NewZealander
Member
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2006
- Messages
- 20
Firstly as a new member I'd like to say what great and well run forums. The wealth of information is fantastic and has proved very useful. I recently went down the path of replacing my 3 inch interchoke 870 Wingmaster with a Browning BPS. I am a pump action fan after years of shooting with auto's - not the usual transition I know but after being forced to use a pump action a few years ago I've never looked back.
After a lot of time spent looking for info between the above shotguns there was not a lot of information on direct comparisons so I thought I would share my experiences. I should add that I am a dedicated waterfowler and pheasant shooter here in NZ and my preference is for woodstocked guns. I also shoot sporting clays 2 or 3 times a year - mainly for pre duck season practice.
Anyway the goods...
My Remington 870 Wingmaster was a beautiful, great handling shotgun. However after 2500 rnds, half of which were magnum loads, the gun still jammed on certain brands of ammunition right from new (the breech block actually locked in the barrel. A friend who has the express version has had similar problems. We have both now sold our 870's and replaced them with 3inch Browning BPS hunters. These guns are exceptionally smooth straight out of the box and to date we have not had 1 malfunction with any type of ammo. We do not find the bottom eject a handicap but a plus.
personal ratings:
Asthetics - Wingmaster better
Mechanics - BPS better
Finish - BPS / Wingmaster on a par
Weight - Wingmaster (Although the heavier BPS is more comfortable to shoot 3inch magnums)
Handling - BPS / Wingmaster on a par
Innovation - BPS (backbored, invector + which does make a significant difference to patterns, bottom eject etc). BPS sighting plane suits me better.
Reliability - BPS
In my opinion the Browning Pumps are extemely well built and in terms of quality and value on todays market offer more bang for your buck than the 870 wingmaster. Please note that I am not knocking remington 870's (they have been around for a long time and will continue to be) I am just sharing my experiences and observations. Hope this helps someone and once again thanks for a great site.
After a lot of time spent looking for info between the above shotguns there was not a lot of information on direct comparisons so I thought I would share my experiences. I should add that I am a dedicated waterfowler and pheasant shooter here in NZ and my preference is for woodstocked guns. I also shoot sporting clays 2 or 3 times a year - mainly for pre duck season practice.
Anyway the goods...
My Remington 870 Wingmaster was a beautiful, great handling shotgun. However after 2500 rnds, half of which were magnum loads, the gun still jammed on certain brands of ammunition right from new (the breech block actually locked in the barrel. A friend who has the express version has had similar problems. We have both now sold our 870's and replaced them with 3inch Browning BPS hunters. These guns are exceptionally smooth straight out of the box and to date we have not had 1 malfunction with any type of ammo. We do not find the bottom eject a handicap but a plus.
personal ratings:
Asthetics - Wingmaster better
Mechanics - BPS better
Finish - BPS / Wingmaster on a par
Weight - Wingmaster (Although the heavier BPS is more comfortable to shoot 3inch magnums)
Handling - BPS / Wingmaster on a par
Innovation - BPS (backbored, invector + which does make a significant difference to patterns, bottom eject etc). BPS sighting plane suits me better.
Reliability - BPS
In my opinion the Browning Pumps are extemely well built and in terms of quality and value on todays market offer more bang for your buck than the 870 wingmaster. Please note that I am not knocking remington 870's (they have been around for a long time and will continue to be) I am just sharing my experiences and observations. Hope this helps someone and once again thanks for a great site.