What's The Fuss About?.....

[farscott]

Dave,

A local shop not known for good prices has a Remington 31 with a nice aftermarket field stock and forend. The barrel appears to be a twenty-eight inch model and it is choked modified. Gauge is 12 and chamber appears to be 2-3/4. Based on the wood and the metal finish, I am assuming it has been refinished. They are asking $550.

Any ideas on value? I am curious enough to spend a bit more than market just to try the famed 31, but not enough to spend way too much.

 

[ArmedBear]

The stock shapes are different enough to be quite noticeable if you shoot it enough, and the Wingmaster's stock is the shape for which the 870 was designed. The Express stock is just easier for Remington to sand, for cheap.





Current retail price for a 28" or 30" LC barrel is about $260.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...abelas/en/common/search/search-box.jsp.form23

If you want to scrounge parts, sure, you might get lucky and find a Light Contour Wingmaster barrel for less -- but you're far more likely to find it attached to a used Wingmaster. And I maintain that it's a better deal that way, as a general rule.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Scott, a bit too much, IMO,for a refinish. Best to give it a pass.

AB, if you say so. I hadn't noted the difference.

Used WMs? Yes, all day long.

Number Six wears a 30" LC barrel these days. It handles well when I can tear myself away from the B gun.

The 26" LC barrel here is actually a little twitchy in my hands. I use an extended choke tube and a weighted mag cap to make it handle more to my liking. Both barrels are good.

 

[xcgates]

I have a recently bought 870 that has never failed to go bang, and hasn't developed any rust, despite being stored inside a plastic gun case all winter long in non-climate controlled storage locker.

I also have a rusty old Subaru station wagon that works pretty dang well to get me and my stuff all over, wherever and whenever I need to go.

I also have an old Kawasaki motorcycle that was bought pretty darn cheap, yet still fires up every time, assuming I do my part and keep up on the (basic) maintenance.

None of the three are much to look at, heck the bike has several things duct-taped together, and the wagon has quite a bit of rust, yet they all (given a reasonable amount of care and feeding) do what I want and need them to do. Heck, I just went through this with a trailer that I bought to tow my bike, where I spent a decent amount of time assembling a cheap Harbor Freight trailer in the garage, and it is not the most incredible thing, yet is was cheap enough that I don't really need the fit and finish aspects a more expensive trailer has.

And some people want more spit and polish in their lives. If you are fine with less spit and polish, don't get annoyed by those who need the "higher standards", and if you need that quality, don't get annoyed when the less polish crowd is fine with their "lower standards"

So, I really don't think there is much to get upset about

 

[RMc]

I have several 870 Express models and all function smoothly. None have developed any rust the high humidity of the coastal south. That I use Slip-2000 lube may have something to do with it. Here is a corrosion test run just a few miles away:

http://www.slip2000.com/saltwatertest.html