Picked Uo A Couple 870's Today

[lemaymiami]

Here's a bit of contrary info about "old Wingmasters". I was issued and carried a standard Wingmaster (long before there was ever a "police" model") on the streets down here in south Florida (1973-1995) and had complete confidence in every one I ever carried. These were all simple rack grade beaters in riot configuration (18 - 20" barrel, bead sight, four shot tube, with wood furniture). I far preferred the Remington to the Mossberg -we had both in our inventory and as a patrolman you drew a different shotgun every day (or night). When I made sergeant and advanced in rank I had the luxury of a single weapon that I was issued - and it stayed with me until I retired out. Yes, they were slick -but also loose since they'd all seen quite a bit of hard use (not as much shooting, although they did quite a bit of range time each year -but the battering and beating of being in and out of an electro-lock or being tossed into the trunk of a patrol car. Still they were utterly reliable - safeties always completely reliable (not so with an occasional older Mossberg - but that's another story) and always worked when needed (no matter how scared you were...). Remember in police work you have to be able to point that weapon at many, many low lifes -yet never fire a single shot unless you're completely justified. In my case that was a single round in 22 years...

Fast forward twenty years and I finally picked up my own riot gun for my house - a brand new Express model with synthetic stocks (and the same configuration I was used to - as noted above...). That new Express is head and shoulders better than what I carried on the street... Yes, it's still utterly reliable. Will it ever be as "slick" as what I was used to - not unless I put a lot of rounds through it I suppose - but it's still a far better weapon than what we were issued all those years ago...

Rick, nothing like teaching or introducing new folks to the sport... You get an attaboy from this corner!

 

[sappyg]

Red Rick,

You have my respect and I admire your choice in fire arms too.

I almost walked out of academy sports today with another 870 express. That rebate is tempting. I'm down to only 2 now since I gave one to a friend that needed a shotgun. It's his pride and joy.

 

[expat_alaska]

@ lemaymiami:

I was issued and carried a standard Wingmaster (long before there was ever a "police" model) on the streets down here in south Florida (1973-1995).

I have no idea what you term a "police" model.

Chuckle...

Do yourself a favor and get a 1987 copy of "Streetsweepers" by Duncan Long. Used paperback copies from $2.79 here +shipping (a cheap education), starting on pg. 79:

https://www.amazon.com/Streetsweepers-Complete-Book-Combat-Shotguns/dp/0873644247

It has lots of dates and model numbers for 870's. Enjoy.

Have a nice day.

 

[lemaymiami]

I never saw a Wingmaster designated as a "police model" until after I retired out in 1995... I'm sure AIP can tell you exactly when they started with that supposedly upgraded basic 870... None of the ones we ever used were so designated but I have seen them advertised quite a bit in the last twenty years or so.

As far as books on the subject.. I won't be needing any. I was the subject of a civil rights investigation by the DOJ for the only time I ever used a shotgun on the street (and never knew about it until a few years after the shooting had been ruled "justified" locally down here in south Florida). As always, it's nice to know who your friends are...

Brand new or ancient that old 870 in basic configuration is still a one shot fight ender in my book.

 

[AI&P Tactical]

The First Police Model was simply a Wingmaster with a 20" Bead sight barrel and plain hard wood Stocks. It had a waffle recoil pad that was so hard we used it to knock doors in instead of a Ram. There are tens of thousands of those gun in LE Armory's still in use. NYPD alone had about 2,000 of them as late as 2010 and may still have many of them.

The next generation Police Model was parkerized and simply stamped "Remington 870 Magnum". Then Remington started putting "Remington 870 Police " on them because they wanted to free up the word "Magnum" for use on the Express model. Magnum of course meaning nothing as every 870 is a magnum shotgun even the Old Wingmasters because when I started in 1978 our Departmental load as was common in most all LE Agency's in Florida was 2 3/4" Magnum 12 pellet 00 Buck Shot. So Magnum has never meant 3" as it is the shell that is Magnum, not the shotgun.

