Used Remington 870 receiver question

[F1ST0]

Hello, I'm new to the high road. About two weeks ago, I bought a used Remington 870 with woodland digital grips for $350 at a gun shop, I'm in New York I'm picking it up on Tuesday. I didn't question anything at the time because I found it for such a good price. But something worried me. The receiver was questionable. On the left of the receiver, where it usually says the model, it just said "Remington 870". That's it, not "Remington 870 EXPRESS" or "R 870 Police MAG" or anything, just "Remington 870". Also, the top of the receiver, it was completely flat, it didn't have a groove for easy use of the bead sight. The barrel said on the left side "2 3/4" and 3" 12g" or whatever, like an 870 express and on the right side of the barrel it said the town it was made in, I forgot what it was.

So, did I get an older model or something?

Thanks, all. I'm enjoying the forum so far.

 

[jmr40]

At various times they have stamped different things on the receiver, even though it was still the same gun. If it is stamped for both 2 3/4" and 3" shells it was made sometime after the early 90's. The older guns were mostly 2 3/4" only. A few older guns did take 3" shells, but making them all rated for either only started about 20 years ago. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[F1ST0]

Oh, wow! Thank you so Much jmr40! That had me really worried, I was suspicious of the really reasonable price, but I was right, older model, great. Thank you.

 

[Virginian]

Actually they stopped making the 2-3/4" only models in either the late 70s or early 80s, I forget exactly. If it has a less than polished finish, which I am betting on, it sounds like a post 2000 Express model. They have changed the rollmarking a lot on those.

 

[F1ST0]

Yeah, it's like a Matte black finish, not polished.

 

[F1ST0]

I mean parkerized, almost accept not as grayish like you see on 1911 GI's.

 

[dfariswheel]

If it's a matte black, it's an Express model. The Express uses a bead blasted blue finish that looks flat black.
The Wingmaster is polished blue and the Police is a dark gray parkerized finish.