Identifying a Rem 870 Barrel?

Cheeky Munkey

Cheeky Munkey

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Can anyone identify the barrel on an 870 Wingmaster from a photo?

It's smooth bored and has a rear sight and a friend tells me that identifies it as a slug barrel.

My question: Is it -definately without question or doubt- a slug barrel?

ie: If it's some sort of choked barrel and I try to launch a slug through it, won't disaster strike?

What's the ID of a slug barrel?

I need the wisdom of the sage and experienced experts I've heard inhabit this place.

thanks in advance,
Cheeky Munkey
 
A factory-installed Remington sight implies it it suited for slugs. Hollow-base slugs can be fired through a choked barrel, whether improved cylinder, modified, or full in constriction, safely.
 
A dedicated slug barrel would be rifled to improve the accuracy of the slugs fired through it. You could consider your barrel a regular shotgun barrel, with an improvement (the rifle sights) to shoot the slugs accurately. You could just as easily send shot through the barrel, since it is a smoothbore. It's a little easier aiming a slug with rifle type sights than with just a bead. Also, the barrel is probably only around 20" in length to make it a little less cumbersome to handle in the woods.

As far as firing slugs through a choked barrel, it is not a concern if using standard rifled slugs. They are designed to be able to squeeze through a barrel with as much as a full choke. With a smooth bore, it is rifled slugs you should be using anyway.
 
The amount of choke on should be stamped on the left side of the barrel near the receiver. Look for three letters like, "IMP", "MOD", "CYL".

Sounds like a regular shotgun barrel to me. A dedicated slug barrel would be rifled, just like others have already mentioned.

What's the length? Probably 20", or maybe 18"?
 
Leg said:
The amount of choke on should be stamped on the left side of the barrel near the receiver. Look for three letters like, "IMP", "MOD", "CYL".

Sounds like a regular shotgun barrel to me. A dedicated slug barrel would be rifled, just like others have already mentioned.

What's the length? Probably 20", or maybe 18"?
Click to expand...

Rifled slug barrels from Remington did not start to appear until the late 80's to early 90's. Earlier models were smooth bored with sights and were usually about 20" in length. They were usually stamped with cyl. or imp. cyl. markings as I recall from the ones I owned way back.
 
Sorry folks 870's came with or barrels purchased as an extra slug barrels, these guns were the first to be suitable for barrel swaps without headspace fitting. The purpose of a rifled slug is for it to be fired from a smooth bore and felt recoil is not that much different full to cylinder choke. The disadvantage with a full choke is lead build up which causes poor accuracy the more rounds you fire.
 
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