Building a short Wingmaster

M

mellows

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I have a Remington 870 Wingmaster that I've had Cerakoted by BBC and I've never carried it with me due to a 30" barrel. I have been looking for a receiver to build a 12.5 - 14" shorter gun to have as a more useful bush gun when not carrying an 8.5 inch shorty.

I'd like to get your thoughts on 12.5 or 14" using a Dlask barrel. I'm leaning towards a 14". Can I use a barrel that's rated for 3 inch with a receiver that only handles 2 and 3/4 inch rounds? I believe I can but I've never ventured down that road.

This Wingmaster is an oldie but amazing condition. Is it worth swapping to a police extractor or are the older Wingmaster extractors solI'd in comparison to the MIM Express?

I can't mount a scout light on the 8.5 so I think the 14" may be better but unsure.

Do you prefer 12.5 for the flush fit or 14 inch for an extra round?


Thanks again CGN
 
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the barrel will work just fine on your 2 3/4 receiver. if you are lucky it may handle 3 inch as some do. the receivers are of identical strength. i would leave the gun as is if it is as good as you say.
 
Yes the 3” chambered barrel is fine to shoot 2 3/4” shells, the receiver might even extract 3” shells. Personally I prefer the 14” over the 12.5”, it just feels “right” if you know what I mean. The 12.5” is fun though, they are both loud and the 12.5” is a flamethrower at dusk when shooting slugs. I bet the 14” is the same.
 
14" is the ideal length IMO.

12.5" isn't appreciately more handy and you give up capacity and a margin of safety seeing as your pump hand is that much closer to the muzzle.
 
BullOnParade said:
You cannot just take an off the shelf 870 and swap barrels.
Click to expand...

Actually, YES you can.

Before:
IMG-6257.jpg

Wingmaster with original barrel and furniture


After:
IMG-6777.jpg

Same Wingmaster + Factory 14" Remington blued 870P barrel & 870P furniture
 
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I love old Wingmasters and it's the 2nd best deal for a quality firearm next to an SKS imo.

14" Dlask with a 1 round S&J mag extension is the way to go.
 
Indeed Dlask are a fair bit heavier than Remington, but the short lived NEA barrel is the heaviest by far.


Tom E Gun said:
I haven't owned a Dlask 12" or 14" barrel, only factory Remington 14" barrels, but I'm told the Dlask barrels are significantly heavier.
Click to expand...
 
My only issue with these old Wingmaster builds into short HD guns is the lack of flex-tab feature, which is essential in an HD gun imo.

I have 3 older Wingmasters. Two 3" magnums no flex-tab that are dedicated hunting SG's. The third is a 14" Raptor grip setup with all the flex-tab mods.

It's a big compromise to me in the HD role and the cost to swap all that out suddenly makes the great Wingmaster deal not so appealing.
 
Great video. Very informative. Concerning cost/availability of the mentioned parts, could you swap those out from a modern express model? I would think all the 870 parts would be interchangeable.
 
Owned Wingmasters for over 50 yrs. 5 yrs. ago I had 10 in my safe of various configurations. I've shot thousands of rounds through them, and never needed a flex tab yet, nor do I know anyone who has. Lack of a flex tab wouldn't be a deal breaker for me.
 
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