Choice for my first pump?

The bps has a long reach for many. Well built gun and as much as I like my 10ga bps it handles like an oil soaked rail road tie. Night and day from my Ithaca 37 even in 12ga
 
One advantage I have noticed of the older 2 3/4 inch receivers of M37, is that model to model they average about one pound lighter than the same variant of 870.
That might be not a consideration in a pit blind, but it's a clear advantage for all day frequent movement.
 
Another vote for the Ithaca Model 37, especially an older model. Or a Remington Model 31, if you can find one. Both are buttery smooth to operate. My preference for them is in 16 gauge.
 
ITHACA M37 and Browning BPS are identical shotguns except for the featherlite model with lighter receiver. Both bottom feed and eject, IMO, both solidly built. BPS tends to be heavy like a Rem 870, but built like a tank. And yes, a Winchester Model 12 is a good option. If you can find a Model 12 Takedown, it will be a winner. Compact storage and quick cleaning. For newer 12g, I have a Win SXP Defender and an extra 28" barrel. Some people hates the SXP being a Turk, but it is still your choice. Shop around, ask friends who hunts and shoots clay. Try the gun if they would allow you. Bring ammo, or at least try mounting the gun to see how it fits. Recoil must be identical. Fitting is important, LOP and comb.
 
A Benelli Nova is a great starting pump. It was my first model bought in about 2004. It will take up to 3 ½” shells so all bases are covered. They are fairly well priced also. An upgrade would be to get the SuperNova for about $200 more and it is softer to shoot. If you get the Max Camo it is an easy sell if you want something else. Chokes are interchangeable. Barrel lengths vary.

Update! More recently Benelli added the Nova Speed to their line. It is a pump, which is especially designed for dynamic shooting, such as IPSC. It was designed by the IPSC world pump champ and his videos are on line where he discusses the gun and its features. It comes with a lengthy mag extension (10 rds) for a total of 13. The 3” action is extremely smooth and short stroked. Although it is expensive (over $1500) it is unlike any other pump. They come with 5 chokes, stock shims for cast and drop. You can order an optional plug to replace the extended tube if you want to hunt with the gun. The plug is designed for QD sling attachments and comes with its shortened spring. The barrel has a built-in flip-up rear sight for slug use. These pumps come in either a 24” or 26”barrel. I am an owner and love the Nova Speed, predominantly for clays.
Also, the Wingmaster and BPS are excellent and my experience with them has been positive.
 
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870 rem.. i have several from magnum to marine.. all are perfect
.. my 1st was an 870 mag with ribbed barrel.. its action after years of use is buttery smooth. It never lets me down
..the reciever on these 870s is steel and not cheep ass aluminum.. and stay away from pumps with that rotating bolt head ( like winchester.. those are just cheep junk imo )
 
I think Im settled on a 3" 870 (duh!). I just don't want to ever be on the road, forget my shells, and find out that a store only has 3" in stock and I can't go for a hunt. The ithaca barrels are too hard to find for an also-deer shotgun.

Tenda has a 18" barrel one right now for 599, and sadly 689 for a longer barrel, but it come with 3 chokes (75$ right there)

I think it looks REALLY good! I guess this 18" CYL barrel would be great for grouse-hiking, and buy a 28" rem-choke for waterfowl? My buddies ithaca is a 30" and it feels a touch too long, but we only busted a dozen clays with it. No birds yet.
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Everyone seems to be charging just as much on GP and here for their old wingmasters or even express! The $500 ones I see are just too beat up for something I want to buy once, and use the rest of my life.

The barrels seem to be another 150-250 once shipping is all said and done, but I guess I can wait until next year to get a rifled slug barrel. For now, I just want something for the birds. My 308 will take care of the deer this year.
 
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I started with a M-37 Ithica & still have several AND other pumps as well like Rem-870 , Winchester M-12 .
Any of these are all good , ,,,, just the barrel length & correct choke will be an issue , so hard to make one gun do all.
Just like golf clubs ,,,,,,,,, diffent club 4 each shot. Choke tubes can help the choke issue but not barrel length.
After 60 yrs. I do this : Bush guns have short barrels (24-26)" & open chokes. Field guns have long barrels &
closed chokes ( all fixed) .
 
LOL so a wingmaster got listed since for $400 with no damages to it. I already have dibs,and will use the money I saved from a new 3” to buy another barrel and $125 in 2 3/4 ammo so I’m never in that situation.

I’ll share pics when it has shipped out and is for sure “mine”
 
Well - if your pending purchase is a 2 3/4 in Wingmaster, be prepared to accept that it cant use a 3 inch barrel and 3 inch shells. (Some do, some dont, depending on age.)
 
cooey43 said:
I started with a M-37 Ithica & still have several AND other pumps as well like Rem-870 , Winchester M-12 .
Any of these are all good , ,,,, just the barrel length & correct choke will be an issue , so hard to make one gun do all.
Just like golf clubs ,,,,,,,,, diffent club 4 each shot. Choke tubes can help the choke issue but not barrel length.
After 60 yrs. I do this : Bush guns have short barrels (24-26)" & open chokes. Field guns have long barrels &
closed chokes ( all fixed) .
Click to expand...

From patterning chokes in 12.5”-28” barrels I can tell you a mod choke throws pretty much the same pattern regardless of barrel length, you gain velocity and swing with a longer barrel. It’s easy to make one barrel a do it all for the most part, I have a choked 20” barrel that does it all for me but I don’t waterfowl.
 
cosmic said:
Well - if your pending purchase is a 2 3/4 in Wingmaster, be prepared to accept that it cant use a 3 inch barrel and 3 inch shells. (Some do, some dont, depending on age.)
Click to expand...

Any 870 can take a 3” chambered barrel. It will however need a new 3” ejector installed for shells to be ejected reliably.
 
Leg said:
Any 870 can take a 3” chambered barrel. It will however need a new 3” ejector installed for shells to be ejected reliably.
Click to expand...


That's really good to know! I thought for sure the receivers were made longer.

How much are the springs - $8? I keep finding dead links on google.
 
geologist said:
I prefer Mossbergs as they are lighter weight for carrying, have fewer staked in parts plus the ambi tang safety.
Click to expand...

When I was a very young man, had a lovely Wingmaster 'wrecked' by a gunsmith when he replaced the staked ejector. He removed the old ones by drilling right through the receiver and installing rivets with washers that he peened manually, and poorly.
 
Jahnj0584 said:
That's really good to know! I thought for sure the receivers were made longer.

How much are the springs - $8? I keep finding dead links on google.
Click to expand...

870 receivers have never changed in length.

Check out gunrepaircenter.com

Website is terrible but they have a relationship with RemArms and seem to be the only place to get ejectors currently. $60 US for ejector, ejector spring and rivets packaged together. It’s the ejector itself that needs changed. I’m not sure if the springs are different.

I also believe that most 870 barrels can have safely have the chamber lengthened to 3”.
 
Well - As I recall the ejection port varies in size on Wingmasters, for non-magnum, magnum, and Supermagnum receivers. Your 2 3/4 in gun may not spit out 3 inch shells, even with the retrofitted ejector spring. My 1969 Wingmaster TB cant... Some later made 2 3/4 in guns may have a larger ejection port, again based on memory.
 
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