A Rant About Remington.....

[Dave McCracken]

My early Father's Day present is a 26" Light Contour barrel. I picked it up yesterday at Guns R Us. I suffered through the rain yesterday and headed for PGC this morn after cleaning it. The stock tube was replaced with one of those extended Light Modified ones,just to see how things went.

The barrel seems fine. I didn't get to pattern first due to a mess of Skeet shooters having some tournament, but I went through a round of SC without a glitch and an OK score for me. Had a great time, too.

So what's the beef?

LC spare barrels, like the WMs, come with the standard three choke tubes. One of these isn't standard. I have one marked with the usual Rem-marks and labeled IC. I've another marked Steel or Lead Full.

The third one isn't marked at all. Outside finish is up to what the others are.
But, besides the lack of marks, this one's also nasty rough inside. The finger test shows it's tighter than IC and not as tight as Full, so it's probably close to Mod as was intended.

LC barrels are supposed to be top quality. This one seems to be of equal quality to the 30" one I've been shooting since last October. That one has proved its worth.

But that choke looks like it was made by trolls. Inept trolls.

First chance I get, I'll pattern the other two, but the unmarked maverick choke goes back to GRU PDQ, unfired.

BTW, by happy chance Bill Gillette, the traveling smith, was up for the tournament. He miked the barrel and LM tube for me. It's .729" for the bore and .715" for the tube, spot on.

 

[P95Carry]

Justified rant Dave .. but I'm glad to say not quite to the level I expected .. after seeing subject line!!

No excuses for this of course ...... and hope it is quickly put right.

 

[PJR]

Unfortunately it's becoming more common from Remington. I purchased a slug barrel a couple of years ago where the rear sight was soldered about 20 degrees off center. The good news was that Remington replaced the barrel immediately.

If you compare an 870 from even ten years ago the degradation in quality is noticeable. Put a new gun beside a 60's made gun and it becomes very apparent.

I've seen Model 700 with off center bores and I briefly owned a stainless Model 7 that was disgraceful in its fit and finish.

Congratulations on the 26" barrel Dave. I think it is the perfect length for a clay target 870.

Paul

 

[anapex]

Darn and here I thought the rant was going to be about the controls being in the wrong positions to be useful, oh wait they already are

 

[JNewell]

Ha, remember that Beretta AL390 I bought for the boys? It came with 5 (five) chokes (and no wrench...supposedly that was as shipped, SOP; huh???). Five beautiful Berettta tubes...the four in the box were 12 ga tubes. Huh? Beretta exchanged 'em, of course, but still

 

[Dave McCracken]

P95, I reined in my choler on this. Trust me, my language was colorful and emphatic when I noted that tube.

Paul, I decided on 26" for upland work and some skeet and SC use. I wanted something a little lighter for toting hither and yon, and a hair quicker on the swing. With the extended tube, the barrel weighs 2 lbs,1/2 oz. That's better than 2 oz less than the 30" barrel. I believe it's quicker for me but more testing is in order.

Anapex, sorry. The controls are OK, you're just wired off spec.

I'll be at PGC this morn if you're shooting.

J, wrong gauge is easier to take than bad work.

I've gotten 7 Rem choke tubes since last fall. 2 have been bad. That's 28% rejection rate.

The others have been true and well made. Obviously it's hit or miss, either a Remington product is excellent or trash.

 

[Zeke Menuar]

Warning, Sarcasim Ahead.

Since I bought my M700 Tupperware Special, I have given ALL recent Big Green products a wide berth. Older products maybe, but anything newer than 1997(my gun's DOB) is not considered.
Remember, the rocket scientists at Big Green gave us such winners as the M710, the Etronix and that ugly laminated thing with the funny shark fin front sight. All that brain power has to be siphoned off from somewhere, most likely from Quality Assurance.


ZM

 

[Lone Star]

After reading Dave McCracken's advice to not buy another M870 sans the flex tab, I bought a new one. Because Remington has not seen fit to favor us with the Flex Tab in other than 12 ga. guns, that's what I bought.

