was rather interested in checking out.

The Art of The Deal

This 870 Conversion was sitting in a clamshell chassis from Bullpup Unlimited that turns your regular 18.5 Remington shotgun into a bullpup pump action. The Bullpup Unlimited conversion reminded me of a bulkier Kel Tec KSG. I thought it might be junk initially but after a bit of looking, it seemed like a fairly decent quality conversion. I was excited about the $350 price tag as well since a new Bullpup Unlimited 870 conversion costs $359 on their website. The shotgun also came with the original furniture to turn it back into a regular Remington 870 so it was pretty tempting to pick up and try.

I started to negotiate and had something happen I’ve never dealt with before. I asked the old man if he would take $225 for the shotgun and he seemed insulted. He said he would do $250 only if I did the paperwork and got out and never came back. I knew I was getting a decent deal and gladly accepted it. It’s not exactly a way to build your customer base but there’s a ton of different shops in my area.

Taking chances on guns like this are fairly safe since there are countless aftermarket parts available online if something is broken or needs to be fixed. I figured if I didn’t like the conversion or shotgun it would not be difficult to part out and make money on the deal. Luckily the Bullpup 870 runs like a swiss watch so I don’t have to worry. He accepted the $250 offer and I was the proud owner of this Remington 870!

Range Sessions

I took the Bullpup 870 out for a few different cold range sessions and it worked surprisingly well. The Bullpup Unlimited conversion makes adding attachments and customizing your shotgun fairly easy. I added a vertical grip and Trijicon MRO with a low mount onto the gun for my range sessions. The 870 performed like I expected and didn’t have any malfunctions despite using all different kinds of shotshells. I shot everything from 2 /34 number 8 low brass rounds all the way up to 3″ magnum buckshot rounds without any malfunctions. The gun had a fairly dirty chamber when I bought it, but after a quick disassembly, I had it nice and clean. I put roughly 400 rounds through the gun shooting steel and paper targets.

One thing I really picked up on as I shot was how short the overall package is. Being a bullpup, it doesn’t change much about the overall action other than ejecting out the back. The general action of pumping the shotgun is exactly the same regardless if it’s a bullpup or regular so there’s not much of a learning curve with this setup. At the end of the 400 rounds, everything worked flawlessly without any issues from the action or bullpup conversion.

Overall Thoughts

So after a couple months and nearly 500 rounds through the gun, the gun seems clunky. The 870 action worked perfectly and I will probably put the original furniture on it. The Bullpup Unlimited conversion seems a little too big and bulky for what it is. Back in 1999, the Bullpup Unlimited conversion was revolutionary and helped solve problems for a short shotgun at the time. Today there are countless options for bullpup options like the Kel-Tec KSG and DP-12. These new bullpup options are way more ergonomic and are streamlined compared to a Bullpup Unlimited conversion. I definitely plan on keeping the Bullpup 870 just for the novelty and it’s a pretty cool part of history for just $250.

There are always great options and deals out there if you take the time to look. The old man behind the counter may have been unpleasant to deal with but in the end, I got a really good deal on this shotgun. It’s never a bad thing to ask if they will take less because the worst they can say is no and that’s really it. Let me know what you guys have found lately at the pawn and gun shops in the comments below. If you have questions feel free to send me a message on Instagram @fridgeoperator. Stay safe out there!