Remington 870 Receiver

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Texasred

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Is an 870 receiver cast? I know it doesn't matter, but I have an express and the thing seems cast while the perfect bluing of the wingmaster leaves such a smooth look. I can only wonder if they are indeed that same raw receivers in the begining. I know the difference in quality the wingmaster offers. Just wondering is all, if they are cast, were they always?
 
Even my SP-10 has a ****ty porus surface like the express. I've put over 5hrs of polishing to that thing to make a nice smooth surface.
 
Remington actually forges their receivers from steel, and all 870 shotgun receivers come out of the same forge.

The only difference is, the Express models are not polished and de-burred as well as the Wingmaster and Police models are.
 
Remington actually forges their receivers from steel,
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Doesn't "forged" mean "cast"? Isn't that contradictory to what the Remington site says?
 
I imagine it's just like a forged billet crankshaft. They use raw forged steel blocks (or billets), and machine away everything that's not a crankshaft, or in this case, an 870 receiver.

BTW, the forging process hammers solid (as opposed to molten) steel under many tons of pressure, aligning the grains in the steel, making it tougher and more dense. Casting involves melting the iron or steel and pouring it into a mold where it cools. Forged steel is much tougher and more crack resistant where cast is more brittle and has much more random grain alignment. Not sure how necessary this is in a shotgun receiver, but I'll take the forged 870 parts.:D
 
The forging process involves putting literally bright red hot lumps of steel in a powered hammer forge and actually beating the red hot steel into a mold that leaves the lump of metal shaped like a part.

This rough lump of steel is then machined until a finished receiver is made.
I can't remember the exact figures, but this means that something like 7 or 8 pounds of metal are machined away from the lump of steel.

Cast parts are made by pouring melted liquid steel into a mold.
When the mold is opened, the part requires very little final machining.

Forging makes the steel more dense and stronger than the rather porous cast parts.
 
A little OT, but here's a pic of a 8,000 metric ton forging press that I operate.

picsofwork.gif

You can see the conveyor on the left where the billet comes out the heaters to the press.
 
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Indeed they have, but Ruger was very astute and picked shapes that were well suited to casting. Take a look at a P95 slide compared to a BHP slide, and note the difference in material thickness. That's how Ruger compensates for a less-dense finished item. It's the same with the Ruger 77 series rifles (of which which I think highly) - they are bulkier than a comparable CZ to make up for being cast.
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It is possible to get cast materials that are almost as dense as forged, but AFAIK it's not possible to specifically orient the grain structure via any casting, sintering, or MIM process.
 
Forging can have its defects too like "cold laps" and overheated (burnt) metal. With today's processes castings can be used for most applications that used to be forged, but not all. I would not want a cast cap screw for instance.

The reason the Remington Express receiver looks cast or porous (at least the ones I have seen) is they are abrasive blasted before blueing or parkerizing. The blasting hides machining marks without expensive polishing but leaves a surface that is similar to a "sand casting".
 
Forging: verb, to forge, forging, the act or process of shaping heated metal by hammering. (not in a fluid state)

Casting: verb, to form (metal, plaster, etc.) into a particular shape by pouring it into a mold in a fluid state and letting it harden.

Machining: verb, to make, prepare, or finish with a machine or with machine tools.
 
Polishing an Express seems like a chore. The Remington booklet that came with my tactical model talks about how it was bead blasted and coated with a tough matte finish. They didn't want it to be bright and shiny.
Vern
 
"Tough matte finish?"

Hell, mine rusts like it's bare metal, unless I keep it oiled up.

That said, the 870 receiver is a damn good piece of machined steel. Just don't ask too many questions about what's inside it.:D
 
Hell, mine rusts like it's bare metal, unless I keep it oiled up.
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I think that is everyone's problems with the express's and other models. That is why I am trying the polish route, if that doesn't work, the metal is bare and ready for some duracoat.
 
Hell, mine rusts like it's bare metal, unless I keep it oiled up.
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I think that is everyone's problems with the express's and other models. That is why I am trying the polish route, if that doesn't work, the metal is bare and ready for some duracoat.
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Once you get the finish stripped off, you might consider Parkerizing. Phosphate is durable and holds oil on the surface better than either blue or spray-on finishes. Should be about the same price as bluing.
 
On the upside, the finish on the Express holds oil really well, especially one that leaves a film like RemOil. Of course it also holds sweat...

But refinishing it? Please. The gun cost me $235 new. I just don't care that much. I'll spend that money on something else (for example, Beretta's matte finish is really nice, smooth and thick). Remington is an ammo maker, as far as I'm concerned, now.
 
I think that is everyone's problems with the express's and other models.
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Nope, not my experience at all! I have 2 Express guns. Both have seen some use. Never one single spec of rust even after being exposed to rain. I do coat all of my guns (except Glocks) with a wax coating, and it has been very effective.

But refinishing it? Please.
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My thoughts too. I try to keep all my guns looking as close to the way they were when I got them as I can, but to put hours and hours into re-finishing an Express? No thanks. I'll just get a Wingmaster in the first place.

The old adage "Penny wise and pound foolish" comes to mind.
 
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