LH 870 Wingmaster found...

[axeman_g]

Being born with the psuedo god like advantage of being LH, I finaly found a LH shottie, a 20g 870 Wingmaster. It is in sort of rough shape, surface rust in barrel and on the outside but it is not pitting, blueing needs some help. The action is sticky and needs a stip cleaning.

Wood is perfect, it is a mod choked barrel, which I prefer over screw ins, and the price was ridiculously low.

I will let you all know how the cleanup goes, another gun salvage on the way. Granted I am no smith, but I love makeing a dirty gun shine again.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Good for you. Your dues in PETP are now paid up.

Let us know how the restoration goes. Thanks....

 

[axeman_g]

All done....
I love lazy people, they allow my gun collection to grow.

This is a 20g Wingmaster LH Field Grade... apparently this model was only available in 1971 for one year... this is per Rem. website so this info has not been verified as of yet.

Gun is actually in better condition then I thought it would be, I would grade it easily at 95%. It has one little scratch mark near loading port. Barrel came clean easily and all surface rust wiped right off, only one spot was stubborn and the old pantyhose trick worked again.

Action came clean easily, and the grit is gone in the trigger. Action bars are now slicked up. I will take it shooting tomorrow and see if this 20g works for me, I have never been comfortable with 20g for some reason.

 

[DAVIDSDIVAD]

Wow, nice find, man!

What is this "panty hose" trick that you speak of?

 

[45Badger]

I will take it shooting tomorrow and see if this 20g works for me, I have never been comfortable with 20g for some reason.

Drop me a line if it does not work out. My 9 year old is a lefty (right eye dominant:banghead, and it's hard to find lefty shotguns in anything but 12 gauge.

I had the chance to get one when he was 5. Wife said I was nuts, so I passed. Last time I let that deter me

 

[axeman_g]

45Badger... you got it. I like to take care of my lefty people. Thankfully my own sons are right handed, except my oldest bats and hits golf balls left handed....

Davidsdivad... get an old nylon pantyhose from the wife, I cut off the legs, and use that to scour rust spots with CLP or then a CLP and gun oil mixture. For some reason doing the second step with the mixture really polishes the finish up and helps remove the remainder of the oxidation. Then us a rag with CLP on it to wipe down the metal. Repeat as needed until no rust colored residue on the cloths.

The pantyhose are gentler then steel wool and the mesh creates a very fine scouring surface to remove rust. Easier to find then brass wool, which is my other choice for this chore.

 

[axeman_g]

keeper...

two rounds of trap this morning resulted in scores of 19 and 21. I have never scored higher then an 18 with a 20g. A little more familiarity and I will kick those scores up a notch or two.

Sorry Badger...

 

[Fred Fuller]

Southpaw scattergun? See the thread at

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=330953

lpl/nc

 

[DAVIDSDIVAD]

Hmm, that sounds very interesting; thanks for the knowledge.

 

[Lone Star]

If I ever find any rust on a gun, I'll remember that pantyhose trick.

Those who own the Express 870 will need to be especially vigilant for rust. I hope this technique helps them.

It is just heartbreaking to see the condition in which one finds many used guns. Not to mention used knives.


Lone Star

 

[axeman_g]

As a little follow up... this gun went bunny hunting yesterday. What a fun day, we moved about 25 rabbits in 3 hours of hedgerow stomping. These are some fast critters around here... they would hold real tight sometimes, then others would bolt from about 20 yds away.

The funniest was the one that waited till I was pushing on a log with my right leg, fending off briars with my right hand and trying to keep my gun safe in my left. He ran out from a bush I swear I kicked 60 seconds before... it was behind me and to my left... he then circled me to to the rear and crossed the hedgerow from my right to left....reappearing 20 yds further on going left to right making for another hedge....Well he did not need to exhibit such tenacity ... he could have hop hop hopped away because I was all twisted up like a pretzel in a barbed wire factory with no chance at a shot.

I did manage to shoot three... I was using #7s and I think I should have brought #6s... I wounded one and had to finish him with a second shot...

But it was a great afternoon and the gun handled really well in thos tight quarters... fired and ejected everytime. Action was real slick after the cleanup and really allowed for quick followups misses.

One issue... I have gotten myself so used to right handed shotguns that I pushed the saftey ON (right to left) with my thumb like I do with my other guns, where it was already, two times while going to take a shot. I need to get used to the left to right travel with my trigger finger. That will come with practice.

A Keeper