870 gurus I have a Q

[walpur6isknight]

Okay, I found an 870 MAGNUM, what is the difference between the Magnum and the EXPRESS? this 870 doesn't say EXPRESS or POLICE on the reciever.
All I have ever seen is express and police marked 870s. should I buy it?
it has tritium ghost rings, 20" tube and ext. mag.
looks like a brand new gun to me.

 

[dasanii19]

All of them are magnums

 

[Lou629]

Check the chambering...

a lot of older 870's were chambered for only 2-3/4" shells way back when. Nowadays shotguns with 3" & even 3-1/2" chamberings are common. I believe that it is the newer ones with the larger chamberings that are commonly referred to as "magnum", iirc. An 870 of any persuasion is a very good gun regardless of the title.

 

[dfariswheel]

If the serial number ends with an "M" it's a Magnum.

There are three basic Remington 870 shotgun versions:
The Express, which is the "budget" gun.
The Wingmaster, which is the top-of-the-line sporting gun.
The Police, which is a dull finish version of the Wingmaster.

Magnum versions of all three are usually stamped with "Magnum", and as above, the serial number ends with the letter "M".

Earlier, non-Magnum guns are often stamped with just Express or Wingmaster marks.
Many early Police guns were also marked with Wingmaster stamps.

The only difference between a Magnum and non-Magnum 870 is the ejector.
The Magnum has a longer ejector assembly to eject the longer 3" shells.

A non-Magnum 2 3/4" receiver can be converted by installing a Magnum ejector assembly.

 

[Fred Fuller]

The M at the end of the serial number really is the most reliable indicator across all the years and models of 870s to indicate Magnum receivers. You can't rely on barrel markings alone as barrels are interchangeable- you need a 3" chambered barrel on a Magnum receiver to shoot 3" shells.

lpl/nc

 

[ArmedBear]

Magnum means 3". It's been a while since they made a 2 3/4" only gun, but very old 870 receivers are routinely found on used racks, sometimes in excellent condition, so look close. Same with barrels. Old barrels might have 2 3/4" chambers.

Ditto for 1100's, except that Remington still makes 2 3/4"-only guns. I'm not sure what the newest receivers really are, but older ones will say Magnum if they can handle 3" shells.

The 11-87 was designed specifically to self-adjust for shells up to 3", so they won't say "Magnum." There are, however, Super Magnum versions of the 870 and 11-87.

Super Magnum, in Remington parlance, means a gun that will handle up to 3 1/2" shells. Generally, they're heavier and a bit more complex; I'd only get one if I really needed it to shoot 3.5" shells.

 

[9mmMike]

The only difference between a Magnum and non-Magnum 870 is the ejector.
The Magnum has a longer ejector assembly to eject the longer 3" shells.

A non-Magnum 2 3/4" receiver can be converted by installing a Magnum ejector assembly.

Exactamundo. Been there, etc.

Mike

 

[ArmedBear]

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