Need advice on Remington 870

[Rather_B_Fishing]

So I have decided to take up pheasant hunting and expand my deer hunting arsenal, so I decided a reliable Remington 870 12 gage is in order. I would like to keep the cost down so I am OK going with used. I would like to get the shotgun with 2 barrels (1 for bird hunting and 1 for deer) and a scope. Is the simple Express model adequate for both deer and pheasant or should I go with the Magnum Express or the Wingmaster? What could I expect to pay for the setup used? For reference I went to Cab's and they had the 870 Express for $330 new, and a new slug barrel/scope combo was $270 for a grand total of $600 before tax. Thanks for any input.

[dan z]

Your not going to touch a new wing master for that amount with just one barrel... If you find a used one check for a cracked stock as it was a common problem in the 70's through 80's.

[bak2MN]

If you can find a good used wingmaster that is what I would get. Awesome gun love mine.

[Gordie]

RatherBfishing I would start with a new 870 express then save up for a slug barrel or wait foor a used one to come along you may find a used 870 in express or even a wing master but the prices will varry from a 100 to 200 difference between the two.

I have both styles and they are both great guns.

finding a slug barrel is also going to be something that you will have to make a decssion on as they make the smooth bore and a rifled barrel for them and the smooth bore is awhole lot cheaper than a rifled one. again I have both and I use the smooth bore with great results. Just some things to think of.

If your looking for an used gun try the gun show in Pine City next weekend should be lots of good deals there. I may even be working it for our shooters club.

click on this link.

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/3012797/GUN_SHOW#Post3012797

[Whoaru99]

Have a few different barrels for my Remington Sportsman 12 Mag. It has never let me down.

It ain't pretty but it works well.

[buddha]

I have two 870's, one Wingmaster that is close to 35 yrs old and has shot a ton of ducks and deer with the same barrel. A few years back I bought a slug barrel and made that my deer gun and bought a 870 express at a DU banquet for duck hunting. I love the gun, have had very little to no breakdowns ever. The express has served me very well and taken tons of abuse. I love the 870 so matter which model you choose or have chosen you will not be let down.

[TruthWalleyes]

Get an old beat up wingmaster....the rest are junk imo

Mine has got to be 40 years old and has never jammed a shell.

My roommate got a new express and he can't get through a round of sporting Clays without jamming 5+ times.

[Gordie]

I have only had one thing happen to my express and it was the ejector broke many many years ago and its never failed me, even then it would still fire but it was only a single shot.

[DonBo]

Get an old beat up wingmaster....the rest are junk imo

Mine has got to be 40 years old and has never jammed a shell.

My roommate got a new express and he can't get through a round of sporting Clays without jamming 5+ times.

My take exactly. Had my Wingmaster for over 30 years anyway, with not one issue. Ever. A good friend has an Express and rarely gets through a turkey season without some kind of problem.

[HOBBSTER]

I have the 870 express mag combo, synthetic stock, powder coated barrels, came with a 24" rifled slug barrel with a Bushnell Banner scope and a 28" bird barrel.

Never had an issue, even after it got submerged in a duck pond.

I shoot Hornady SST slugs and feel the bushnell banner scope is underpowered for the performance as I've reached out to deer 100+ yards and routinely target shoot at 140 yards.

I like it and don't have any complaints.

[toughguy]

If you can find a good used wingmaster that is what I would get. Awesome gun love mine.

+1 Love my Wingmaster too. It's a 70's model. I've got a plain ole 870 express from the late 90's that stays at home. I haven't had any jamming issues with my express. The WM just seems to be easier for me to shoot. Pulls up very nice.

[Musky Buck]

I got my first wingmaster in 1981, dad to, back then it was a standard full choke with a 30" barrel, then won an express with the 28" mod choke with changealbe tubes if I ever buy any I doubt it, then got 2 synthetic express 3.5" pumps, all pumps of course. Still won't buy anything else, but we've had our share of issues, the 3.5" have jammed with way too much frequency talking only 3.5" shells, the triggers on our wingmasters and the wooden express have all failed and will fire rounds with the safety on. Just the other night, I lined up a big nasty tomcat and after I fired it like broke the safety it's now stuck in the fire position, so I like them, but eventually I think if you fire enough rounds through them they could fail on you, and we take as good of care before during and after season as possible, 3 of 5 are headed to the gunsmith very soon. I still feel knowing how many rounds we've put through them that they've been for the price up front, alright. With any gun tons of rounds through them or not they can give out on you in one area or another.

[bobbymalone]

I got my 12ga express mag about 20 years ago and I don't think it's ever jammed a shell.

[Musky Buck]

Is it a 3.5" ? Those jam and the worst part is I only fire Remington shells through them. When I shoot 2 3/4 or 3" through that 3.5" gun it works just fine. Realize this about my previous post, 2 of them were used in the 80's remember how plentiful ducks were back then and ruffed grouse so we were firing 5 years worth of rounds through them in a single year, they got tons of use and in the late 80's geese and pheasants even buckshot at coyotes, and pigeons and crows etc. They pounded out tons of rounds, trap shooting also. For the price still the best in my eyes even having some difficulties with them and man we clean oil etc. etc. take excellent care of them.

