Express and Wingmaster Barrels

[dak0ta]

Aside from the bead blasted finish vs polished blue finish, is there a difference between a 28'' VR Express and Wingmaster barrel? Are the contours and weights different?

I'm thinking of adding a 28'' VR Express to my old Wingmaster for use as a waterfowl gun with removal Rem chokes.

 

[Fred Fuller]

There may be a difference in the magazine cap retention method. The spring-loaded detent of the Wingmaster vs the magazine spring tensioned plastic toothed method of the Express.

Older Express barrels still have the detent, if you're lucky enough to find one.

 

[Virginian]

The Wingmaster barrel will usually be lighter due to the polishing. The chamber will usually have a better polish too. The mag cap retention system difference is easily overcome with an O ring.
The first Expresses I am familiar with in 1987 had the then new green monster toothed retention system.

 

[dak0ta]

Okay yeah the O-ring should do the trick. You can also get a forward sling plate with a ball detent in it, drill an indentation in the barrel ring aligned with the ball detent on the plate, and you can convert the barrel to accept a Wingmaster magazine cap while retaining the ability to use it on an Express.

What's a good price for a 3'' 28'' VR Rem Choke barrel with 1 Mod that comes with it? $150?

 

[batex]

I have an early 870 express with the wingmaster style ball detent magazine Retainer. They are out there. It also has the forged, machined extractor, not The MIM style. Regarding the price, I wouldn't pay more than $350 for a nice wingmaster unless is was a trap model, and only if it was the exact configuration I was looking for. I see them often in my area for around 300 - 350.

 

[Virginian]

I have an early 870 express with the Wingmaster style ball detent magazine Retainer.

I believe you, but I bought several when they first came out in 1987 when I was selling guns, and they all had the green monster. When Remington has a model in transition anything is possible. I kept one for myself for a while, but I just couldn't warm up to the matte metal and wood in spite of the RemChokes. The first MIM parts came about much later, if I remember correctly.

 

[btg3]

The Wingmaster barrel will usually be lighter due to the polishing. The chamber will usually have a better polish too.

There's been some fuss about the shells hanging in the Express chamber because of the roughness. But it's easy to remedy via quick/easy polishing as has been posted numerous times.

 

[jmr40]

Some of the Wingmasters had a Light Contour barrel. They will fit, on standard guns, but the thicker standard barrels might not fit unless the forend is opened up a little

They also made a few 870 Special Field guns. They had 21" barrels and fit a special receiver made with a shorter 3 shot mag tube. They will not fit any other receiver.

 

[dak0ta]

Btw, my 2 3/4'' Wingmaster readily ejects fired 3'' shells out of 3'' capable Express barrels, I though the ejector had to be restaked a little further back for this to work.

Did I get lucky?

 

[Fred Fuller]

Did I get lucky?

The ejection port's the same size for standard and magnum receivers, the location of the ejector is the only difference. It's not that unusual...