What's Wrong with the Remington 870?

[Badger Arms]

While we're on the subject of prettyness, I think that the 870 is one of the better looking guns available. It's hard to go wrong with the smooth styling lines and at least some of the foregrip styles are attractive. I don't find any fault with the LOOK of the trigger guard, but I don't understand why the bolt release couldn't be placed in the RIGHT place... you know, right where John Moses Browning put it... on the RIGHT side of the trigger guard. The Remington Model 17 has about the best looking lines of any shotgun anywhere. Smooth, flowing, stepped, and sexy. If you have to have an ejection port on the Side, the 870 port is just right for my tastes. With a polished or jeweled bolt, it's downright purdy.

All of the "UGLY" features of the 870 are bows to economy. Milling steps in the side of the receiver is expensive. Best to cut the receiver off at the front like most shotgun makers do. There's also the magazine cap... the Browning/Pederson style is better looking than 870, but the 870 is much cheaper and allows extended magazines without a barrel/mag change.

 

[PJR]

I don't like the safety at the rear of the trigger guard and would prefer it in front like the Winchester. I've accomodated this problem by going to an aftermarket, oversized safety.

The the plastic follower doesn't inspire confidence and I replaced it with a sturdier replacement.

Triggers in most current 870s range from okay to awful with the Express triggers being uniformly bad.

In the subgauge models only 25" barrels are available and I'd like the option of somthing longer.

But until I find something I like as much, it's my choice.

Paul

 

[mod12]

safeties

altho i'm a mod 12 fan, i find the location of the safety on the 870 easier to operate. the mod 12 is a little too far forward and too small for my taste. i prefer the 870. years ago, herters sold an oversized cover and i still regret not buying one. all of "the good old things" are long gone i'm afraid. it's easier to slide my finger forward to the trigger than to pull it back. this may be an idiosyncracy on my part. if i had my druthers all safeties would be on the tang,

 

[Blain]

I've got a pet peeve about shells getting hung up between the shell carrier and the bolt. Jams like that can be quite difficult and time-consuming to clear.

That, the new plastic trigger gaurds, and plastic mag follower are the main faults of the express.

The main fault with the Express Super Magnum is that it has a standard 870 size bolt, and just a flimsy metal covering attached to it by a spring to cover the rest of the reciever hole! This flimsy piece of metal has been known to break, and jam up the gun while firing heavy 3 1/2" loads! Remington SHOULD make a special Super mag size bolt to eliminate this drastic problem. The reason the said they do not do this (according to those at Remington I called) was that the price increase would be too high.....I somehow doubt it.

 

[Badger Arms]

The reason the said they do not do this (according to those at Remington I called) was that the price increase would be too high.....I somehow doubt it.

Looking at the gun it's obvious that the cover is designed to allow a 3.5" magnum to feed from a receiver concieved to handle the 2 3/4" shell. It allows the gun to use the same bolt throw and still have the firing port covered. It also means that the receiver length is the same, and parts commanilty is retianed. This is a TREMENDOUS advantage considering the availability of aftermarket and factory acessories. Why reinvent the wheel? I haven't heard anything bad about this part myself.

 

[Blain]

Why reinvent the wheel?

Because the wheel of a car is insufficent for a truck!

I haven't heard anything bad about this part myself.

Fire some heavy 3.5" mag loads out of the gun (what it was designed to shoot) and you'll see the problems.

 

[Badger Arms]

A problem like this cannot be fixed by making a new bolt. If Remington were to do that, they'd have to design a new receiver and essentially make a whole new gun. I'd be interested to know if anybody else has experience with this. Most of the other items brougth up have been nit-picky such as finish, location of the safety, and materials. A verifiable, repeatable design flaw is another story. In use, the shell carrier will never bend. It's just fragile when removed from the gun. You're saying that these covers just pop off under recoil?

 

[gulogulo1970]

Hate the position of the safety. I like my Mossberg saftey much better. Finish is kinda rough but it only cost me $190.00 new. The 870 points/swings very well for me though no complaints there.

 

[mnrivrat]

Badger


He is saying they come loose in firing & use - and they do - it is a problem on the super mags and Rem needs to address it. They may not need a new bolt design, but they do need to do something to improve the reliability of this part. I have also had to straighten several lifters that got bent in use so it does happen - although not that often.
One last coment regarding the new style magazine spring retainer who's front teeth are suppose to serve as the locking mechanizim to make sure the mag cap doesn't loosen. Take that mag cap off and on a few times from new and see how fast the points of the teeth dull. While not the worst problem in the world it certainly is a deteriorization of quality in my opinion . Manufacturing cost reduction should not come at the expense of the products quality & reliability as that reduces its value.

 

[JBhunter]

Location of the safety need to be in the front of the triggerguard.

In all Remington shotguns a light weight reciever would be nice.

And of course the plastic parts and locks.

 

[Mikul]

I'll make another vote against the safety. Anything that would allow me to remove it withouth moving my hands would fine.

Otherwise, my old Wingmaster is a beaut! Quick barrel changes, easy upgrades, simple to maintain, versatile, and available used in good shape at reasonable prices. I knew of the Express complaints so I avoided them.

 

[Badger Arms]

Hmmmm. I guess I don't get it. For me, the safety is just perfect. I can operate it great with my right hand. If this is only a lefty problem, I can understand. Save for a tang safety, which I don't like, perhaps the gun could have had a Garand style safety?