[Lone Star]

Most here probably know that Remington was sued for using weak barrel steel on older 12 ga. guns, meaning all they made until the last few years. The steel was "marraging" steel, not as strong, apparently, as chrome moly.

What does this really mean to the consumer who might purchase a used M870? Depending on what turns up in the used market, I might get one made far enough back that it hasn't got interchangeable chokes. I think that if I have a Imp. Cylinder or Modified choke, I can get all the performance I need by selecting ammo for the patterns I want.

But, how unsafe are these guns? After all, Remington sold a trainload of them before that lawsuit, and I don't know if they then changed the steel or not. What's the word?

And, does this affect only 12 ga. guns? I may well get a 20 ga.

Lone Star

[9mmMike]

Did they lose the suit or settle?
Was there a recall? If not, then I doubt very much it was much of problem but more of a symptom of an increasingly litigious society.
I have read that some early 1100's were thin-walled and could be "bulged" if not careful but I have never read of any injuries or accidents that were blamed on poor-quality Remington barrels.
IMHO, this is a non-issue. All my 870's are used and I shoot the snot out of them with all sorts of different ammo. I have never, nor will I ever, spared a second thought to a barrel causing me injury due to poor manufacturing.
YMMV,
Mike

[Lone Star]

Remington took out big magazine ads at the time in what I believe was a class-action lawsuit. They admitted no liability, but don't know if they changed the steel or not. I believe Remington did lose the suit.

There was a question in some people's minds if the party who filed the suit had fired the gun with an obstruction (snow, mud, etc.) in the barrel, although they swore that wasn't the case.

Lone Star

[Edward429451]

I was in on that. I got IIRC, about 6 or 7 dollars for having an older Wingmaster. I never gave it another thought and shoot whatever I want to out of it with no KB's so far.

[Dave McCracken]

Idiots managed to stop up the muzzles of their 870s and blow off the ends of their barrels. Others managed to place a blockage in their barrels or use reloads of non standard loadings (Overloads) and blew up their barrels,damaging their own bilateral symmetry.

The NRA ran some tests at the time and concluded that faulty barrels on 870s were scarcer than virtue in Government. They duplicated the damage done by stopping up the barrels and shooting them in machine rests. Damage EXACTLY matched that in the guns owned by the plaintiffs.

One 870 was given an incredible number of proof loads, which it fired w/o probs.

More idiots in court awarded those idiots plenty of Big Green's money, and the barrels thenceforth have been designed by lawyers, not engineers or craftsmen.

Anyone with old 870 barrels they distrust can donate them to me. I'll give them a good home.....

[Topgun]

Wa'al, iffen yew cain't shoot a mud plug at a coot, whut th' hell use is a gun, Gomer?

[HSMITH]

I have an 1100 with one of those horrible weak blow-up prone barrels. Even with the full choke magnum loads of BB steel shot has not bothered it a bit. There is NOTHING wrong with those barrels.

[Topgun]

HSMITH, you're wrong. I am considering suing Remington for their bad barrels.

Mine is so bad that it even misses doves.

[HSMITH]

LOL, I had not thought about that, can I get in on some of that action?