870 express should be called factory 2nd

[357wheelgunner]

I just picked up my 870 police today (parkerized, 20" smooth bore barrel, rifle sights, factory 3 shot extension (holds 8 total), and wood furniture) and I laid it next to my 870 express (2 shot extension, 18" bbl, bead, plastic furniture) for a comparison. My conclusion:

Remington should label its express shotguns "factory seconds". Here's why

The action on the express wobbles around. It is noisy and feels like junk. Slop slop slop slop slop. The action on the police model is tight and smooth, the way it should be. The finish on the police is parkerized. It doesn't look pretty but it won't rust. The finish on the express is the worst bluing job I have ever seen-worse than my Romanian cheapo AK-47. Very disappointing. The walnut stocks on the police are very nice looking- smooth and sticky to the hand. The plastic on the express line feels like....well, plastic. Also, the trigger guard on the express is plastic. The trigger assembly actually wiggles around in the action. The aluminum guard on my police is tight, just like the rest of the gun. There are also many places, inside and out that were just not gone over on the express, while the police obviously is put through much quality control. The express is something I'd expect to say "made in China" on the side. It is obvious that the police is given attention while the express isn't.

Rant mode off

I understand that they made the express line to compete with cheaper guns (like mossberg). I understand business as well. I guess that if I had never handled a Police model, I would think that the express line was OK. But after handling (and owning) my 870 Police, I will never buy an express again.

I do have a use for the express: My wife and I are going to try to destroy it. We are going to throw it around and shoot the heck out of it to see if we can wear it out. We're going to take it into the woods every chance we get. It'll go fishing, hunting, hikiing, on trips in the trunk of the car, everywhere. I'll get back to you if anything breaks or wears out on it.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Good luck wearing out that Express. Or the 870P for that matter.

Do yourself a favor, give the Express a good cleaning outside with your favorite penetrating oil, plus a little 4/0 steel wool if you have visible surface rust. Then dry it down good, and give it a HEAVY coating of Johnson's Paste Floor Wax (at the grocery store, in the floor care section, a yellow can) and let it dry overnight before buffing it off by hand.

If that doesn't fix your rust problem then the last rinse in the factory bluing process got shorted on or missed entirely and you still have bluing salts working their way out.

lpl/nc

 

[Benjamin]

You paid for function, not pretty.

I have an old 870 that served as a trap gun for a prolonged period. There is a good deal of wobble in the action. It works wonderfully.

Best of luck with your shotguns.

 

[45R]

Here is my 870 Express with an 870P barrel on it. The finish is rather nice and I've got a Al trigger guard not the plastic that you mentioned

 

[Incropera-Dewitt]

45R
Does your buttpad end up moving around at all when you shoot it with all ammo on?

If not what kind is it? I got mine duck taped to my buttstock because it slides around after a box of bird.

 

[Black Majik]

You can actually easily destroy wear out an 870 express. Just leave it outside. It'll rust itself out.

But by wearing it out by shooting? heh.... its gonna require some elbow grease and sweat. These things are build ford tough. Except we dont have to fix or repair daily. ::joke joke ha ha::

The expresses are still great shotguns. They're around for 2 main reasons that I see. A shotgun that shoots. And a shotgun that's affordable to buy and get into shooting.

 

[Dave McCracken]

The Expresses were meant to serve as a cheaper alternative that could compete with the Mossberg 500 and the Winchester 1200/1300. They do, and they offer a lot of gun for the money.

As for rusting, the ones here haven't. If you get one of the ones that do, the wax Lee suggests or melting in paraffin with a blow dryer will fix nicely.


As for wearing one out, good luck....

 

[m39fan]

I've got both, like both. The Express is fine for what it is. Take care of it and they last a lifetime. The 870P is built the way it is to enable it to survive many, many officers for many, many years with most of those officers too lazy to clean let alone maintain the weapon. It also holds up better for the occaisional use as a battering ram or a quick butt stroke to a BG's melon.

Incropera-Dewitt - I haven't had that problem with either of mine nor have I seen it at the club. Sounds like a replacement is in order!!!! If you have synthetics on the shotgun, I highly recommend the SIMS Limb Saver recoil pad. MUCH better than anything else out there for reducing felt recoil, they look great and are a direct bolt on. For wood, they sell a trim to fit model.

Take Care,
Mike

 

[45R]

Incropera-Dewitt
The buttcuff will move around a little while shooting but I dont notice it too much. IF your really worried about movement. Use the pointy side of velcro to hold it down

45R

 

[discusser]

Congratulations on your new police model!

Any chance you could post a photo of your police model and express...side by side?

Thanks.

 

[Bill B.]

Quality varies on all guns from all manufacture's but the express is fitted to the same tolerances as a whole as are the high grade 870's. You could have got a hold of one made on the proverbal Monday. Polished the 870 Express isn't but for what they cost I feel they are the best shotgun value around. You won't wear one out in your lifetime!