1971 Wingmaster/ Restoration

[Kame B.]

Hey guys, so I got my hands on a well used Remington Wingmaster. The poor gun looked like the owner was drowning ducks bolt side down on their early morning hunts. The one side of the shot gun that says Wingmaster on it was in 90% great shape, were as the bolt side had a beautiful array of pits and wear to the bluing. The wood was swollen from water damage, and the clear coat was flaking off. At least it came with an extra barrel, but was a parkerized rem choke barrel for an express model. So... Lets get to work...



And some pictures for those with crappy data plans

 

[kudu]

Very nice job, I like how you kept the wood.

 

[Kame B.]

Very nice job, I like how you kept the wood.

Thank you sir, I try to keep it simple and original to the firearm when ever I restore them.

 

[AndyJ]

Question on the extra barrel.......
An Express model barrel does not have the ball detent on the ring that a Wingmaster does. I do not see a front sight on that short barrel. Has it been cut down? It looks short to me in the pictures. I hope you measured it.

 

[bannockburn]

Kame B.

Super nice restoration job! The metal polishing and rebluing along with the refinished wood make it look better than new!

 

[PapaG]

Did cold blue work on the receiver? I have had no luck with Rem receivers and cold blue.

 

[Kame B.]

Question on the extra barrel.......
An Express model barrel does not have the ball detent on the ring that a Wingmaster does. I do not see a front sight on that short barrel. Has it been cut down? It looks short to me in the pictures. I hope you measured it.

You are right the express model does not have the ball lock on the mag ring of the barrel, just got the screw that thing down tight when I go bird hunting. "Also a little tid bit of info"... When ever you buy a Remington factory mag tube extension the total length when it is added is 18 inches (from the end of the receiver to the tip of the mag tube). So I cut the barrel a quarter inch past the mag tube making my barrel length 18 1/4 inches. So if you ever see any pictures of 870's with the barrel cut shorter than the mag tube then they are SBS size. But it was a 30inch full choke barrel, and from the muzzle about 6inches down was total rust. I would have had to sand way too much of the barrel it would thinned the metal, so it got chopped.

 

[Kame B.]

Did cold blue work on the receiver? I have had no luck with Rem receivers and cold blue.

I used Birchwood Casey's super blue... two bottles of super blue. It oxidizes just fine on the receiver but comes out thin and wants the streak. Once the first coat was applied I had to really get down on the steel wool to rub out the streaks and even out the blue. At that point it looked like shinny char coal gray color, but not blue. I wiped on another coat of super blue very thick, I would wipe on a coat and let it dry and wiped on another coat before washing it off with water. It had some really thick streaks in the bluing, so I lightly rubbed it with 0000 steel wool. But I did rub out all the streaks, just buff and let it set. I put the receiver up to cure for 24 hours, I did this about 12 times, and on the last coat I spent an hour with steel wool rubbing out all the oxidation streaks vigorously. Then coated it with gun oil and let it set for 24 hours.

Side note: the metal has to be prepped perfectly and de-greased. Wear rubber gloves, they are not to protect your hands from the bluing but to keep the grease from your hands off the steel.

 

[AndyJ]

You are right the express model does not have the ball lock on the mag ring of the barrel, just got the screw that thing down tight when I go bird hunting. "Also a little tid bit of info"... When ever you buy a Remington factory mag tube extension the total length when it is added is 18 inches (from the end of the receiver to the tip of the mag tube). So I cut the barrel a quarter inch past the mag tube making my barrel length 18 1/4 inches. So if you ever see any pictures of 870's with the barrel cut shorter than the mag tube then they are SBS size. But it was a 30inch full choke barrel, and from the muzzle about 6inches down was total rust. I would have had to sand way too much of the barrel it would thinned the metal, so it got chopped.

You did a nice job of bringin' that old dog back to life.

I will trade "tidbits"' with you. Remington makes 2 different OEM mag extensions -a 2 and a 3 shot. Barrel length has *nothing* to do with exterior receiver measurements. Barrel length is measured from the breech face on a closed action to the end of the barrel. A wooden dowel is most commonly employed to facilitate measurement.

With the info you have given me, I am thinking your barrel is close to 19" which is way better than the other way around.

Be cautious on blanket statements......

This is an all OEM 870 Police Magnum with the exception of the TLR1. Note the barrel is shorter than the mag extension and it is certainly not an SBS. Yours would look similar with an 18" barrel.



And a 1962 Wingmaster I refurbished a few years ago........ This one has an 18.5" cut barrel with an XS tritium Big Dot front sight and a Wilson Combat rear ghost ring sight.

 

[Kame B.]

I've been told about the dowel rod method to measure the barrel, and I was also told by a game warden to keep it safe and measure it from the end of the receiver. It is a Remington OEM two shot extension, it measures 18 inches on my other 2 wingmasters all with 2 3/4 chambers. Also I have always liked the look of the barrel over lapping the mag tube just a bit

 

[200Apples]

Very nice work, especially on the re-blue. I love my Wingmasters and you did this one proud.

The game warden's advice you mention is rather dodgey. Barrel length is always measured from a closed bolt/closed action/bolt-in-battery position by the dowel method.

