Remington 870 Police Magnum

UncleWalther

UncleWalther

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Is the Remington 870 Police Magnum still available? I bought one three years ago from Nordic Marksman. Never shot it; just sitting in safe. Want to sell it, but am getting questions about its genesis: i.e. is it “old production” or new (the intonation being that new ain’t good).

So what’s the deal with the Police Magnum? If I bought it new in 2020 did I get one of the good ones?
 
The only difference I’ve noticed is that the latter ones before bankruptcy have an updated ejector spring “holder” the tip that indexes with the notch in the barrel is solid and more substantial. Maybe ask Casey
 
The "Old" Police 870's were Wingmasters, wood furniture, 18" with extended mag tube and rifle sights.

The "New" Police 870's were Remington 870 Magnums. I believe there are two iterations, one from the late 1990's- early 2000's and then the latest runs from pre-Covid Remington, just prior to Bankruptcy.
 
The new Remarms company still makes 870 Police shotguns .... right now they just don't show up on any of Remarms web sites. I ordered one last month ...


Dealers are starting to get some new production (Remarms) 870 Police models in .... and have some in stock.
 
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I have a 2019 production 870 that's miles ahead of my 2003 Police in both function and cosmetics.
 
Painkillers said:
The "Old" Police 870's were Wingmasters, wood furniture, 18" with extended mag tube and rifle sights.

The "New" Police 870's were Remington 870 Magnums. I believe there are two iterations, one from the late 1990's- early 2000's and then the latest runs from pre-Covid Remington, just prior to Bankruptcy.
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Was that all of them from that era? I purchased one new in 1996ish and it’s marked “Police Magnum”, serial number ends with a “M”, parkerized ( not matte blued) finish and has an Improved Cylinder barrel and chambered for 3” shells. I haven’t put a ton of rounds through it, buts it’s functioned well and fit and finish is good.
 
870P said:
I have a 2019 production 870 that's miles ahead of my 2003 Police in both function and cosmetics.
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Yes, I had one good one (870 Police) that I bought around 2018 ... but then I had two bad ones bought in 2015 and 2020.

One came with a barrel that was not polished on the inside. You could feel the tool marks sticking a finger down the muzzle. Needless to say that barrel did lead up like nothing I have ever seen before.

And the other one .... the action would hang up upon firing .... you could not cycle it. I had to figure out what internal parts to polish .... and go about polishing them ... and to make that gun work.

These were all brand new shotguns ... 870 Police models.
 
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Remington police models are built in a dedicated, separate part of the factory and have higher QC on parts and assembly.
 
njohnson said:
Was that all of them from that era? I purchased one new in 1996ish and it’s marked “Police Magnum”, serial number ends with a “M”, parkerized ( not matte blued) finish and has an Improved Cylinder barrel and chambered for 3” shells. I haven’t put a ton of rounds through it, buts it’s functioned well and fit and finish is good.
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I believe what he means is that prior to the introduction of the “Police Magnum” model Remington would sell law enforcement Wingmaster’s with an 18” or 20” barrel, with or without a magazine extension. I have an example of one that came with a 18” Cyl bore and at one point had the top folding stock (barrel is all marked up where the buttplate would contact it).

“Police Magnum” shotguns started around 1985 or so and were available either blued or parkerized and with a 14”, 18”, or 20” barrel, wood or synthetic stocks. Most 18” barrels were IC and 14” were Mod although either could be ordered with Cyl bore, not sure what came the 20” but I imagine it would be IC.

As has been mentioned new Police Magnum’s are apparently coming, Nordic has an ad in the EE and the MSRP appears to have only gone up a couple hundred from when they were last available.
 
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It’s all nonsense. I’ve had a 1950’s 870 that looked like it was machined by beavers and stuff from close to the bankruptcy that’s well machined and finished. Lots of the older blued guns are poorly polished you’ll notice a soft line in front on the bolt opening from the flat side to the rounded top.

Here’s some comparison between the ejectors
https://www.rem870.com/2011/10/25/remington-870-ejector-spring-replacement/
 
boxhitch said:
would old models be limited to 2 3/4" and anything newer for 3" be of lesser quality?
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Old Wingmaster’s would be 2 3/4” and the Police Magnum are all 3”. I don’t believe there was ever a “Police” marked model. As for quality, lots will tell you that quality went up and down over the years but they should all be of better quality than Express models.

Most will never be found wanting with 2 3/4” in a tactical shotgun.
 
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Leg said:
I believe what he means is that prior to the introduction of the “Police Magnum” model Remington would sell law enforcement Wingmaster’s with an 18” or 20” barrel, with or without a magazine extension. I have an example of one that came with a 18” Cyl bore and at one point had the top folding stock (barrel is all marked up where the buttplate would contact it).

