Picked up a Nice 870 today...

[Kestrel]

An older Wingmaster (old-style lifter, without the "U" shaped cut), ribbed barrel, 12 ga., Imp Cyl barrel. Stocks appear to have pressed or rolled checkering, not cut. Blueing is almost perfect. It looks like it has been shot VERY little. No interchangeable chokes.

It is only 2-3/4" chamber. Something in the forearm is scraping the left side of the magazine tube, in front of the receiver (maybe a burr inside the action ring). Paid $209 for it.

Will this be a versatile gun for birds and clays? Will I regret not having a 3" chamber?

Thanks,
Steve

 

[Dave McCracken]

Good shotgun, good price. I'da bought it in a heartbeat.

The wear on the mag tube has two possible causes. First, check and see if the nut at the front of the forearm needs tightening. Use the tool from Brownell's or just insert the tips of a set of needlenose pliers in the notches.

Second, the mag tube may be slightly bent. A smith can fix for a pittance.

Or learn to live with it. Honest wear is not a blemish on using shotguns,IMO.

Except for waterfowl and turkey, 3" loads are not needed. Even there it's close with the new improvements in non tox shot. Use that thing for whatever you want to.

 

[Mannlicher]

My Wingmaster is an oldie also. I bought it used back in the 60's. I had a WinChoke installed, because Remington did not make choke tubes then.

The 2 3/4 chamber has never been a problem. I have taken duck, geese, squirrel, rabbits, and LOTS of quail with this 870.

I just sent off to Cabela's for a 20 inch rifle sight barrel. Time to let the old Wingmaster take it's place as a HD/fun gun too.

 

[Feanaro]

Unless you like to shoot turkey 3" kicks too much for an improvement you don't need.

 

[telcom911]

I've got two

Wingmaster both older then me, and they work great. Since you can't use lead anymore I do not use them for duck guns, but then I wouldn't want to get those old beuties wet anyway. Shoot it, possibly the best shotgun ever produced (IMVHO) and enjoy.

 

[Ivanimal]

I bought my fully choked wingmaster in 1976 with paper route money, too many birds wish I didn't. Congrats you are gonna love that gun!

 

[Dave McCracken]

"Shoot it, possibly the best shotgun ever produced"....

Amen....

For sheer value, it's hard to beat the 870. At a cost of less than a week's pay for a working person, it's a tool that can protect, feed and play. And it will do so under any conditions, for any length of time.If one needs a weapon good for mice to moose, the Artic to the Tropics, the 870's a great choice.

I hear offhand comments from old trapshooters all the time about 870s with thousands of rounds through them, some hundreds of thousands.

My lifetime use of 870s has to be over 50K by now, and except for a very few glitches from abused, neglected agency beaters, perfect performance..

In the last two years plus, I've put 8-9K rounds through the TB here. That's moderate use by Trap, Skeet, or SC standards, heavy for hunters and casual shotgunners. Zero probs.

Frankenstein, my homebuilt 870, has lots of use behind some of its old and well worn parts. After a few K of rounds shot in the field and on ranges, it too has a perfect track record. Pretty is as pretty does.

And speaking of that, one hears the upscale shotgun fans wax eloquent about the elegant lines of SxS doubles like Purdeys and McNaughtons. A nice Wingmaster looks just as good to me and will probably bust more birds, for me at least.