870 wingmaster

[Jim_100]

I bought a new rifled barrel for my old 870 wingmaster police gun. The old barrel has 2 3/4 stamped on it and the new barrel is 3 inch. Does the fact that the gun was originally 2 3/4 make a difference? Will 3 inch rounds work without damage to gun or flesh?

 

[Davandron]

The "2 3/4" and "3" (inch) numbers are the maximum size shells that will fit in the chamber. Since the chamber is part of the barrel, you should be able to safely use 3" rounds in the barrel marked as such.

 

[Ignatius]

what length barrel did you take off? I am interested in an 18" barrel for an 870 and dont care if its "lovingly worn".

 

[brasskeeper]

It should function ok but I'm not sure if the bolt was designed for the pressure of a stronger shell, you may want to ask a gunsmith.

 

[Jeff F]

It will work just fine except for one thing. There is one difference between the older 2-3/4 inch and the 3 inch receivers. It is the ejector. Your shotgun can fire 3 inch mags with the 3 inch chambered barrel but it may not eject the fired hull. All the 870 receivers are the same. when they started making the magnum guns all they did was to shorten the ejector so the bolt would move another 1/4 inch or so to the rear before the hull hits the ejector.

 

[bensdad]

Measure the ejection port (or whatever you call the hole in the side of the receiver that the hull flips out of). I don't know if they are different, but if they are, the 3in. hulls won't leave the action. That would be inconvenient.

ETA: Jeff F, the "F" stands for "faster than bensdad."

 

[Dos]

If your original receiver is MARKED for 2 & 3/4" shells the 3" shells will not cycle properly in such a receiver. The receiver must be a magnum type to accomodate 3" shells. You can, however, use the 2 & 3/4" shells in the 3" barrel.,

 

[Virginian]

The only two differences between the 2-3/4" guns and the 3" guns, is 1) the chamber length in the barrel, and 2) the ejector configuration in the receiver. As you may note, the ejector is riveted into the receiver, and it can be changed, but the receiver would need to be refinished for it to match. The weight of the receivers and the ejection port and everything but the rollmarking is exactly the same
I have seen quite a few pre-1980 Wingmasters where they were labelled 2-3/4", and came with a 2-3/4" barrel, but the ejector was the same as the 3" version, and a 3" barrel and 3" shells worked fine. I am thinking Remington changed the ejector when they realized people had figured out they could convert their gun to a magnum just by swapping barrels, but I do not know this for sure.

OOPS ! Third difference on earlier guns, the non-magnum guns did not have a recoil pad, just a plastic buttplate.

 

[Fred Fuller]

What Jeff F said.

lpl

 

[ImARugerFan]

Why would you want to shoot 3" sabots anyway?