Lightweight 870 20 Gauge

[ACP230]

I have been shooting shotguns, on and off, since high school. I own enough shotguns so I sometimes have trouble figguring out which one I want to hunt birds with. I still run across something new to me now and then.

One of those "thens" came up the other day at a gun store. "We have a lot of 870s now." the owner said, "Don't know why exactly."
I asked about a skinny-barreled one on the end of the rack and he handed it to me.
"It's an 870 lightweight. They didn't make many of them."

I took it and discovered an 870 "Wingmaster" that felt a lot like my 20 gauge over and under. It was at least a pound and a half lighter than a regular 20 gauge 870and felt grouse and woodcock lively. It would probably kick some, but grouse guns get carried a lot more than shot.

It was priced about $100 over what a used 870 Express in the same rack was. I thought about it, even though there was a nice Winchester Model 12 16 gauge next to it in the rack.

I thought about it so much I'm not gonna tell ya where it was. I guess I'm still thinking about it.

If I'd ever known about these guns, I forgot.
Anyone else got any info about them?

 

[Dave McCracken]

It's an 870, Buddy. It's light, pretty and well worth every penny.

You probably ran across a Special Field. Straight grip?

These were made in an attempt to produce a light, handy grouse wand. Since so many grouse fanatics use doubles, it kinda faded away. And that's a shame.

Note, barrels do not interchange with ANY other 870 model.

Buy it before some Bozo gets it to Bubbafy into a "Tactical" Ninja Gun.

 

[JohnBT]

Introduced in '72 according to the Remington Society page it came with a plain or vent ribbed barrel in 2.75" and 3" models.

JT

 

[ACP230]

JohnBT:
It looks like the second 870 in the pic you posted, minus the vent rib.
In 1972 I had just gone back to college and wasn't shooting much. That would explain why I don't remember hearing about these guns.

Dave:
"Grouse wand" is just about what I thought when I picked it up.
No straight grip. I've seen some Special Field guns before.

Nearly Eternal Question (in best Charley Brown voice):

"Why does this kind of stuff always come up when I've just sunk whatever cash I have into something else?"

In this case that would be a Smith M60 snubnose .38 that I'm buying from the same dealer.

 

[hoghunting]

It is made on a 20 ga receiver. The other 20 ga of Rem are made on the 12 ga receiver. That's why you can only use the LT barrels for the gun. That's also why it is lighter. Why buy a 20 ga that has the size and weight as a 12 ga? Hope you have already gone back to the shop and bought it.

 

[Lone Star]

I had one bought new maybe six years ago. Cut checkering, nice wood. It jammed a lot until I took it to a warranty station. They said that a shell holder was loose and they polished the interior of the magazine tube.

It was a three-inch chambered one.

I never had a chance to shoot it much after that before I had to sell it. I replaced it with a M870 12 ga., again in Wingmaster grade. It works fine, but I still need a 20 ga. for trips where more walking is done and smaller birds don't require 12 ga. power.

Lone Star