Best years of 870 pump?

Depends what you want, but I tend to think anything pre-2007 and the Freedom Group years is what you want. For a hunting and sporting arm, I think the pumps that make the most sense are either Wingmasters in the choke you like best or a 1987 - 2006 Wingmaster Magnum or Special Purpose with RemChokes. Personally, I think the Mossy Oak Special Purpose guns made 1992 -1996(?) are the pick of the litter for a hunting arm, particularly for the turkey or waterfowl hunter.
 
Just picked up a nice 70's era Wingmaster from the exchange for a decent price.
a little bit of surface blemishing on the underside of the barrel, but it cycles as smooth as a Wingmaster should and the wood is inn great shape.
It will be a great loaner after I open the full choke a bit and relieve the forcing cones :>)
Cat
 
Nice to hear the great comments on the 870.

I'm looking to set one up for deer hunting. Would anybody know if you can install a riffled cantilever barrel on either a right hand or left hand gun.

Being a lefty makes things interesting!
 
One Handy Dad said:
Nice to hear the great comments on the 870.

I'm looking to set one up for deer hunting. Would anybody know if you can install a riffled cantilever barrel on either a right hand or left hand gun.

Being a lefty makes things interesting!
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I'm not certain, but I don't recall ever seeing a Wingmaster accessory barrel marked left or right .
Cat
 
The problem is the quality control and not design, and it seems you already know that.
I have heard a lot of complaints about the 3.5” magnum chambers, but that is not every one of them.
Lots of complaints about rough chambers and easy rusting black oxide in the express versions.
I bought one of the years with poor reputation in a tactical express model. Before even shooting it I polished the chamber, installed a stainless spring and follower, and a machined extractor. Mine has never had any problem whatsoever and I love it. 2009 model, which is in the “bad” years. It’s powder coated so its finish is indestructible.

My thought: I think if you could either get to examine one yourself by simply cycling shells and it does reliably, buy it. Otherwise sight unseen, I’d buy a wingmaster or marine magnums.
 
For a while in the late 80s and 90s, Remington was offering the 870 Special Purpose in a satin finish. It was all Wingmaster but the satin finish was to satisfy demand for non-glossy shotguns as was the trend with all firearms and scopes. They were offered along side the budget 870 Express which won that sales race and the SP faded away. The 1st SPs offered came with fixed chokes but that was soon changed to screw tubes in later years.

I bought one (made Aug 1990) when they were being cleared out at LeBaron in Montreal. It was ordered with 26" bbl and came with tubes and a synthetic stock. I wasn't long upgrading that stock with a police walnut stock for a huge upgrade and extra FUDD factor. :)

In my opinion, these all Wingmaster, Special Purpose 870s with 3" chambers and tubes were the best 870s ever made.
 
One Handy Dad said:
Nice to hear the great comments on the 870.

I'm looking to set one up for deer hunting. Would anybody know if you can install a riffled cantilever barrel on either a right hand or left hand gun.

Being a lefty makes things interesting!
Click to expand...
Barrels are dedicated left or right handed not both, I’ve only ever seen 28” vent rib left hand barrels. Not even a 20”-22” turkey barrel, honestly as a southpaw I find a rh pump gun a better option than a lh version and I’m a big fan of a lh action.
 
m1008 said:
Kinda obvious you’d need a left hand barrel
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It's not obvious or the question would not have originally been asked. I have very little experience with the left handed Wingmasters except for selling one to a friend from another friend, and it never occurred to me to inspect the barrel to see if the shank was set up differently.
Over the years I have owned hundreds of right handed Wingmasters , but have held only that one.
Cat
 
iron cat said:
It's not obvious or the question would not have originally been asked. I have very little experience with the left handed Wingmasters except for selling one to a friend from another friend, and it never occurred to me to inspect the barrel to see if the shank was set up differently.
Over the years I have owned hundreds of right handed Wingmasters , but have held only that one.
Cat
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From what I understand the trigger group is also different, I know the safety is a true LH. Not sure about the rest as I’ve never had one in my hands to see if things like the action release are LH as well.
 
Walked into Accuracy Plus in Peterborough yesterday and they had two 870 SPS on the rack.

A black one with a 21" remchoke turkey barrel followed me home. It's a little rough, but it will do exactly what I need it to do.
 
My circa 2015 Rem 870 Police Magnum has never skipped a beat. I have fired several thousand rounds of 2 3/4" and 3" shotshells at clays and Geese/Ducks over the past 7 years using a 28" vent-rib Barrel from an 870 Express, along with the occasional defensive work using 2 3/4" slugs out of the stock Barrel. The stock, 14" rifle-sighted Barrel is surprisingly accurate out to 100m with slugs. The pump-action is very slick, and gets better by the day.

I cannot say enough good things about the Remington 879 Police Magnum shotgun. No wonder they won the hard-earned trust of North American law enforcement everywhere!

Add-ons:
- BCM Gunfighter Buttstock
- Kynshot Hydraulic Buffer Tube
- Mesa Tactical Pistol-Grip Adapter
- Magpul MIAD Pistol Grip
- Mesa Tactical Picatinny 6-shot Sidesaddle
- Aimpoint Acro P1
- Streamlight "TL Racker" Flashlight Forend
- Mesa Tactical +1 Magazine Extension with Sling Loop

20240511-154622.jpg
 
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