First Shotty

[Gimli]

Nobody's mentioned Fabarm as an option. I hear they have pretty good reputation but nobody ever mentions them, is there a blatant problem with them I'm not aware of or is it just a matter of being more expensive than other similar-quality options?

I've got my eye set on an SDASS Heavy Combat with the optional Picattiny rail.

 

[Greenhorse six]

Bind? That was the old advertising hype that remington used against their biggest rival. The win model 12. Something along the line "ask any railroad..ya need two tracks to run"

The model 12 and the 37 with only one slide were a threat to the cheaper to make 870. Cheap won the day.

To quote from Duncan Long's Super Shootguns-
"In fact,tests conducted by the U.S. Army suggest that a single bar will bend,this occurs ONLY when ammo is improperly sized or the chamber is very dirty.and the force needed to bend a single-action bar will jam a round in the chamber in guns with double-action bars.
funny,Remington use to have the rights to the Browning design (37) way back when,they marketed it as the model 17.

 

[bogie]

My first gun was an 870 40years ago and my brother had a model 12. The 12 would bind and the mag tube went out of round twice while I kept shooting my 870 lots. Even full of mud and grass the thing would shoot well. Tough gun. Yes there are other options and some of them are very good but I am sticking with what has worked well for me. If my new Express is not up to the task then I will find a used Wingmaster for about $250 and get on with my life. I have seen it effectively outcycle my old mans 1100 and was more accurate in my hands (at 16). Nuff said. I am moving on to other guns cuz the pump I have will do all I want IMHO. There is always Ford, GM,Dodge but they all get you into the bush and hopefully back out.....

 

[blindman]

You all realize now that Ive been told not to call it a shotty that Im going to do it with even more vigor and determination now...or maybe Ill just start calling it a boom stick

Might I ask what specific gripes people have with newer 870s and what is wrong with the Express? Is the Express just cheaply made or does it have any mechanical problems with it?

The Ithica M37 or similar model might be a good idea since it ejects out the bottom as I have a few south paw friends that I may get involved in shooting.

I will look into the other models that you guys mentioned. Thanks for the help any other suggestions then let me know

I had mechanical probs, and the gun does have a poor finish, which will rust very easy. I am looking at a Winchester myself, as I have sold my 870, and am still on the market for the right one as well.

 

[bogie]

I am a leftie myself and have not ever had a problem using the 870 in any way and mine saw a lot of use. At least 30 maybe 40 boxes of shells in the first couple of years. Never a failure to eject or a problem getting sprayed by hot powder either. They do seem to like a fairly positive cycle though. Some people have had problems not ejecting which apparently were not forceful enough cycling.