my 870 express vs. wingmaster testimonial

vtrguy

vtrguy

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I just recently bought an 870 Wingmaster and I thought it would be soooooo much better and smoother than an 870 Express Magnum synthetic that I used to own a couple of years ago. I actually don't really see any difference between the 2 besides the obvious FINISH and PRICE. I have never had any cycling, feeding or jamming problems with either, just a minor incident with the Wingmaster not feeding cause a little piece of treek bark got stuck behind one of the shell latches.

The express can be purchased for a mere $300-$350 depending on where you go. I picked up this Wingmaster for about $780. Was it really worth buying the higher-end 870 considering I have owned an express????

...IMO, I don't think so. I don't want to say that I've made a bad decision on purchasing this firearm. I just want to say that I would have made an even better decision buying the express and than see where my shotgun needs are after using the express. OR I could have even purchased 2 870 EXPRESSES and made 1 a hunting shotgun and the other a tactical Zombie thingy.

So if you're one of those people who can't decide on either buying the 870 Express or Wingmaster well I sure hope that you come across this thread and end up making the right decision. As of right now, I'm going to be looking to buy a new 870 Express Magnum 3" OR the Benelli SuperNova.

I would clearly like to get a 12ga pump that isn't prone to rusting and has no problems with anything whatsoever and doesn't have to have a nice finish and high polish.
 
I've owned both the Express and Wingmaster.

If you appreciate the extra level of finish on the WM and planned on keeping it for quite a while, the extra cost will be insignificant. They are far nicer to look at and own than the Express.

On the other hand, if the gun is just a basic tool to you, the Express is your new best friend.


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SuperCub said:
I've owned both the Express and Wingmaster.

If you appreciate the extra level of finish on the WM and planned on keeping it for quite a while, the extra cost will be insignificant. They are far nicer to look at and own than the Express.

On the other hand, if the gun is just a basic tool to you, the Express is your new best friend.


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I do like the finish on the Wingmaster, I really do. I would just hate if I accidently drop it on top of some rocks or something and it got scratched pretty bad. I wouldn't however, care so much if that happened to an Exress Magnum 870.

If I get the express magnum, should I keep both? or sell the Wingmaster?
 
My First 870 was a used magnum wingmaster in good/excellent shape....paid $350 and it was already broken in!
:dancingbanana:
 
vtrguy said:
If I get the express magnum, should I keep both? or sell the Wingmaster?
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I wouldn't buy anything. Just keep the WM.

Nice guns don't get beat up any worse than beaters as long as you look after them. You'll be surprised how long it will look good, and actually I've found that the smoother surface on a WM is less prone to rusting than the matte surface on the newer type guns.

Don't store your guns in a gun case, and w/proper care, rust shouldn't be a problem.

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SuperCub said:
I wouldn't buy anything. Just keep the WM.

Nice guns don't get beat up any worse than beaters as long as you look after them. You'll be surprised how long it will look good, and actually I've found that the smoother surface on a WM is less prone to rusting than the matte surface on the newer type guns.

Don't store your guns in a gun case, and w/proper care, rust shouldn't be a problem.

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well I'm going to buy the SuperNova just to try it out. the SuperNova actually fit me way better than the Wingmaster did but I opted for the Wingmaster because of its great name and the fact that I'd owned an 870 express with no problems. I'm sure if I try out the SuperNova I will like it a bit more but there is only one way to find out right?

...I just realized that I'm the type of person who likes firearms for their use/design/durability/function rather than looks/finish

I will probably keep the Wingmaster (which I only bought 2 weeks ago) just because its such a known Classic... Unless someone wants to buy it ??
 
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Too bad they don't make these 870 Special Purpose any more. They have a way nicer parkerized finish than the Express, but still are matte and a bit more utilitarion than the WMs.

Here's mine shown with a 20" IC bbl. It came with a 26" Remchoke bbl which I still have. I swapped the synthetic stock off for a walnut police stock.

870sp002.jpg

870sp005.jpg

870sp006.jpg

870sp008.jpg
 
I have an 870 with a second barrell, one for home use and one for hunting, it's a great dual purpose gun, and it take less then 2 minutes to change a barrell. They are sure built to take a beating and I also have a Beretta semi auto, so I an pretty well covered in the shottie, department.
 
I see I see, I love 870's but I am the type of person who likes to try different brands... so I'll see how the Benelli SuperNova is.

Cheers!
 
For about $700, you can get a Rem 870 synthetic camo, with a spare barrel, (turkey/deer combo) and have one rifled barrel with a scope (+$100), plus a 21" turkey barrel (and buy a set of four chokes). Great value, and the stock can take a beating on rocks.
 
My wingmaster had a steel trigger guard assembly,while my express had a plastic trigger guard assembly.You really have to look close to see the difference.
 
see the thing that happened to me was that I shouldered the Wingmaster and the SuperNova at the store and the SN just simply fitted better but I ended up buying the Wingmaster cause I wanted to see what it was about.

So after I buy the SuperNova I'll see which of the 2 really do suit me better.

How fast do you think the Wingmaster would sell on the EE?
 
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I felt the same way as you - the Super Nova fit me much better than the 870. So I bought the Super Nova and haven't been disappointed one bit.
 
So far I've only shot trap and sporting clays. Quite literally my first time firing my SN was on the sporting clay course, and I shot 22/50. From there I've improved my shooting on the trap course, and I can now hit somewhere between 19 and 21 a round. The little bead halfway down the barrel is priceless for aiming. I'm simply align the bead with the bottom of the fo sight, and float the clay just above the fo sight.

One thing I really like about my SN is the simple engineering. I can strip the entire gun down without tools in about a minute. The one thing I really *didnt'* like about the 870 was the warble in the rib down the top of the barrel.

Waterfowl season opens next Saturday for my district (!). I'm hoping to make it out on either opening day or the following Saturday.
 
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