870 Express current production quality

manbearpig

manbearpig

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
72   0   0
Location
Somewhere in the Third World
im planning on building a project on an 870. im currently more of a Mossberg guy, and havent handled any recent 870 Express models.

quote from another thread:
csmith99 said:
My friend's 870 will cycle ANYTHING, but he laughs his A** off when mine jams on the same ammo. I guess it's the 20 year difference between when his was made, and when mine was.
Click to expand...

in light of the above, am i better off looking for an older, used 3" 870 or should i buy a brand new 870 Express from Le Baron for $350.

is the Express identical to the Wingmaster but with a 'rougher' matte finish as opposed to the gloss? or are there other cost-saving differences? (for example a plastic triggerguard - something ive always hated about mossberg 500s)
 
Try the "search" function, this has been discussed before.

I've got an Express I bought about a month ago. It's my first shotgun, and I'm really happy with it--its cycled everything I've fed it with ease (500+ rounds, varied target, game, buck and slugs). I can't speak to the quality difference between it and an older wingmaster from personal experience. It has a plastic trigger guard.

My only complaint, and others will verify this, is that you have to oil the finish like crazy (the finish is not great for corrosion protection...).
 
mines had some problems ejecting federal trap loads how ever i am pretty new to shot guns so i'm not sure whats causeing it i am gonna see aboput having it lkooked at
 
Hankus said:
It has a plastic trigger guard.

My only complaint, and others will verify this, is that you have to oil the finish like crazy (the finish is not great for corrosion protection...).
Click to expand...

ah geez..
ok that killed it right there for me. the new matte black finish remington uses isnt even parkerizing, in terms of rust protection it seems like the equivalent of a light misting of flat black spraypaint, heh.

i own an old '70s model remington 700 PSS with heavy duty olive parkerizing, i wanted to buy a new PSS a few months ago and looked at one at a gunstore and i couldnt believe it was the same rifle. it was even rusting around the scope mount holes and at the seam between the barrel and receiver. fit and finish wise it looked horrible -- there is NOTHING rough about the fit and finish of my classic 700 PSS, its the same quality as other remingtons of the time period but simply parkerized instead of blued.

i think as they started this whole 'matte' fad and passing off crappy black painted matte rifles as 'new tactical low-glare' theyve been passing off substandard fit and finish that is just concealed with bead blasting and paint or matte bluing. back before every gun was bead blasted and matte blued they actually had to ensure a quality polished finish before bluing or it would look like crap after it was blued.

yeah i think ill look around for a pre-express model. a gloss blued or parkerized finish actually protects a gun, matte bluing or matte paint doesnt.. they rust like mad, and if you try to protect it with oil the oil sweats off all over the place when its hot. and a plastic triggerguard, UGH. 870 buffs always used to bash mossbergs for the 'cheap plastic triggerguard', heh.. now they have one too.
 
manbearpig said:
i own an old '70s model remington 700 PSS with heavy duty olive parkerizing, i wanted to buy a new PSS a few months ago and looked at one at a gunstore and i couldnt believe it was the same rifle. it was even rusting around the scope mount holes and at the seam between the barrel and receiver. fit and finish wise it looked horrible -- there is NOTHING rough about the fit and finish of my classic 700 PSS, its the same quality as other remingtons of the time period but simply parkerized instead of blued.

i think as they started this whole 'matte' fad and passing off crappy black painted matte rifles as 'new tactical low-glare' theyve been passing off substandard fit and finish that is just concealed with bead blasting and paint or matte bluing. back before every gun was bead blasted and matte blued they actually had to ensure a quality polished finish before bluing or it would look like crap after it was blued.
Click to expand...

Certainly, new meaning to the terms, Pre-War, Wartime, and (in the future, I hope...) Post-War.
 
the 870 express is media blasted and then blued, because it's cheaper. the wood and finish is cheaper , that's why it sells for the price that it does! plastic trigger guard ,plastic ditto. plus a few other difference between the express and wingmaster. the express is an economy line shotgun. keep it oiled and give it TLC and there should be no problem. some of these guns need to have the chamber polished to help extraction and ejection. i didn't know that norinco's were parkerized
 
The Norinco parked finish is a step up over the bead blsated and blued Express finish, yes. On expresses, I typically blast and park them, sometimes armacoat over that too.