I hand picked it out of several other Wingmasters. Somewhere around here, I ranted about the sorry wood in some of them. Mine actually has nice wood, with some faint burl, especially in the forearm. The receiver is machine engraved in a scroll pattern, and for this sort of "engraving", it is impressive. The stock is exceptionally well fitted to the receiver. There is no reddish undertone to the blue job; I checked with a strong flashlight in the store.

I haven't gotten to the range yet, but if it works okay, this is a superior shotgun. Oh: the barrel is 28" Light Contour. The usual three choke tubes were in the box, with a wrench.

I notice that the barrel markings are in a new (to me) "outlined" style, and rather faint. Older markings were stamped or roll-marked in a deeper style that was much easier to read. Why the change? I don't think the Light Contour barrel is responsible; the steel is surely thick enough to sustain conventional markings.

Anyone know?

Well, anyway, I went to a mammoth gun show yesterday. I still wanted a 20 ga. M870 on a LW frame, or an Ithaca M37.

I looked at about 4-5 M870's, all from the 1960's or '70's, and rejected all for some reason, normally scratches. One was swell, except that bluing on the bbl. had the dreaded (by me) reddish undertones.

My point is that none of these older guns was really better made than my brand new one, although the AVERAGE quality control then may have been better. Modern checkering is really cut. Older guns usually have impressed checkering. The finish on my new one is as good as I've seen on any Remington shotgun.

I guess I "lucked out" and got a good one. You have to pick and choose, but Big Green still does some nice work. I just wish it was more consistent!

Lone Star

 

[Dave McCracken]

Zeke, the 20 gauge YE here is about as smooth as #6, despite the 40 years difference in age.Trigger's a good pound heavier, but still manageable. Newest stuff seems to be where the prob is.

Everything made has lemons, from can openers to coffins. Remington has been sending out more than their share. I do think that 870s made now are as good as ever, but one stands a far better chance of avoiding The Shotgun From Heck by picking up used ones.

LS, the new barrel has light markings, but far heavier than the 30" one bought last year.

 

[Black Majik]

Dave,

I just took out my Wingmaster LC to look at the 3 chokes supplied with the shotgun. Indeed there is the two that you mentioned, the Imp. Mod and copper colored "Full" steel or lead


So, the one without the markings on your chokes equates to the mod. choke as you have already guessed.

I just wanted to confirm that the unmarked choke is most likely the modified choke.

(Imp. mod, mod, and steel or lead)

Good luck and lemme know how it pattern out. Have fun!

 

[anapex]

Wish I could be at PGC Dave, but I'm stuck in San Diego for another week. I'll be good and ready to shoot some trap this coming weekend though. I may even be brave enough to bring out my BPS (The rust is all off it but lets just say it doesn't have quite a normal finish at the moment).

 

[sm]

Re: Rant

@#$%&!* J - hook safety.

Can't buy a new WM for what we used to.
This also means the NIB 1100 with 'purty' wood can't be bought for $139 anymore either.

Should...have....bought....more....back....then.

The guns would have appreciated. Chasiing skirts and booze - all history now....

 

[Dave McCracken]

Richard, I used precise measurement to determine relative constriction. IOW, I stuck my littlest finger into each choke. The unmarked one is around Modified.

Anapex, bring it along. You should know by now I do not cavil at a less than perfect finish. Betcha it'll work for a wobble flurry, heh,heh....

sm, saw an old 1100 with some obvious wear for $300 t'other day...

 

[anapex]

Well see the reason I'm embarassed about it Dave is that it's not really a finish now as it is a coat. Gun shoots great it just looks like it'd fit right in on a farm in WV (Apologies to anyone from WV) or backwoods PA (None for those from PA since that's where I come from).

 

[Dave McCracken]

Pop was born in Clearfield County, Mahaffey to be exact. I bet my kin up there have plenty of shiny firearms. And not just for guarding the stills.

And, distant G-Uncle Oren McC married the sister of the wife of Anderson Hatfield, AKA Devil Anse. Don't talk bad about WVA either.

Come on, bring the BPS. I'll bring Frank and we'll have an ugly gun flurry shootoff...