[bobbymalone]

my 870 is a 3". I don't think they had the supermags when that gun was made. I usually don't shoot super cheap shells, and when I do it's 2 3/4 federal trap loads.

I've done some duck boat comparisons of shells, at least 3.5 inchers, and the length of the unfolded empty shells differed by about a quarter of an inch. Coincidentally, my duck gun (mossy 935) likes to jam up on the longer 3.5 inch shells.

[Musky Buck]

Buddies Browning also, that's why an Amish can call 1 of my 3.5" his now after the auction. Never had a 2 3/4 or 3" jam unless it was my fault by not clicking it into the magazine and it would slide back that style of a jam, but my 3.5" jams after the shot and did on both guns brand new out of the box, strange but oh well, I learned a lesson.

[Musky Buck]

Should've added I did send 1 back to Remington and the rig a morol that was and got it back, 1st day of goose hunting and of course shot 1 pump and was all jammed up again so thought there's no use sending it back again so it turned into a single shot pump because I'd have to pry the empty out after each volley, so then what would they refund my money ? So I busted out brand new same gun # 2 and same, I was very disappointed knowing how great my wingmasters were for so many years. It was a 3.5" issue though.

[Lund79]

I have 1 870 express and no issues with jamming. I have an 870 super express mag and no jam issues either. I have only shot about 5 3.5" out of it due to the recoil and now only shoot 2 3/4" for deer, pheasant, grouse and 3" for turkeys. I also have an 887 that I use for turkey (3") and pheasant (2 3/4") with no issues of jamming.

[Musky Buck]

Lund, Remington should be sued immediately for way excessive recoil in the 3.5" BB Hypersonic load and failing to mention that on the box. I'd love to hand them my 870 Super Mag in 3.5" synthetic black pump and watch them blaze through a box of that garbage at nearly 30 clams a box at the angles waterfowlers usually are presented when shooting the stuff. My collarbone still isn't right and I have a permanent bone bruise on my middle finger from the trigger guard and this was after 2 or 3 shots of that stuff and 2 years ago now, and I aint a little guy really or that weak a guy or inexperienced. There's no way their field tester survived testing that stuff in a pump, absolutely the worst shell ever made, maybe auto guys don't mind it. I didn't realize buying it 1700 feet per second meant you be getting very violent recoil to boot. Lesson learned.

[Musky Buck]

Thing about those shells is I used to go with 3.5" Nitro Steel T shot and heard they quit making it of course and the recoil was nothing hardly, like shooting at a deer you never feel the recoil really, which stinks because it worked great out of my gun, really folded the birds well so my option was well if I want to still crank remington's through a remington my option was sorta that hypersonic stuff so I ordered up 10 boxes of it and split it with a relative so we each had 5, he can't stand it either so now we're sitting on 240 dollars of squat lol.

[Gordie]

MB go back to 2 3/4 BBB for geese I did and have been having great success I also use 2 3/4 4s for ducks and this past season in Nodak shooting divers in 35-50 mph winds the 2 3/4 Winchesters dropped all of our birds too.

No need for that extra shot in the shell. if you miss your just missing with more shot and more money per miss.

[harvey lee]

Isn't the only difference between the Wingmaster and the Express the wood? I was told the actions and barrels were the same as the Wingmaster.

I know guys who have the Express and have had great luck with the gun.

For pheasants and going slug hunting the 2-3/4 inch will work fine, no need for a 3" or a magnum.

Use to be years ago one could go to an auction and pick up guns for a reasonable price but it seems now that they sell for as much or more at the auctions, people go crazy on some used guns.

As far as a slug barrel, watch hsolist and other places as they do come up for sale now and then. Then you have to decide if you want to buy a smoothbore or a rifled barrel for the longer, more accurate shots.

[harvey lee]

Lund, Remington should be sued immediately for way excessive recoil in the 3.5" BB Hypersonic load and failing to mention that on the box. I'd love to hand them my 870 Super Mag in 3.5" synthetic black pump and watch them blaze through a box of that garbage at nearly 30 clams a box at the angles waterfowlers usually are presented when shooting the stuff. My collarbone still isn't right and I have a permanent bone bruise on my middle finger from the trigger guard and this was after 2 or 3 shots of that stuff and 2 years ago now, and I aint a little guy really or that weak a guy or inexperienced. There's no way their field tester survived testing that stuff in a pump, absolutely the worst shell ever made, maybe auto guys don't mind it. I didn't realize buying it 1700 feet per second meant you be getting very violent recoil to boot. Lesson learned.

Seems anytime ones wants a faster shot or a larger load, you will feel it in the shoulder.

Price one pays for a big load.

I can buy differenet loads for my 300 mag and the difference is, a bit more kick with the heavy loads.

[Lund79]

[bobbymalone]

Isn't the only difference between the Wingmaster and the Express the wood? I was told the actions and barrels were the same as the Wingmaster.

Different finishes on the barrel/receiver.

I'm thinking there are some plastic parts on express that are metal in the wingmaster. I also think there are some metal internal parts that are molded with the express and milled for the wingmaster.

I believe all the parts are interchangeable though.