870 Project (long) - Page 2

DILLIGAF · October 5th, 2006, 01:40 PM

sounds like you found a great deal there

instead of the wd40 and the air compressor i use kroil in a cheap $3spray bottle and just wipe off the excess it's not quite as messy and can be done in the house. the kroil and steel wool is also great at taking off rust, i have used it quite a bit on a different things too.

'75scout · October 5th, 2006, 04:29 PM

There is definatly a difference between the new Express models and the Wingmasters, especially the older Wingmasters. If you can get an old and new 870 side by side all you have to do is handle them and cycle the action and you will feel the quality of the older one.

Warhawk · October 5th, 2006, 08:13 PM

Grab it before somebody else does. I've owned a lot of 870's and an "express" model has yet to grace my safe. There are untold numbers of Wingmasters on the used gun racks of almost anyplace that sells used guns.

As far as action bars, some older pumpguns of other brands (Ithaca, mossberg, etc) had single action bars, but I've never seen an 870 that didn't have two.

'75scout · October 5th, 2006, 09:39 PM

Winchesters 1300 also had single action bar.

skunkworks · October 6th, 2006, 11:45 AM

I've got an old Remington Mod. 29 12 guage. It has a single action bar and ejects out the bottom via Browning design. Not my HD gun, but thought I would share.

sgtD · October 6th, 2006, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by '75scout

Winchesters 1300 also had single action bar.

I have a 1200 defender, and it has double bars.

I also have a Mossberg 500 (Revelation/Western Auto) in 20GA that has the single bar. It works fine, but the forearm flops all around and feels loose, I don't like it nearly as much as the double bar types.

This thread has gotten me thinking. I think I might be scouring the local bargain bins for an 870 wingmaster myself.

cphilip · October 19th, 2006, 04:31 PM

I am currently reworking an older Wingmaster that was my Dads. Just finished taking it all the way apart and bringing it back together now. I believe this one would be from about 63 0r 64. Double action bar. Currently sporting the original wood in pretty remarkably good shape, but have taken that off and boxing that up (for preservation) and sticking a synthetic black stock and foregrip onto it to make it more or less a HD model. Putting on a 7 round extender and a clamp on Pelican light I had. I had, a good while back, purchased a 20" Slug non riffled Slug barrel for it so I am going to use that and stash the original 28" Modified barrel. The Slug barrel has adjustable rear rifle style sights on it. Makes a nice clean short package and its not much effor to revert it for the field if I want to. Had not ever tried a newer Express and am suprised to hear that the quality is that far off.

I wish I had a Parkerized version of this. Dad sort of let the guns sit in the old style cabinet without their yearly oiling there in his last years and this one developed some spots on it. I have brushed those down with 0000 steel wool and oil as best I can but there is some roughness. Old style blueing issues.

Unfortunately I got this gun and something happened to many of his guns I will never know for certain. An old Winchester Model 12, a couple of Fox Stevens Doubles and particularly a very old No name 8 gauges double Black powder punt gun that had all sorts of engraving and inlay. Some sort of unique european hand made "gentelmans waterfowler piece" that probably had historical significance. All dissapeared and no telling wha the did with them. He got sort of senile in the last few years of his life and let people talk him out of things and take advantage of him.

I did get a few of them before that. Mainly because they were loaned to me or my Son and he just forgot about them. The rest... he probably got swindled out of.

Hekkenschutze · October 20th, 2006, 01:31 AM

Well that is a shocking post for me because my first shotgun was a 870 express magnum 20 gauge when I was 10. I lived on a farm and hunted roughly 350 days a year (holidays and trips were a bummer) and harvested squirrel, deer, rabbit, snake, quail, dove, geese, duck...you name it! But I never had a problem EVER with my shotgun. I reloaded my own shells (I am in the MTA and ATA, both lifetime memberships) and took the best care of my guns. Even to this day I bring out my honey of a shotgun 870 and shoot skeet and still never experience any problems.
I do plan on getting a Mossberg 500 pistol grip pump though, for home protection and three gun tactical shoots and the gun range

CaCrusin · October 23rd, 2006, 06:50 PM

Remington had to face the economic reality that they couldn't compete with Mossberg, the Turks, Chinese, and the Philipino gun makers with the Wingmaster. It takes time (and that means money) to get the great finish and smooth operation found on the Wingmaster guns and people don't want to pay for that. Remington's answer is the Express. It doesn't have the same fit and finish as the Wingmaster but it is a great shotgun for the money. You can still buy the high quality finish and smoothness with the 870P or Wingmaster models. You are going to pay for it though.

Mossberg guns are fine but are absolutely economy grade guns, unless you step up for their Crown models. The bottom line is , "You get what you pay for!"

ghost tracker · October 31st, 2006, 04:17 PM

Have to agree with CaCrusin & Hekkenschutze. The 870 Express isn't as smooth & pretty as a Wingmaster... but fragile? In my experience they're plenty tough. We have several as "loaner" guns at our local gun club (skeet, trap, sporting clays). Never a waver, hiccup or problem through tens of 1000s of rounds. I dare say with the number of "shucks" these guns have endured, they're as smooth to cycle as most Wingmasters. If the gun is resting muzzle-up in the rack & you trip the slide release, the bolt will slide back to fully-retracted with only the force of gravity pulling on it. That's pretty smooth.

