Rem 870 Special Field Questions

[PlayMaker]

I went to the shop today pretty much dead set on getting a Rem 870 Turkey, but on my way to the counter I'd thought I'd fool around with the guns they had out on the floor. I went around racking all the pumps to compare and came across a used 870 "special" for $430 that was considerably smoother compared to the other 870's. I asked the sales rep what the difference was and he pointed out that the special had the straight "english" style stock. I also noticed it had a shorter rack/slide than the others which I assume would be desireable.

My questions are what are the advantages or disadvantages of the english stock? Is the shorter rack/slide a desireable trait? And does the Special only come with a fixed choke (I believe IC)?

I really wanted the 21" Turkey gun with interchangeable choke for the versatility but the smoothness of the Special has gotten me weighing versatility against smoothness since I was thinking maybe I'll probably use an improved cylinder choke most of the time anyways. The Express Turkey had a noticeably rougher and heavier action.

What would you do?

Any and all input is welcomed and appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[jmr40]

My brother had one for a while and I had a chance to play with it a little. The mag tube is shorter to keep the balance in the right place with the shorter barrel. The fore end is shorter to keep everything in proportion, but the distance you move the action would be the same.

The Special field is lighter and obviously shorter making it a good choice for carrying a lot when hunting quail and other upland birds. The straight stock is supposed to be easier to carry as well as cutting down on weight a little. I think they are a great little gun that would be a good choice for turkey except for the high gloss finish they came with.

My brothers was threaded for rem-chokes and I would think they all are.

 

[PlayMaker]

OK...I did a little more extensive research and found out that the post '86 models do have interchangeable chokes. Which I thought I saw on the barrel. I just wonder if they'll accept the standard RemChokes?

Everything sounds good, now the only thing is $430 for one in less then mint. You can definately tell it's been used.

How hard are these to find?

 

[Virginian]

They take standard RemChokes, but the barrels will not interchange with other 870s because the distance from the receiver to the barrel hanger ring is shorter. They made them in 12 and 20 gauge models, and they are quite popular when they show up on the auction sites. An excellent 20 gauge will usually go over $600-650 pretty quickly with no problem. They also made 1100 Special Field models. They work like all 870 Wingmasters, which is to say fantastic. If it feels good to you, go for it. If you change your mind down the road you won't have a problem selling it. Remember, before you plop your money down, the #1 thing in gun value is condition.