Bought an old Wingmaster with no barrel so I can’t determine the date code. Trying to get an age on it just out of curiosity. It’s pre-flexitab and has a silver lifter so according to what I can find that places it before 1975, and it’s got no letter prefix on the serial number so that should mean it’s older than 1969 because of the gun control bill in ‘68. I can’t find anything else online that would help narrow it down, just thought I’d see here if anyone else has some insight. If there are any other identifiers that would place it in a tighter range between 1950 and 1968/69
870 Wingmaster age question
- Thread starter JSSK
- Start date
First three digits are 475, suffix is V, but I think that just denotes that it’s a 2 3/4” 12g receiver
Well I have 2 with 389### & 419### that are 1955, one that's with 527### that is 1957 and another that is 568### that is 1958.
I would guess that yours is likely 1956.
I don't believe the addition of the serial number prefix had anything to do with the Gun Control Act of 1968, that was just coincidentally when they first reached the million serial number range. They changed the letter every few years when they got to the next million serial number.
Model 870 LETTER PREFIX
1950 TO APPROX 1968: NO SERIAL NUMBER PREFIX
1968 TO PRESENT: LETTERS USED (IN SEQUENCE)
S-68, T-74, V-78, W-84, X-90, A-91, B-94, C-97, D-01, AB-05
Model 870 LETTER SUFFIX (DESIGNATES GAUGE)
V 12 GA. (2 3/4")
M 12 GA. MAGNUM (3")
A 12 GA. "SUPER" MAGNUM (3 ½")
W 16 GA. ( 2 ¾" )
X 20 GA. "HEAVY FRAME" (DISCONTINUED)
N 20 GA. "HEAVY FRAME MAGNUM" (DISCONTINUED)
K 20 GA. "LIGHT WEIGHT" ("LW") (ALSO INCLUDES M/1100 "LT")
U 20 GA. LW MAGNUM (ALSO INCLUDES M/1100 "LT")
J 28 GA.
H .410 BORE (2 ½" OR 3")
What's the real reason for this not the last digits nobody can use the serial number for anything anyways. Sort of a tin foil hat thing maybe.