October 5th, 2006, 01:40 PM	#11
DILLIGAF Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: NW. Indiana Posts: 36	sounds like you found a great deal there instead of the wd40 and the air compressor i use kroil in a cheap $3spray bottle and just wipe off the excess it's not quite as messy and can be done in the house. the kroil and steel wool is also great at taking off rust, i have used it quite a bit on a different things too. __________________ 911 Government sponsored dial a prayer!

October 6th, 2006, 11:45 AM	#15
skunkworks Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Michigan Posts: 87	I've got an old Remington Mod. 29 12 guage. It has a single action bar and ejects out the bottom via Browning design. Not my HD gun, but thought I would share. __________________ "Anyone that don't wanna get killed, better head on out the back" -Clint Eastwood in Unforgiven

October 19th, 2006, 04:31 PM	#17
cphilip Distinguished Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: South Carolina Posts: 1,392	I am currently reworking an older Wingmaster that was my Dads. Just finished taking it all the way apart and bringing it back together now. I believe this one would be from about 63 0r 64. Double action bar. Currently sporting the original wood in pretty remarkably good shape, but have taken that off and boxing that up (for preservation) and sticking a synthetic black stock and foregrip onto it to make it more or less a HD model. Putting on a 7 round extender and a clamp on Pelican light I had. I had, a good while back, purchased a 20" Slug non riffled Slug barrel for it so I am going to use that and stash the original 28" Modified barrel. The Slug barrel has adjustable rear rifle style sights on it. Makes a nice clean short package and its not much effor to revert it for the field if I want to. Had not ever tried a newer Express and am suprised to hear that the quality is that far off. I wish I had a Parkerized version of this. Dad sort of let the guns sit in the old style cabinet without their yearly oiling there in his last years and this one developed some spots on it. I have brushed those down with 0000 steel wool and oil as best I can but there is some roughness. Old style blueing issues. Unfortunately I got this gun and something happened to many of his guns I will never know for certain. An old Winchester Model 12, a couple of Fox Stevens Doubles and particularly a very old No name 8 gauges double Black powder punt gun that had all sorts of engraving and inlay. Some sort of unique european hand made "gentelmans waterfowler piece" that probably had historical significance. All dissapeared and no telling wha the did with them. He got sort of senile in the last few years of his life and let people talk him out of things and take advantage of him. I did get a few of them before that. Mainly because they were loaned to me or my Son and he just forgot about them. The rest... he probably got swindled out of. __________________ www.cphilip.com

October 23rd, 2006, 06:50 PM	#19
CaCrusin New Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Paso Robles, CA Posts: 12	Remington had to face the economic reality that they couldn't compete with Mossberg, the Turks, Chinese, and the Philipino gun makers with the Wingmaster. It takes time (and that means money) to get the great finish and smooth operation found on the Wingmaster guns and people don't want to pay for that. Remington's answer is the Express. It doesn't have the same fit and finish as the Wingmaster but it is a great shotgun for the money. You can still buy the high quality finish and smoothness with the 870P or Wingmaster models. You are going to pay for it though. Mossberg guns are fine but are absolutely economy grade guns, unless you step up for their Crown models. The bottom line is , "You get what you pay for!" __________________ CaCrusin ______________________ SI VIS PACEM PARABELLUM ______________________ www.knoxx.com

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October 5th, 2006, 04:29 PM	#12
'75scout Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 1,165	There is definatly a difference between the new Express models and the Wingmasters, especially the older Wingmasters. If you can get an old and new 870 side by side all you have to do is handle them and cycle the action and you will feel the quality of the older one.

October 5th, 2006, 08:13 PM	#13
Warhawk Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 107	Grab it before somebody else does. I've owned a lot of 870's and an "express" model has yet to grace my safe. There are untold numbers of Wingmasters on the used gun racks of almost anyplace that sells used guns. As far as action bars, some older pumpguns of other brands (Ithaca, mossberg, etc) had single action bars, but I've never seen an 870 that didn't have two.

October 5th, 2006, 09:39 PM	#14
'75scout Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 1,165	Winchesters 1300 also had single action bar.

October 20th, 2006, 01:31 AM	#18
Hekkenschutze Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Arkansas Posts: 126	Well that is a shocking post for me because my first shotgun was a 870 express magnum 20 gauge when I was 10. I lived on a farm and hunted roughly 350 days a year (holidays and trips were a bummer) and harvested squirrel, deer, rabbit, snake, quail, dove, geese, duck...you name it! But I never had a problem EVER with my shotgun. I reloaded my own shells (I am in the MTA and ATA, both lifetime memberships) and took the best care of my guns. Even to this day I bring out my honey of a shotgun 870 and shoot skeet and still never experience any problems. I do plan on getting a Mossberg 500 pistol grip pump though, for home protection and three gun tactical shoots and the gun range

October 31st, 2006, 04:17 PM	#20
ghost tracker Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Ky Backwoods Posts: 742	Have to agree with CaCrusin & Hekkenschutze. The 870 Express isn't as smooth & pretty as a Wingmaster... but fragile? In my experience they're plenty tough. We have several as "loaner" guns at our local gun club (skeet, trap, sporting clays). Never a waver, hiccup or problem through tens of 1000s of rounds. I dare say with the number of "shucks" these guns have endured, they're as smooth to cycle as most Wingmasters. If the gun is resting muzzle-up in the rack & you trip the slide release, the bolt will slide back to fully-retracted with only the force of gravity pulling on it. That's pretty smooth.