870 parkerized parts on a wingmaster? Taboo?

vpsalin

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I've been thinking of bringing new life to my old 1960s wingmaster, which keep in mind didn't cost me a cent as of today, it currently has a 30'' bead sight blued fixed full choke barrel. As I understand it, this makes it useless for modern day steel waterfowling, which it was initially designed to do. I'm still having fun with this barrel using it for trap as a newbie. I shot 19/25 the other day and it was my 2nd try. I'm no expert, but I suspect its a decent start and worth continuing using this barrel leaving it unchanged for the time being.

Now I'm also fond of both upland game hunting AND tactical shotguns. I'm tinkering with the idea of transforming my old wingmaster into a compromise between the two. I've come up with 3 concepts, all of which involve buying a 21'' vent rib turkey EXPRESS barrel which takes modern day rem-chokes and matching it with my old blued wingmaster receiver...The barrel costs roughly 250$ with tax, and a mag extension roughly an extra 50$. Do people have experience/opinions on this type of project?

I photoshopped three concept images of what the gun might turn out looking like contrasting the difference between the wingmaster receiver finish and the express barrel/mag extension finish...is this considered an esthetic taboo or rather a practical and cheap solution to bringing new life to an old gun? The two last images are meant to contrast the difference between a 7 shot extension tube and 8 shot tube on a 21'' vent ribbed barrel.

Keep in mind, that in any event I would almost always hunt with it with the mag extension deleted from the firearm.

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My early 60's Wingmaster, which was my brid and clays gun up until this spring is at Tac Ord right now getting a tune up.

"A change is as good as a rest"
Jim Lahey
 
The Remington #24545 barrel is 20" with rifle sights and threaded for choke tubes. It will match the finish on your gun. Here is what it looks like on my 870 complete with a Choate +3 extension:

DSC00158.JPG


Besides the bead blasted blued (not Parkerized) finish not matching, the Express barrel also does not have a ball detent to keep the magazine cap or extension from unscrewing, as the Express uses a different setup. You can use blue Loctite to retain the cap/extension or have the the barrel lug drilled to install the detent.
 
The Remington #24545 barrel is 20" with rifle sights and threaded for choke tubes. It will match the finish on your gun. Here is what it looks like on my 870 complete with a Choate +3 extension:

DSC00158.JPG


Besides the bead blasted blued (not Parkerized) finish not matching, the Express barrel also does not have a ball detent to keep the magazine cap or extension from unscrewing, as the Express uses a different setup. You can use blue Loctite to retain the cap/extension or have the the barrel lug drilled to install the detent.

That barrel comes with IC choke? Is your buttpad stock or did you have that added? If so which model is it and did it need modifying for it to fit?
 
It's your gun do what you want. Just know it will be ugly! Blue and Park don't match at all in any way. But what works works.
 
That barrel comes with IC choke? Is your buttpad stock or did you have that added? If so which model is it and did it need modifying for it to fit?

My barrel came with a rifled choke tube only, so I bought improved cylinder and modified chokes for it.

The recoil pad is a Pachmayr Decelerator. When I bought it, the gun had an old, hardened vented pad with a white spacer that had been crudely mounted. Generally speaking, any recoil pad will likely require some fitting to install.

Your old 30" full-choked barrel is still usable with #1 or smaller steel shot, according to Remington. Having the choke reamed out to modified will likely improve patterns and allow you to use any size of steel shot.
 
How about this for sacrilege?

My perfectly functioning 60's Wingmaster currently is parkerized, wearing synthetic stocks and a Mossberg barrel :eek:
 
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