Older 870 wingmasters?

[Jimbobob08]

Saw a 870 wingmaster at the local cnd tire. 2&3/4" chamber, fixed full choke, decent/ok shape. Nothing special but seemed like a good field gun. Price was $225. I own a 870express and have been happy with it, my bro likes my express and is looking for something of his own. Worth the $225, also is 3" or 3&1/2" chamber really needed for hunting? I've always used 2&3/4" shells in my express, even though it'll take 3"mag, but i've done very limited geese hunting, which is something we'd like to get into in the future.

Thx in advance

 

[blasted_saber]

Hmmm, thats ok, but the full choke will limit you (no steel!). If you can find a cheap Rem-choke barrel (an expess barrel is fine), and put it on, you'll be good to go.

The Wingmaster reciever and stock are head and shoulders above Express'

 

[pharaoh2]

Buy a new gun. You'll spend $250 by the time your done with taxes, then you'll need to ream the choke to accept steel shot. That's another $50-100. The older gun probably has a plain barrel, the Express will have a vent rib. I like vent ribs. And the guns ok, but I'll bet it's still beat up. In the end your not saving alot, and your stuck with 2 3/4 inch shells which work fine, but the option is nice. And don't listen to those who compare the old Wingmasters to the new ones. Your Express is every bit as good as that old 870.

 

[pharaoh2]

The Wingmaster reciever and stock are head and shoulders above Express'

Where do you people keep coming up with this?

 

[Jimbobob08]

Why cant you shoot steel in a full choke?

Going to take a guess that its because steel is lighter then lead, so a steel shot has to be bigger to make up for the weight difference and since full choke is the tightest and wont fit?? Are other chokes ok to shoot steel?

 

[pharaoh2]

Steel shot is harder. When it's traveling through a tight choke it doesn't have the give lead would and it works like shooting with a plugged barrel. Modified or less is a goodrule of thumb for steel shot.

*Cue the "I shoot steel through my full choke all the time" guys*

 

[DOUGLAS D]

What happens when you shoot 2 3/4 steel through a full choke Remington 870 barrel?
Does it blow up?
Kick harder?
Score the pristine interior of a 250 dollar pump?
Bulge the end?

Seriously I want to know because after a couple thousand rounds of Winchester Dryloc steel through my old Wingmaster I want to know if I'm just dumber than a wood tick or just plain lucky?

 

[Covey Ridge]

What happens when you shoot 2 3/4 steel through a full choke Remington 870 barrel?
Does it blow up?
Kick harder?
Score the pristine interior of a 250 dollar pump?
Bulge the end?

Maybe none of the above! Maybe some of the above! Maybe poor pattern? Maybe you do not know the difference between a poor pattern and an optimum pattern?

Seriously I want to know because after a couple thousand rounds of Winchester Dryloc steel through my old Wingmaster I want to know if I'm just dumber than a wood tick or just plain lucky?

Maybe none of the above! Maybe both of the above?

 

[DOUGLAS D]

Maybe none of the above! Maybe some of the above! Maybe poor pattern? Maybe you do not know the difference between a poor pattern and an optimum pattern?



Maybe none of the above! Maybe both of the above?

Yup I do know the difference.
I get real serious about it in my Browning O/U sporting clays guns but that really wasnt the question was it?
This Gentleman wants to know if he can shoot 2 3/4 steel though a 250 dollar used Remington fixed full choke barrel and he gets told the sky will fall on him if he does?

I think not.

 

[guess_kto]

Why cant you shoot steel in a full choke?

Going to take a guess that its because steel is lighter then lead, so a steel shot has to be bigger to make up for the weight difference and since full choke is the tightest and wont fit?? Are other chokes ok to shoot steel?

Steel shot is not flexible enough + larger sizes, the pattern with full choke will be more spread than with cylinder (provided the barrel doesn't blow up). Medium choke will give you "full choke" pattern with steel.

As it comes to the Wingmaster (used to cost x2), the quality of them much better than with Express. I'm not sure if you can put a new barrel from Express on Wingmaster, if you can, then it could be a good deal.

 

[hbar2]

Yup I do know the difference.
I get real serious about it in my Browning O/U sporting clays guns but that really wasnt the question was it?
This Gentleman wants to know if he can shoot 2 3/4 steel though a 250 dollar used Remington fixed full choke barrel and he gets told the sky will fall on him if he does?

I think not.

Im assuming youve never seen a 12 guage barrel that blew apart sending steel shards all over due to the use of steel shot in an older fixed full choke barrel. It happens, I think youre just lucky it hasnt happened to you....yet. But please post pics when it does.

 

[DOUGLAS D]

Im assuming youve never seen a 12 guage barrel that blew apart sending steel shards all over due to the use of steel shot in an older fixed full choke barrel. It happens, I think youre just lucky it hasnt happened to you....yet. But please post pics when it does.

