[50calREV]

This is my first post but I have been reading for a while. Let me say everyone here seems knowledgable. Okay, I picked up an 870 Wingmaster 20ga for $125 at a yard sale. I couldn't pass it up. It has beautiful wood, the bluing is great, and it has a 28'' barrel. My dilema is I went to the Remington websight to look at barrels and I found that because the serial number ends in X the new barrels won't work. Does anyone know where I can get a barrel around 20'' to 24'' ? I really do not need the 28" barrel. Thank you all and have a good day.

[Fred Fuller]

REV,

Older 870s in 20 gauge were made on the same size frame as the 12 gauge guns- the X in the serial number indicates a full size frame, 20 gauge with a 2 3/4" chamber. Check around with local dealers in your area, or online at places like Corson's ( http://www.corsonsbarrels.com/ ) or Barrel Exchange ( http://www.barrelexchange.com/index.cfm ) and see what you can find.

Some folks just whack off old fixed-choke shotgun barrels without a second thought- let me urge you not to do that. Some of the old barrels pattern really well just as they are, and patterns can be 'adjusted' simply by changing loads, as we used to do in the olden days before choke tubes. Changing shot size, pellet hardness, buffering vs. nonbuffered loads, etc can make a lot of difference in pattern size even out of a fixed choke barrel.

Hope you can find a barrel that will work for you,

lpl/nc

[alsaqr]

i have the same gun you do. A good gunsmith can cut off the barrel and install a choke tube on that gun. BTW: Hastings makes a fully rifled slug barrel for that gun.

[50calREV]

Thankyou for the prompt replys. I will look into those websights.