870 barrel on a 870 Wingmaster?

[Ron Brooks]

Hello there,

I have heard that you can't and that you can swap barrels between 870 Wingmaster and Express, same guages of course.

What say all of you?

 

[ArmedBear]

AFAIK (from actually sifting through a box of barrels), you can put a Wingmaster barrel on anything, but an Express barrel may not work with a Wingmaster (or Police or other higher-end 870 variant).

Wingmaster barrels have a ball-bearing with a spring that keeps the magazine cap from unscrewing under recoil. Express guns use a plastic thingie at the muzzle end of the magazine spring, inside the magazine, to do the same thing.

It won't hurt to have the ball on an Express, but if it's missing on a Wingmaster, the magazine cap, or the nut that holds the magazine extension on, can unscrew under recoil.

See http://remington.custhelp.com/cgi-b...WwgZXhwcmVzcyB3aW5nbWFzdGVy&p_li=&p_topview=1 and you can also ask Remington on their website for a definitive answer about a specific gun and a specific barrel, before you spend any money. Remington is good about answering questions, in my experience.

 

[Ron Brooks]

Thanks ArmedBear, sounds like both stories I heard were both right. Works one way, but not the other.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Like so much that is "heard" about shotguns in various venues, there is only one correct answer to things like that. And that answer is:

IT DEPENDS.

Firstly, there was a different sort of 870 made once upon a time called a Special Field. It had a shorter barrel and the distance between the breech and the barrel ring was different from "normal" 870s. Only Special Field barrels fit Special Field 870s, without having a gunsmith move the barrel ring of course.

Then there was the 870 Competition, which I just learned about a couple weeks ago for the first time in 35 years of messing with 870s. It was a gas assisted recoil control system equipped single shot 870 made for trapshooting. A number of its parts were unique, including the barrel. Not many of them were made and it is not at all common.

Any other barrel of the appropriate gauge should fit any other 870. Now keeping the magazine cap tight might be a different deal, but the barrel should fit no matter what.

All 870 Wingmasters, 870 Police guns, 870 Special Purpose guns and early 870 Express guns used the magazine cap detent in the barrel ring to keep the magazine cap tight. Newer 870 Express guns, the ones with dimples in the magazine tube, use the plastic teeth on the magazine spring retaining plug engaging matching teeth in the inside of the magazine cap to keep the magazine cap in place. While the barrels will certainly interchange, keeping the magazine cap tight without a proper detent for the barrel being used can be an issue. Guns that use detents in the barrel ring have dimples around the rim of the magazine cap to engage the detent, and a cup-shaped spring steel retainer for the magazine spring. New Express barrels lack both the detent in the barrel ring and the hole it was mounted in.

Unfortunately it isn't a hard and fast rule that X barrel will fit Y gun but Y barrel won't fit X gun. You have to learn to recognize the components of the two systems and select accordingly to get barrels that will properly work with your gun.

Good luck and good hunting,

lpl/nc

 

[ArmedBear]

VERY good points, Lee!

I had forgotten about SF and Competition guns. The Competition is a whole different animal (I wish they still made them, after I shot one.). A pump with a gas port, of all things!

The only other intelligent thing I can offer is: before contacting Remington, get serial numbers if you can. They seem to know a lot about a gun from the serial number. And find whatever it says on receiver and barrel (like Special Field or Competition).

 

[Ron Brooks]

Thanks guys. I should have known it wouldn't be easy. Mine is an 870 Wingmaster Magnum, 12 Guage. So From what I understand any *ordinary* 870 Wingmaster barrel would work on the action with the caveat that I don't try to use 3" shells in a 2 3/4" barrel.

Any good leads on where I can get 870 Wingmaster barrels online. I'm a good 100 miles from thr nearest gun store and am on call 24/7 so it's hard to get to the gunstores.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Ron,

Keep an eye on the 'for sale' lists here on THR, I've bought a couple of barrels from fellow members. Also look on eBay, just search "remington 870 barrel" to cut down on the amount of stuff you have to look through. And if that fails, there are a couple of net dealers specializing in barrels- look at http://www.barrelexchange.com/index.cfm for one.

Don't overlook Remington, you can get new barrels straight from the factory for less $$$ than some folks want to charge for used ones. Check on the Remington website at http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/shotguns/extra_barrels.asp for a list.

Good hunting,

lpl/nc

 

[ArmedBear]

Cabela's sells 'em, but their prices are not always the best. They're not the worst, either, so if you like Cabela's -- they have great customer service, return policies, etc., you can just order one from http://www.cabelas.com/ and you'll be happy with the result.

http://www.midwayusa.com/ and http://www.sportsmansguide.com/ seem to have some of the best prices on new barrels. Barrel Exchange can be downright laughable, or good, depending.

http://www.shotgunsports.com/ has classifieds. Again, sometimes laughable, sometimes good.

If you want a really good aftermarket upgrade barrel that's not too expensive, go to http://www.shotgunsportsmagazine.com/ and find Hastings Barrels. $169 for straight-rifled barrels and chokes that are better than factory.

A good place, too, is eBay. I just got an 1100 barrel there. Caveat Emptor, and watch out for auction frenzy. I've seen barrels go for more than I could buy them new. But I've also seen and gotten good deals. Patience is a virtue. Here's the eBay search, canned for you:

http://search.ebay.com/search/searc...os=ZIP/Postal&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=

 

[Ron Brooks]

Thanks again,

This Mossberg Remington barrel is what I'm looking for.

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=197028

I would love to have this in Remington blue. Guess I'll just keep my eyes open.

Thanks again, your help have been greatly appreciated.

 

[Rob62]

Lee,

Your explanation of the barrel variations is one of the most clear and consice write ups I have read.

I hope you don't mind but I have shamelessly copied it to my HD for future reference and use if this topic comes up again.

Regards,
Rob