“Police Magnum” shotguns started around 1985 or so and were available either blued or parkerized and with a 14”, 18”, or 20” barrel, wood or synthetic stocks. Most 18” barrels were IC and 14” were Mod although either could be ordered with Cyl bore, not sure what came the 20” but I imagine it would be IC.

As has been mentioned new Police Magnum’s are apparently coming, Nordic has an ad in the EE and the MSRP appears to have only gone up a couple hundred from when they were last available.
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Yes, thank you. I would change one statement though. At the risk of sounding pedantic, LEO agencies bought the shotguns via request for proposals contracts. The various LEO agencies cast a broad net after drafting and stipulating their needs.These are public dollars afterall. Remington, Mossberg, and whomsoever else wish to bid, can and do so.

For many, many, years; many, many, LEO agencies were using Wingmaster 870's. The variances of the 870's were almost agency dependant, but Wingmasters reined supreme for their needs for many decades.

As agencies began requesting 3" or magnum capabilities, the "Police Magnum" was birthed by Remington. As far as Police issued shotguns being a "dedicated, separate part of the factory and have higher QC on parts and assembly", I don't believe so. Remington has been making Wingmasters for a very long time and they would sell them to whomesoever had the cash and ability to own one. There is literally nothing "special" about them at all. Now, when Remington began making a "Police Magnum", it would have been a separate, or partially separate, line to the other models offered.

As far as quality control, Remington and other shotgun manufacturers offered different models, at different price ranges, with accompanying differing assembly attentions. I would suggest that QC is consistent across all models, Remington want guns that work leaving it's factory. However, the materials and attention to fitment did change from model to model.
 
Painkillers said:
Yes, thank you. I would change one statement though. At the risk of sounding pedantic, LEO agencies bought the shotguns via request for proposals contracts. The various LEO agencies cast a broad net after drafting and stipulating their needs.These are public dollars afterall. Remington, Mossberg, and whomsoever else wish to bid, can and do so.

For many, many, years; many, many, LEO agencies were using Wingmaster 870's. The variances of the 870's were almost agency dependant, but Wingmasters reined supreme for their needs for many decades.

As agencies began requesting 3" or magnum capabilities, the "Police Magnum" was birthed by Remington. As far as Police issued shotguns being a "dedicated, separate part of the factory and have higher QC on parts and assembly", I don't believe so. Remington has been making Wingmasters for a very long time and they would sell them to whomesoever had the cash and ability to own one. There is literally nothing "special" about them at all. Now, when Remington began making a "Police Magnum", it would have been a separate, or partially separate, line to the other models offered.

As far as quality control, Remington and other shotgun manufacturers offered different models, at different price ranges, with accompanying differing assembly attentions. I would suggest that QC is consistent across all models, Remington want guns that work leaving it's factory. However, the materials and attention to fitment did change from model to model.
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Painkillers, where is this info coming from? Can you cite your sources?

Here is just one example of the differences and the extra "care" that Remington used for the Police models.:

Every 870 Police that I bought new with rifle or ghost ring sights .... (and I bought a few over the years) ... did shoot 1oz slugs to point of aim at 50 meters. And that is because those guns were sighted in at the Ilion factory and before they were shipped out. I guess somebody did not want law enforcement officers to head out into the field with guns that are not sighted in.

On the other side, the two 870 Express that I bought new with rifle sights ... I had to sight them in .... they were not shooting to point of aim. An example of Remington's cost cutting with the Express models ....
 
Painkillers said:
…. As far as Police issued shotguns being a "dedicated, separate part of the factory and have higher QC on parts and assembly", I don't believe so. Remington has been making Wingmasters for a very long time and they would sell them to whomesoever had the cash and ability to own one. There is literally nothing "special" about them at all. Now, when Remington began making a "Police Magnum", it would have been a separate, or partially separate, line to the other models offered.
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Wrong again.

Have you visited the REM factory?
I have and I can tell you the Remington Police shotguns go through many more additional tests before they leave the factory to police agencies and military.

Police shotguns are not assembled in the same area of the commercial plant as other Remington shotguns.

All police issued shotguns are assembled in a special, separate part of the plant that is secured for factory personnel only.
When shotgun parts enter this special building area, they are visually inspected by hand to make sure they are top quality and 100% functional, reduce chances the gun malfunctioning in life or death situations.

Differences between 870 Express and Remington Police models are comprised of different, tool steel parts, extra power springs for reliability, fitment and assembly. REM Police shotguns go through a more thorough quality control inspection before they are released.

The 870 Police shotguns are built in a highly secured area of the plant in New York. It’s an area that only builds military and law enforcement shotguns.

Wingmasters of earlier years are a totally different animal, but the Police models whether blued, or parkerized, old or new, have always been a more reliably built shotgun by far.
 
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