Every Express every built is on a 3" Receiver so all are 3" Magnum guns, except of course when they came out with the 3.5" and called it the Super Magnum.

 

[roo_ster]

Good on you red rick.

The Rem870 Express is not hard to slick up by squirting a load of Rem 40X bore cleaner in the action and cycling the action & pulling the trigger hundreds or a thousand times sitting in front of the teevee (with a tray/towel on your lap to catch bore paste). Squirt more and push it around where you want it to go, as you go.

Then dis-assemble, hose off, and oil it up. I like a heat gun to get the parts perfectly water-free.

The abrasives in suspension do a fair job of polishing the innards. Not as good as a top-dollar 'smith, but you're only paying $10 at Amazon for several action jobs:
https://www.amazon.com/Remington-40...0000D94RU/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

And Brownells has several good rattle-can options if the Express-level finish is not rust-resistant enough for you.

 

[AI&P Tactical]

Put nothing in the receiver but the trigger group and breech bolt. No lube no oil and none of that other mess. It takes three very, very, very, very small drops of oil inside an 870. One on the carrier dog plunger, one on the hammer plunger and one on the extractor plunger. That is it. All that other mess people put in there is simply turning into gunk and does nothing to make the gun function better and in fact can lead to malfunctions.

For the barrel keep the bore and chamber dry inside. No oil or any kind of cleaning solvents inside the barrel ever. Put one very, very, very, very small drop on the barrel ring detent plunger.

For parkerized guns soak the outside down in oil, let the Parkerizing suck in the oil for about an hour then wipe off excess.

During break in a very, very, very, very small drop on the out side of the action bars will help with break in but don't over do it as get to much in there and it turns to gunk. Just about everyone except the trained few over clean and over lube the 870.

 

[red rick]

AI&P , thanks for the oiling instructions .

 

[dak0ta]

Hey, I've noticed that Remington started to use stained hardwood stocks again on the Express, instead of the laminate that they have been using for the past 10 years. Yay or Nay? I think it looks better!

 

[mfer]

I'm a big fan of Remington shotguns. I have an 1187 and have shot the express on several occasions. You got a good deal.

 

[200Apples]

AI&P Tactical

No oil or any kind of cleaning solvents inside the barrel ever.

Do you mean, "Don't leave any oil or cleaning solvents in the barrel, ever." after cleaning? I've been using your excellent suggestion of steel wool on the end of a dowel in a drill motor to quickly remove the leading left behind from shooting lead slugs, but I also use a little Hoppes during the process. I finish with a patch of dry cotton rag on the dowel and when complete the bore looks like a tubular mirror. Clean as a whistle.

And what might I do with this spotless, mirror-like bore if I might wish to store this particular gun (one of four 35-yr-old Remington shotguns in the armory) for a long period of time?

Thanks J.D. Always good to see you post.

 

[AI&P Tactical]

I mean don't use solvents and oils to clean a barrel period. That mess gets in the pores of the chamber and cooks and can cause sticky extraction. I use a wooden dowel with a pad of 00 steel wool stretched over the end like a Q-tip. I can run it through with my hand or if I have a filthy barrel I can put the rod in my drill and spin it through. Do this dry and leave the barrel dry. I learned this from the Armory Sergeant in 1980 and have been cleaning my barrels like this ever since. That's over 35 years and mine look like they are chrome lined inside.

 

[Blkhrt13]

Thank you OP for helping to introduce new young people to the shooting sports. I'm sure they will have a blast.

 

[eastbank]

winchester made a fantastic shotgun in the model 12 and then produced the model 1200, i know the reasons. but remington made the model 870 and still does and the basic 870,s of today after 67 years take 98 percent of the same parts and will fit both old and new. you can,t buy a better shotgun today that you can buy all the add on,s that are available for the remington 870. eastbank.