[Ocaptainmycaptain]

In my pursuit of purchasing a used Wingmaster I'm noticing that most of the guns I see online are chambered in 2 and 3/4 inches while only a handful come with the 3-inch chamber. Does this have anything to do with the age of the gun? Was there a particular year that the Wingmaster came out with the 3-inch chamber?

Because my intended use will be a combination of home defense and clay shooting, either sized chamber will probably suffice, although it would be nice to have the flexibility of the larger chamber if I did want to shoot 2 and 3/4 inch ammo.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[DaleCooper51]

For shooting clays and self defense, a 2 3/4" chambered gun will do fine. 99.999% of the shells I fire are 2 3/4". If hunting waterfowl, then I would opt for a 3" chambered gun.

[Fred Fuller]

The 870 Wingmaster Magnum (3" chamber)was introduced in 1955, 5 years after the 870 was first marketed. The serial number on 12 gauge 870s set up to handle 3" magnums end in M.

The standard 2 3/4" chamber will do fine, unless you want to go waterfowling or turkey hunting. If that's the case then you might want to hold out for an 870 Magnum.

lpl

ETA- and standard 12 ga. 870s set up for 2 3/4" shells have serial numbers ending in V. Forgot to mention that...

[Ocaptainmycaptain]

Thanks Lee and Dale.

I don't have any intentions of hunting water fowl at the moment, so the 2 and 3/4 inch should be fine. If I change my mind down the road, well I can worry about it then.

[oneounceload]

although it would be nice to have the flexibility of the larger chamber if I did want to shoot 2 and 3/4 inch ammo.

??????????

I'm taking it you meant to say 3" chamber?

As previously mentioned, except for turkey/waterfowl, 2-3/4 is plenty for upland and HD

[Ocaptainmycaptain]

No, what I was saying was that the larger chamber gives me the flexibility to shoot either 3-inch or 2 and 3/4 inch shells.

[Virginian]

Somewhere along the line (I'm thinking mid '80s but can't really remember) they stopped making 2-3/4" chambered non-target guns. Aside from the rollmarking, the only differences are the recoil pad on older 3" guns only, the chamber length, and the ejector and ejector spring.

[22-rimfire]

The other change that happened to the 870 was the use of the Rem choke (inserts) rather than fixed choke barrels. That happened in the mid-to- late 1980's or so. I don't recall exactly, but I bought a new Wingmaster in about 1979 with a modified choke. Also barrels were changed to be safe for steel shot as well.

[turkeyhntr]

If your firearm does not have a magnum receiver don't fire 3incn rounds in it even if the barrel states for 2 3/4 or 3inch. In some cases with used firearms these magnum barrels can end up on none magnum receiver.

[Virginian]

It is not unsafe to fire 3" shells, as long as the barrel says 3". The receivers are the same. 3" just may not eject cleanly from a 2-3/4" gun. I have actually seen quite a few older 2-3/4" 870s where 3" shells worked fine. I think Remington figured out people were magnumizing guns by going to 3" barrels, and started making sure the regular guns had regular ejectors, but I have no proof of that.