If you want a screaming deal, but a 2.75" wingmaster and have your gunsmith switch out the ejector for a 3" part. Then you will have a 3" mag wingmaster ;)
 
Claven2 said:
The Norinco parked finish is a step up over the bead blsated and blued Express finish, yes. On expresses, I typically blast and park them, sometimes armacoat over that too.

If you want a screaming deal, but a 2.75" wingmaster and have your gunsmith switch out the ejector for a 3" part. Then you will have a 3" mag wingmaster ;)
Click to expand...

I was actually thinking a 28" Norinco for 250 then buy one of Dlask's 18" barrels for $90 :)
 
sent an email before i started this thread, waiting for a response.

although with my luck they are probably expresses. ive been reading some threads on the norinco clones and even long-time 870 nuts praise the quality as better than current 870 express models.

after reading this and other threads, i dont think i would buy an 870 express.

on the norinco clone:
It is a better gun than the current Express.
It has an aluminium trigger plate, a milled extractor, phosphate finish, and a 5rd mag tube.
The downsides are, it has the new express mag retainer (dimples), no flexi tab carrier, and it has made in china stamped on the side.
Click to expand...

Have both a Remington 870 express magnum synthetic (eeeeyuck! Mad ) and a Norinco 98 series with the ghost rings, and just based on my PERSONAL experience, I would rather buy another dang Norinco than to waste another $300 on a cheap POS Express. Just an opinion, but I really think that the Express models are J U N K. The other lines seem to be much better for Remington.
Click to expand...

The Norinco clone is a better made shotgun than the Remmy Express. You won't find any cheap plastic, or MIM parts in the Norinco. Durability is right up there with the Wingmaster and Police models, but perhaps not as nicely finished.
I have the Norinco 14" HP9 and I'll pick it any day over an Express. It's cheaper and better made. For the price you can't beat it.
Click to expand...

kindof frightening.

this is a good thing though. i think id rather buy an old 870 than a new norinco with 'made in china' stamped on it... but if anything this will pressure the big US companies like remington, mossberg, etc to step up their current production quality which from what i gather has been in a steady decline for the last decade or two.
 
Well I own an almost year old 870 express super mag, and it has never given me a problem ever. I love it. And would rather have a made in the USA gun over an offshore clone any day.

Maybe they had a bad batch of them or something, but mine has never given me a jam and is pretty smooth, not silky smooth, but smooth enough to blast and rack and blast another shell as fast as my arm lets me.

It has never let me down, and has taken about 40 ruffies thus far and has blown up a pile of clay birds ;)

I do agree that it will rust if not kept oiled. But duh, your supposed to keep your guns oiled anyway.

Good luck on what ever you choose to get.
 
Last edited:
there are a ton of 2 3/4" 870 wingmasters on the market right now. is it really so easy as just switching to 3" extractors and a 3" barrel and you have a 3" capable wingmaster? if so i wont even look at an express or 'rinco knockoff, ill just get the real deal.
 
northwoodslivin said:
Well I own an almost year old 870 express super mag, and it has never given me a problem ever. I love it. And would rather have a made in the USA gun over a chinky POS any day.

Maybe they had a bad batch of them or something, but mine has never given me a jam and is pretty smooth, not silky smooth, but smooth enough to blast and rack and blast another shell as fast as my arm lets me.

It has never let me down, and has taken about 40 ruffies thus far and has blown up a pile of clay birds ;)

I do agree that it will rust if not kept oiled. But duh, your supposed to keep your guns oiled anyway.

Good luck on what ever you choose to get.
Click to expand...

As a Canadian of Asian descent I find the adjective "chinky" used in the above post, extremely offensive.

Hungry here: Me too, it was offensive and the original poster had editted his post. What a gentleman. I guess that's why this 'shotgun' forum is pretty decent (just like the MBR forum) unlike the folks in the Off Topic forum, who I have to go and toss. It's all good. Let's move on....

Back on topic, the older Wingmasters are definitely the way to go. I'm looking for a receiver in good shape.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom