fitting a shotgun

[fishingstar]

looking for some info on shotguns. I have a 870 wingmaster for my son. It is to big for him. Will a youth stock fit on it?

Also it has 30" barrel with a full choke. So I'm looking for barrel ideas also. This would be used for pheasant hunting.

Dan

[leechlake]

I think trading it for a different gun would be much cheaper but maybe there is sentimental reasons to keep it.

[Sifty]

I think trading it for a different gun would be much cheaper but maybe there is sentimental reasons to keep it.

+1

You can get a youth model for him fo a couple of hundred.

Sifty

[fishingstar]

It was my first gun. He wants to hunt with it. also the gun is spotless.

what would the value be on a trade?

[mamohr686]

You will probably be low-balled, because it has a full fixed choke. Your gun sold new for about $300 back in the day, but now the wingmaster is $650 retail. The problem is that you can't shoot steel shot, without the posibility of doing dammage to the barrel. My guess is that you would be offered $200 in cash or $250 trade-in at Gander, cabellas or scheels. (some places may not take it with a fixed full choke due to liability) A 30" barrel will also be difficult to swing on pheasants for a 12 year old. Most youth guns are 24" barrels, and 26" length is usually preferred for pheasants or grouse. Your gun was the ideal duck gun back in the 60-70's. You can have the choked opened up by a gunsmith for $80 to $100, I would consider going to a Light modified/skeet II choke between I.C. and MOD. You can purchase a youth stock for the gun. Brownells and Midway used to sell aftermarket synthetic stocks and forearms for a reasonable price, but I haven't checked them out lately.

I would keep it in the gun safe as a heirloom if your son is interested in hunting with it. It would probably bother both of you if he scratched it up bad. A youth gun will fit him better, and he will probably be more sucessful with it. let him put the first scratches in a cheaper gun to start out with.

[Raider4ever]

My Dad had that exact same model. 2 3/4, 30", full choke barrel. Yes, fantastic duck gun back then. It was a PITA in the woods though. Parents got me an 870 WM (lefty) for HS grad present going on 33 yrs. ago. 28" fixed modified choke, only shoot 2 3/4 (no steel) Love that gun. It pokes clay pigeons pretty far out (no reflexes).

[Surface Tension]

Even if you found a cheap short stock the shotgun will be way out of balance.

So in thinking your going to hang onto this firearm because of sentimental reasons,

I'd make the gun useful or should I say versatile. A 30" Full Choke would be OK for pheasant, turkey, and trap.

I'd be looking for another barrel with choke tubes or I'd find a good gunsmith and have the barrel cut down and tapped for choke tubes. Kids grow up fast and will fit into that shotgun soon enough. In the meantime get him a youth shotgun. New or used and sell it when he grows out of it or he can pass it down to his son or daughter.

[fishingstar]

Talk to a guy from town that works on guns. He suggested just what surface tension suggested to do take it to laib's in Spicer cut the barrel down and put a choke tube in. He has a youth synthetic stock.

Dan