870 Express Youth 20ga. Any QC issues on recent copies?

.22LRGUY

.22LRGUY

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Hey guys, closing in on a decision to get one of these shotguns. In the interest of full disclosure (and to MAYBE avoid a lecture :) ) I shoot an old 20ga. Wingmaster but have been looking at one of these for some time. At first it was for me before I got my Wingmaster....but now I have a young, small-framed hunter in the house who would like to try clays. Her plan is to actually hunt grouse with a shotgun, but I've urged her to put some time in shooting trap first. Whatever the case, I've held one of these 3-4 times in the gun shop, cycled the action, shouldered it...has that nice familiar Remington feel and I'm planning on getting one. Guess my question is this~are the newer Express shotguns still having extraction issues with cheap shells, and have you polished the chamber on your Express and/or replaced the extractor? I've had nothing but good experiences with Remington shotguns, but want to have an idea of what I might be up against if this shotgun won't clear the empties. Both improvements look like pretty easy DIY jobs.

Thanks for taking a minute to reply.
 
I bought a Remington 870 Magnum 20 GA years ago at the Toronto Sportsman Show. I wanted a light handy bush shotgun and got the combo with the 28" shot and 20" rifled barrels. All I've done to it is put on sling swvels and a recoil pad to give me the correct length of pull. So here we are, 20 years later, and it's as good today as the day I bought it. I've only done routine cleaning maintenance and cleaning to keep in good repair and it's one of the most reliable and trusted firearms I own. If I had a complaint, I'd have loved the 26" shot barrel for bird hunting in the bush, but it wasn't an option at that time. I bought the "youth" model with the parkerized finish and the birch stock, not the nice blued and walnut premiere grade. i meant it as a working firearm and it's given me many years of sterling service. So (to finally get to the point), I don't think you can go wrong with that make and model. May it bring you and your as much fun (and meat) as mine has.
 
The 26" barrel suits the 20 frame perfectly. As for extraction issues with cheap shells the old bronze brush wrapped with 000 steel wool and polishing compound fixes that. I don't shoot the cheap shells as there are better shells available for not much more... I have yet to see a broken extractor or extractor issue. I do see that guys using the Express for heavy duty police/military type usage may want a forged extractor. If you do buy the Police Magnum is has all that sh-t. The Express with 200 or 300 rounds through it will be as smooth as a wing master. Buy the gun you won't be sorry. Remember there is nothing on a 870 series that can't be fixed quick and without a lot of expense. To prevent rusting of the Express finish ( I have not seen much of it) soak the outer finish with G96 or similar gun oil and let it soak in. Regular cleaning and post hunt wipe downs will prevent any other rust issues...

Darryl
 
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I got a Jr 20 gauge to use for 3-gun competition. It's light, fast to use,can load five shells in a handful (can't wait to get a mag extension though) actually fits me and shoots great. I've been shooting it quite a bit this summer and now I think about it....haven't had a single failure to extract/feed or anything else :) Just had a few laughs from the guys teasing me about my little toy gun...until it started kicking some butt. I think it's a cheap looking P.O.S. and really wish Remington could put some quality back into their well designed shotty's, although it functions great!! It does have a bit of rust showing already and I'll give it a funky paint job if I get tired of looking at it one day.
 
The biggest complaint is exterior rust. Oil the receiver and barrel like crazy, with the best and longest-lasting CLP you can find.
 
Thanks for the input guys, greatly appreciated. My nephew has a synthetic express in 12ga. that has had troubles with extraction using the cheapest Winchester loads, but he doesn't seem to care. (in spite of my offers to remedy it for him) He just feeds it primo target loads. For this 20ga., I'll be testing it with everything I have and watch for any signs of trouble. As for smiley1's "cheap looking POS" comment, I think you get what you pay for and for this price point...provided everything functions as it should...I think it's good value. If I want to look at rich, deep bluing...I'll fondle my old Wingmaster. :)

At the end of the day, it's my daughter...maybe even my wife who will be using this shotgun and trust me...the extra $ that might have gone into a higher-grade shotgun would truly be lost on them. I'm a bit fanatic when it comes to cleaning/oiling, so this express will get every ounce of TLC it deserves!
 
Hi guys, I have the 870 Express Combo. I bought it in 2006 after a break in and theft of all my firearms. I have used it a lot over the last 7 years and I love it. Until 2 weeks ago I never had an issue. I went to a skeet shoot and used "Winchester target loads" for the first time and what S&@T shells, every single one the extractor ripped apart!!! I put 3 Federal Black Cloud shells through it with no problems. So in my opinion it's just crap shells. I just upgraded to the Beretta a300 Outlander in camo for waterfowl this year but I'm not getting rid of the 870! And the rifled barrel shoot 6" groups at 200 yards.
 
UPDATE~bought the gun Friday! :) After a thorough inspection at the shop of a couple specimens...it's clear that there is no point looking for one with perfect metal. :) The finish is SO dull that it practically scratches itself, but again...if I want to admire nice bluing, I'll stare at my Wingmaster. After a complete tear-down, cleaning, reassembly with the mag plug, she's ready for a test shoot. I did inspect the chamber, fully expecting to detect SOME evidence of it being rough, and it just wasn't. VERY smooth. Time will tell when I put a few cheap-o target loads through her, but I'd be VERY surprised if it needed any polishing.

Other than the metal finishing...you can sure tell this gun isn't as refined as a Wingmaster. I have a hunch I could assemble a WM blindfolded. Took me numerous attempts to get the Express together, and cost me some skin on my knuckles too. I'm confident she'll smooth-out a little with some use but overall, I'm very pleased with it...and excited to see it in my daughter's hands once I test the function. Thanks to everyone for their input.
 
"...Youth 20ga..." That the size you need?
"...want to admire nice bluing..." No real bluing on Remington firearms(or any other manufacturer) for eons. The Express 'model' is a lower end shotgun too. Same gun with lower end fit and finish.
 
sunray said:
"...Youth 20ga..." That the size you need?
"...want to admire nice bluing..." No real bluing on Remington firearms(or any other manufacturer) for eons. The Express 'model' is a lower end shotgun too. Same gun with lower end fit and finish.
Click to expand...

Hey Sunray, agreed. My initial post recognized the same, as I have a 1968 Wingmaster I bought in new condition 2 summers ago. There is no comparison between that gun and a new Express, but I knew that going in. No, the youth size gun is for my daughter primarily, maybe my wife if she takes an interest. My daughter took her FSC and Hunter's Ed course this summer, and now has her A1 apprentice license. She's keen to shoot a few grouse with a .22 this fall (Savage Rascal) but expressed some interest in trying clays and ultimately....shotgun-hunting for grouse. I have a lovely old 28ga. Remington 11-48 that she'll likely own one day, but I had her shoulder it a few times and the LOP is too great for her..and I'm not chopping the stock on it....ever! :)
 
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