[berettashotgun]

Pawnshop by the house has a 870 express for $150, but everyone knows that an 870 express rusts - quickly.
Still thought it was an OK deal.
Just giggle when I see a $400 tag on a '94 30-30 at the place.

[romeo212000]

$150 isnt bad and it only rusts if it is not cleaned after getting wet and not oiled well. I had mine for 3 years and never got a spot of rust on it.

[MAX100]

The 870 is very easy to refinish with a non rust finish.


GC

[dasanii19]

The 870 is very easy to refinish with a non rust finish.


GC

What finish do you suggest on a express model?

[Gord]

I got my Express for $190 OTD a while back at the local pawnshop with light surface rust. Came right off with superfine steel wool; rubbed the metal parts down with Vaseline, and in seven months of being kept in a hot, humid bedroom and taken out in humidity, rain and snow, it's developed not a lick of rust. I've only wiped it down with RemOil two or three times over that span.

Express guns will only rust if you don't bother to do a trivial amount of homework and think of parkerizing as a protective finish like bluing. It's not - the beauty of parking is that it holds protective coatings very well. Wipe it down with Vaseline, heavy oil, paste wax, or whatever (others will be along to suggest surface treatments, I'm sure) and you shouldn't have a problem.

In the meantime, more "rust-magnet piece of ****," Bubba's-ex-duck-gun deals for me on pawnshop racks...

[MAX100]

I put a matte black bake on ceramic finish on my shotguns with finish wear. It works well on bead blasted metal but it works best to put it over a parkerize finish. You never have to oil the outside with this finish only the inside.

Dupli-Color high heat black ceramic paint Heat the part with a hair dryer before applying each coat. Put three even thin coats, wait 30 mins and then bake it in a oven on 400 for 1 1/2 hours.

http://www.duplicolor.com/products/engine.html

It resist most gun cleaner solvents & all oils but Gun Scrubber, lacquer thinner, some carb cleaners will remove it.

Here is a shotgun I just did recently with the ceramic paint.

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii299/MAX100/KAPP-4.jpg


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[Regolith]

I've had my 870 for over a year now, and never had a spot of rust on it. I might wipe it down with gun oil once in a while after shooting, but other than that it doesn't get much babying.

If it rusts on you, you're doing something wrong.

[zinj]

The rumor that the Express guns rust comes from a misunderstanding. The finish is not parkerizing, it is a bead blast blue. While parkerizing does provide some protection to the metal, the bluing provides almost none but will hold a coat of oil well.

[Regolith]

Gun bluing IS a protection, whether it's smooth and well polished or bead blasted. What happens is that during the bluing process, the metal oxidizes in a controlled fashion and forms a type of "rust" - called blue - that, unlike normal rust, does a 1:1 replacement of the effected metal, and it prevents further rust to some degree.

The bead blasted coating DOES seem to hold oil well. Actually, it seems to hold ANYTHING well, which makes it a pain to clean sometimes.

I think the biggest problem with that finish is that unlike finish on the Wingmasters, the bead blasting process seems creates a thinner coating that may make it easier for rust to reach bare metal.

Either way, I don't think the Express model is overly prone to rust. They may not be the best choice for say, a tropical rain forest or a coastal area where it may be exposed to salt water, but it's fine in most other environments.

[Howaido]

I've found corrosion x to be the best. I put it on once or twice a year and have never had a prob with rust on my 870e.

[Fred Fuller]

I'm so glad to see the myths about the Express guns keep getting perpetuated. That just means there are more good deals on them out there for those who know better.

lpl/nc

[Snarlingiron]

I'm so glad to see the myths about the Express guns keep getting perpetuated. That just means there are more good deals on them out there for those who know better.

No, Lee is mistaken, those are not myths. No gun that is that cheap could possibly work correctly (unless, of course, it is made in China, and then $49.95 will get you the equivalent of a $50,000 Holland and Holland). Please send those miserable pieces of junk to me for proper disposal.

Seriously, I have been using something a little unconventional for many years. I have 2 870 Expresses, both bought brand new, and have never had a spec of rust on either of them.

There is a product known in the antique world known as "Finish Feeder". It is a mixture of beeswax, orange oil, and turpentine. I coat all of my guns with it, the wood and the metal. Leaves a nice thin coat of beeswax on the metal, and does a great job of protecting both wood and metal. Smells nice too. The 870 express is no different than any other steel gun. If you don't treat it right, it will rust.

[JeepGeek]

buy the gun, spend $50 on refinishing it with duracoat, and you're good to go.

[240SX]

You should have not problem refinishing it and that is a great deal. I have 2 870s myself, Express Super Magnum Water Foul XCS (Mossy Oak duck blind camo) and 870 Express Super Magnum (Mossy Oak). They are both synthetic coated, but I've had an 870 Express for years with no rust. I guess that good maintance is goes a long way. But this can be fixed and you'll have yourself one hell of a shotgun at one hell of a price! Good luck and happy shooting!!! Remington 870s are one of the best shotguns out there as far as I'm concerned!

[slik_rik30]

I have owned my 870 express for at least 12 years, its been my only dove gun since my single shot New England Pardner (still have that too). Never a spot of rust on it and I have probably shot 3-4K rounds through that thing!

No special beeswax here, just cleaner and a wipe down the way my dad taught me.:rolleyes:

[riverdog]

Speaking of Duracoat, my last 870 came in cheap enough and with a rough enough finish to justify Robar's NP-3 treatment (http://www.coatingtechnologiesinc.com/services_plating_np3.html). hmmm

[Snarlingiron]

No special beeswax here, just cleaner and a wipe down the way my dad taught me.

Not really anything special, just something I used a lot in the Antique Clock restoration business. I had it, and thought "What the heck"? and just kept on using it.

I totally agree. Clean it and leave it with a light coating of some protectant, oil, wax, whatever, and you are good to go.

I was just thinking, it goes without saying, but I'm gonna say it anyway:

Keep your mits off the metal when you handle the thing. If you do touch the metal wipe it down.

DuraCoat kind takes care of that too, doesn't it?

It sounds like a cool deal to me. I have bought a lot of firearms that had a scratch or ding or light surface rust and saved a lot of money.

[machinisttx]

I'm so glad to see the myths about the Express guns keep getting perpetuated. That just means there are more good deals on them out there for those who know better.

lpl/nc

I hunted with a guy that had problems with the trigger group pins falling out of his express model.

I can buy used wingmasters for the same(and sometimes less) price as express models. Guess which I'm gonna buy? I know where a 30" barreled 12 gauge WM is for a little over $200, and a 26"(I think) 20 gauge WM is for $160. If I didn't already have two 12 gauges, one 20 gauge, and one 16 gauge,(all wingmasters) I'd already own them.