Need Help Installing Heatshield on 870

[the yetty]

I recently got a remington 870 HD, 18.5" barrel, synthetic stock and forend.

the forend is the stock, and is the longer then the "tactical" aftermarket ones (don't think that makes a difference).

I just bought an ATI heatshield and was trying to put it on my barrel.

I popped off the barrel, put the heat shield on, bent the tabs in, screwed the front part, and went to put the barrel back on and it won't fit, the forend keeps hitting the heat shield. I called ATI and they said thats a little wierd but happens sometimes. They told me to bend the entire heatshield around the barrel and make it as tight as i could. So i went back and did that that.

I also took note that there wasn't very much clearance between my forend and the barrel.

retried mounting, closer, but still no fit. so i took my forend off and too some rough grained sand paper and a metal file and started taking some plastic off. Tried again, still no fit.

At this point I am just frustrated, is it supose to be this hard to get a heatshield on. Am I doing something wrong here. I am about to go to a gunsmith (because i don't have a dremel, which at this point i think is necessary, or at least some other kind of tool). Is it worth it, I have a hard time paying someone to put a heat shield on for me, it is worth buying a new forend????

What are you guys thoughts / suggestions ?

[[TASF]Overkill]

The "sporting" forend is crap, and was the first thing to go on my gun. I went to chuck a shell in, and the end of my sweat-shirt sleeve caught in it. Hard. If you ever add a sling, that'll get stuck in it eventually, and if you ever want to add a side-saddle for shells, you're screwed there too.

I bought one of these for 5 dollars:
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpag...eitemid=567279

Just about any after-market forend would do. I'd sell you one with a picatinny rail and vertical grip if you were interested. It didn't much suit me.

[the yetty]

Well, you pretty much convinced me to get a new forend. I was looking at midwayUSA. (thanks for the link by the way).

Whats the difference between all those forends? My only experiance with Hogue grips is with pistols. I assume they are good, but the Scattergun technology one looks good too. any suggestions.

Also, (warning potentially stupid question coming up) after I disassemble my 870, how do i remove the foregrib from the rails and tube?

Thanks again for your response.

[[TASF]Overkill]

The Hogue I have is mildly squishy, very grippy rubber. It took some time to get it to really fit well (it "stuck' a little in the full back position), but a little heavy use on a hot barrel and some Eezox and it works like a champ now.

The difference? Price. I can't see a forend (once you get past the basic length problem) effecting the function of the shotgun... You can either grip it, or you can't... And since mine was $5, I bought it. Hehe. No real suggestions there... I'd prefer to spend the 14 dollars price difference between the scattergun-tech and Hogue somewhere else though.

The foregrip is held on by a big slotted nut thing. I used a pair of pliars (Spread apart, with the tips making contact in the slots) to screw and unscrew it. There's probably a better way though.