Express gone, hello Fieldmaster

Roll a $100 bill up and put it in the chamber of a Rem Arms LLC 870 Fieldmaster and I would not give you $80 for it. Remington is dead to me while the current leadership is in control of the company. YMMV.

I'll stick with the express magnum I bought at Kmart in 1992 for $180 and continue to use copious amounts of motor oil on the finish to prevent rust.

The Field Master was what they called their 22 pump.

Hey at least when they make this pos it won't taint the wingmaster name.

coonbait

The Field Master was what they called their 22 pump.

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Many years ago I use to borrow a Fieldmaster .22 from a friend of mine to go hunting small game. It had seen better days cosmetically speaking, but man that pump action was oh so slick and quick! Accuracy was still pretty good too!

bannockburn said:

coonbait


Many years ago I use to borrow a Fieldmaster .22 from a friend of mine to go hunting small game. It had seen better days cosmetically speaking, but man that pump action was oh so slick and quick! Accuracy was still pretty good too!

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I have my Dad's 1950 model 121 Fieldmaster that was the first non-BB gun I ever fired. As you said, they are slick, and accurate. I've never had a scope on this one, but shooting with iron sights it is as accurate as my modern CZ 452s with iron sights. In fact, I can just barely outshoot the CZs with the 121, but in fairness, the u-notch rear / bead front sight on the 121 work a little better for me when shooting for target groups than the more coarse tangent sights on the CZ.



Here's the 452 Trainer during the "competition."

Once (you) clean up the Rim cut-out in the Express chamber, the 870's a workhorse.
If you don't... you're rolling the dice on steel-base ammunition jamming the action shut on 1st shot.

Why Remington to allow this QC issue to continue after it became a universal Express problem is beyond me.

I got my first Wingmaster in the early 80s. Have had a couple others from the late 80s, some SP and Police models too.
Also several Pre Cerberus Express.
Actually, one Express was the slickest of em all.
2nd would go to my first Special Field.

Currently my only 870 is a J lock Supermag Turkey model. Bought it used.
It doesn't rust.
Its killed turkeys doves and rabbits.
The rib isn't perfectly straight, has a slight bow to it in middle, but you don't look at the middle of the rib when shooting.
Its so slight as to not be a prob. And the bradley front and mid bead do line up to center the pattern.

Seen many of the first run Remchoke Wingmasters and 1100s w boogered choke machining, buddy got 2 new 1187s that were crooked.

Anyway, my cheap used Supermag is a killing machine. Not super slick but not a clunker either.

My bud still runs his '79 Magnum Wingmaster. Its cool.

But thats about all I can say about it. I like matte finish and plastic stocks, because I hunt hard and have a bit of OCD.
I work mine and it still looks dang near new.

Theres no romance for me, w old Remingtons. Ive had em, 788, 700, 552,572, 511,541T, 870 and 1100.......multiples of each.
There's no romance with the newer stuff either.

Have learned that if it fits and shoots where it's supposed to, I have arrived.
Heck I dumped the old 1100T from around 77 because it clicked my cheek hard, twice, in a round of trap last summer.
Used to once in a while way back (comb reduced). Field stocks are no prob.

Nice gun, like new............bye bye.

Got no time to suffer while shooting. I still have my 1100 SP, swapped to plastic stock.

If Big Green can market something that splits the diff............utility of Express and romance of old, it might be a good marketing strategy.

As silly as old Express models are being sold for, a new gun wont be much more.

The ONLY rig I want is another Special Field 20 ga 870 and they fetch crazy price.
I won't kill enough rabbits to justify it.

https://www.remarms.com/shotguns/pump-action/model-870/
I just got back from browsing the Remarms website, above, after reading the OP of this thread.
Thirteen of 21 870 models have the "Express" name in them.
I'm guessing somebody made a decision there were too many models/SKUs to the 870 product line and it's likely too difficult/troublesome to have so man SKUs when it's already too difficult to produce just a few models in enough quantity to meet demand.

I'd personally like to see Remarms supply enough parts to outfit all the repair shops and parts sellers/distributors, especially if the parts will fit the prior Remington company's existing 870 models. On a related note, it is & will also be a bit frustrating should somebody would want just a barrel with the various mag tube lengths, plus the finishes, barrel lengths, and barrel types, if buying just a barrel should even ever become an option again as it used to be.

I can only hope the Remington/Remarms 870 survives, as Mossberg also seems to be having trouble supplying the market with 500/590/590A1 models. I would have bought a #50765 Mossberg 590A1 last week but couldn't find one in my local gun stores. Mossberg, if you're listening, while I have budgeted some money for a new #50765, if I don't find it soon, that money seems to evaporate and get spent on other things.
https://www.mossberg.com/product/590a1-m-lok-50765/

Covid and the supply-chain situation have really hit the consumers & companies in the pump shotgun market (specifically Remington and Mossberg brands) hard.

L-2 said:

https://www.remarms.com/shotguns/pump-action/model-870/
I just got back from browsing the Remarms website, above, after reading the OP of this thread.
Thirteen of 21 870 models have the "Express" name in them.
I'm guessing somebody made a decision there were too many models/SKUs to the 870 product line and it's likely too difficult/troublesome to have so man SKUs when it's already too difficult to produce just a few models in enough quantity to meet demand.

I'd personally like to see Remarms supply enough parts to outfit all the repair shops and parts sellers/distributors, especially if the parts will fit the prior Remington company's existing 870 models. On a related note, it is & will also be a bit frustrating should somebody would want just a barrel with the various mag tube lengths, plus the finishes, barrel lengths, and barrel types, if buying just a barrel should even ever become an option again as it used to be.

I can only hope the Remington/Remarms 870 survives, as Mossberg also seems to be having trouble supplying the market with 500/590/590A1 models. I would have bought a #50765 Mossberg 590A1 last week but couldn't find one in my local gun stores. Mossberg, if you're listening, while I have budgeted some money for a new #50765, if I don't find it soon, that money seems to evaporate and get spent on other things.
https://www.mossberg.com/product/590a1-m-lok-50765/

Covid and the supply-chain situation have really hit the consumers & companies in the pump shotgun market (specifically Remington and Mossberg brands) hard.

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But Joe said every thing was fine man with the supply chain haha

I am not really sad to see the Express line go. It had become too bloated with too many corners cut as Remington struggled. I will give RemArms a chance to see if they can pull off a revival.

PapaG said:

I really hope it is equal to the vintage Wingmasters

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Yeah good luck with that.

But but but but what about the 887?

JCooperfan1911 said:

Yeah good luck with that.

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Don’t make them like they used to. That is for sure