And I'm assuming you have then?
Please post said pictures of the mayhem that resulted.

 

[beetlejuice]

Lead is soft and when hot its even softer. Steel is very hard and rigid and when it hits the bottleneck of the full choke it can make it through hundreds of times by chance and luck. Sooner or later when they clogg just right somethings gotta give and where lead would compress and warp, the steel wont and the barrel will experience catastrophic failure and hopefully nobody is injured. The three blown barrels they showed me at my hunters ed class was all I needed to see to convince me its not worth it and there is a reason they advise against it.

 

[DOUGLAS D]

Lead is soft and when hot its even softer. Steel is very hard and rigid and when it hits the bottleneck of the full choke it can make it through hundreds of times by chance and luck. Sooner or later when they clogg just right somethings gotta give and where lead would compress and warp, the steel wont and the barrel will experience catastrophic failure and hopefully nobody is injured. The three blown barrels they showed me at my hunters ed class was all I needed to see to convince me its not worth it and there is a reason they advise against it.

Actually steel will "clump" not clog as in "clog" your barrel.
Clumping is the result of pellets getting wet and sticking/rusting together resulting in a semi-solid steel mass passing through the barrel.

Lets error on the side of safety and let this one ride.
Dont shoot steel in a fixed choke full choke.
Dont do it.
Ever.
You've been told.

Buy a new Benneli and forget about that obselete 870.

 

[pharaoh2]

Lets error on the side of safety and let this one ride.
Dont shoot steel in a fixed choke full choke.
Dont do it.
Ever.
You've been told.

Buy a new Benneli and forget about that obselete 870.

Then stop posting stuff like this.

This Gentleman wants to know if he can shoot 2 3/4 steel though a 250 dollar used Remington fixed full choke barrel and he gets told the sky will fall on him if he does?

I think not.

And this goes for everyone like you. If you are willing and prepared to take the risk of trying an unsafe practice, not stated by me but by every single shotshell and shotgun manufacturer, please feel free to do so. Do not try to convince new folks to the sport what you do is safe and it is safe for them to do so as well, it is not. It may never happen to you, but it may happen to them, then the sky wont be falling, but it will soley land on your lap. Are you prepared to accept the responsibility and liability when someone loses their sight or worse?

 

[rthook]

then stop posting stuff like this.




And this goes for everyone like you. If you are willing and prepared to take the risk of trying an unsafe practice, not stated by me but by every single shotshell and shotgun manufacturer, please feel free to do so. Do not try to convince new folks to the sport what you do is safe and it is safe for them to do so as well, it is not. It may never happen to you, but it may happen to them, then the sky wont be falling, but it will soley land on your lap. Are you prepared to accept the responsibility and liability when someone loses their sight or worse?

well said

 

[MD]

I bought a 1957 Wingmaster for $150 about 10 years ago and immediately had the choke opened up to Modified ($40.00).

Used it for about 4 years and killed ducks and geese with it, then finally got an Express.

Did I really NEED the Express? Not really, but as I got more serious about waterfowling, I occasionally like to put three-inchers in for the added number of pellets in them, plus with the Rem-choke I can switch to Improved Cylinder for skeet or sporting clays which I do also occasionally in the off season. IC is pretty good when you're sure you're going to be doing all in-close shooting over decoys too.

Can you hunt with a 2 3/4 inch gun? Certainly.

I got a smokin' deal on an old Browning A5 in 2007 and the guy actually met me at a goose field to sell me the gun and we took turns knocking snow geese down with 2 3/4-inch shells.

 

[blasted_saber]

You can put Expess barrels on Wingmasters. My wifes Wingmaster came with a skeet barrel (nice for grouse, useless fo watefowl), and I put a Express Rem-choke barrel on it, it works fine. It has the crappy matte finish, but owell.

 

[Grouse Man]

That gun will be fine for hunting. First off, get them to knock the price to under $200, 175 better. NOBODY wants a 2-3/4", Full choked pre-steel gun these days.

Yes, go to a gunsmith and have the choke opened to IC/Mod for steel, which coincidentally makes a good lead choke for upland birds. The forcing cone can also be damaged by large steel shot (BBB and bigger), so keep to BB at biggest. Larger shot wastes more space as well, so you're better off to stick with #2 in a fast shell. And stay within the decoys, not pass shooting Canadas 40 yds overhead.

Those old Wingmasters are beautiful guns; polished blued steel and nice wood.

 

[t-star]

if you have any doubt you can always go to the remington site, give them your serial number and they will say yay or neay to your use of steel- i hava a pristine vintage 75 1100 full choke and they said just not to go bigger than no2 shot steel- well, i've run some 4 shot steel through it and found that i went from full to super full - ire it shoots like a rifle, and it's a 23/4 chamber