And I may second AndyJ's post because I too have seen recently-manufactured Remington 870 shotguns wearing 18.5" barrels and factory two-shot extensions that protrude, even slightly, beyond the muzzle.

 

[sappyg]

One of the best threads I've read in a good long while. Good work with that ratty 870 kameB.

 

[Kame B.]

Very nice work, especially on the re-blue. I love my Wingmasters and you did this one proud.

The game warden's advice you mention is rather dodgey. Barrel length is always measured from a closed bolt/closed action/bolt-in-battery position by the dowel method.

Oh he was only giving me better safe than sorry advice. And thanks for the complement, I say I have 2 more wingmasters but they are my dad and brother's shot guns, and they are at my place getting the wood spruced up. Those two saw my 870 and automatically gave me their shotguns to re-work the stock.

 

[goldpelican]

How were the internals? I have a similar vintage Wingmaster with the same furniture but the original 30" full choke barrel - one of the shell latches that looks like it should be staked inside the receiver falls out when I disassemble it - but it functions fine. Makes reassembly a real PITA.

 

[Kame B.]

How were the internals? I have a similar vintage Wingmaster with the same furniture but the original 30" full choke barrel - one of the shell latches that looks like it should be staked inside the receiver falls out when I disassemble it - but it functions fine. Makes reassembly a real PITA.

Bolt side shell latch... Am I right? Yeah mine does it to. But believe it or not the shot gun is solid, the bolt only had surface rust but no pits, trigger group was clean, and the extractor had little wear on it. I think it was a flood gun and been put up to rust for many years. I took it out before refinishing it and ran a box of bird shot through it and functioned fine. The pump is a little tight but it doesn't rattle and shake like some 870's I have held, over all it was a good shooter... something had to be done to it.

More eye candy!

 

[goldpelican]

Yes, bolt side.

 

[Kame B.]

Yes, bolt side.

Yeah so does my brothers 870. I've seen a few disassembly videos and all of them had the shell latch fall out when the trigger group was pulled. I'm guessing they are not stalked, but don't ask me why. Good thing you don't have to pull the trigger group out every time you clean it, over all the 870 is not a messy gun. I just wish every wingmaster I see at gun shows didn't look like it was tossed in a river.

 

[lorens]

Very good job of restoring a wonderful shot gun,

 

[Sniper66]

You do darn fine work. I recently bought an 870 at a gun show that looked much like your finished product. But, I don't have the satisfaction of knowing I brought it back from the dead!! By the way, none of my business, but I'd be really interested in what you paid fore it in it's damaged condition. Thanks for sharing the before and after pics. Sure wish I had the patience and skill it takes to do that kind of work. Tom

 

[Kame B.]

You do darn fine work. I recently bought an 870 at a gun show that looked much like your finished product. But, I don't have the satisfaction of knowing I brought it back from the dead!! By the way, none of my business, but I'd be really interested in what you paid fore it in it's damaged condition. Thanks for sharing the before and after pics. Sure wish I had the patience and skill it takes to do that kind of work. Tom

Gladly! The shotgun was 200 and the vented rib barrel (in new condition) was 100, then I spent 60 dollars in supplies and blueing. Then a few nights with a sore shoulder from sanding so much. So time and effort plus 360 bucks, I could probably get 600 for it all together if I ever sold it, witch would probably be never.

 

[Virginian]

If you have a shell latch fall out, just glue it with Superglue. I had one fall out about 6 or 7 years ago and I glued it as a temporary measure and now I don't remember which one it was. Just make sure you get it lined up right with the pins. I have seen a lot of receivers on 870s and 1100s screwed up from poor staking jobs. I will never stake another one, and I have the tool.

 

[vba]

Excellent work! I have an old mid 70's Wingmaster that I've been working on, thanks for the tips.

Also, is this a 2 3/4" chamber? Mine is.

 

[goldpelican]

If you have a shell latch fall out, just glue it with Superglue. I had one fall out about 6 or 7 years ago and I glued it as a temporary measure and now I don't remember which one it was. Just make sure you get it lined up right with the pins. I have seen a lot of receivers on 870s and 1100s screwed up from poor staking jobs. I will never stake another one, and I have the tool.

Superglue? Honestly did not think of that. Might need a bath in the ultrasonic to get the oil out of the receiver so it bonds properly. Will mull it over.

 

[AI&P Tactical]

Late model Remington barrels were 18" and the 2 shot extension extended 1/2" past the end of the barrel as Andy J pointed out. About 10 years ago they stopped making 18" Barrels and went to 18.5" because customers did not like the look of the extension going past the end of the barrel. It took about 8 years for them to even change the labels on the gun boxes and as of the 2016 parts list they still show 18" barrels being offered, however if you order one it will grow to 18.5" during shipping. I find it amazing that a company that large can not even update their parts list for 10 years. They sure don't have a problem raising the price on each item of the parts list each year.

 

[Kame B.]

Excellent work! I have an old mid 70's Wingmaster that I've been working on, thanks for the tips.

Also, is this a 2 3/4" chamber? Mine is.

yeah the original barrel that came with it is 2 3/4 chamber.