Remington 870 Wingmaster

The 870 Wingamaster and an 870 Express are the exact same basic firearm and all their parts are 100% interchangeable (Magnum to Magnum or Super Mag to Super Mag). On current production 870s the difference between the 2 versions is mostly cosmetic with the exception that the Wingmaster uses an aluminium trigger guard and a light contour barrel VS a plastic trigger guard and a standard contour barrel for the Express. The 870 Express is "cheap" because it uses a sythentic or laminate stock/forend vs the machine checkered, high gloss finished, walnut featured on the Wingmaster. Then there's the finish...bead blasted vs high polished blue...dont need a university diploma to understand the economics involved there do we?!?! Also something to note is that both now use an MIM extractor as well and have been since at least 2001!
 
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The parts may be interchangeable, but if you put on a blindfold and a pair of gloves, then work the actions of both, you'll always know which one you have in your hands. They may be basically the same, but they are definitely not the exact same.
 
icedog said:
The parts may be interchangeable, but if you put on a blindfold and a pair of gloves, then work the actions of both, you'll always know which one you have in your hands. They may be basically the same, but they are definitely not the exact same.
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Run a couple hundred rounds thru the Express and it polishes itself up and runs just as smoothly as any Wingmaster. Remington cut corners on final fit and finish with the Express because people didn't want to pay the premium for the extra care and attention given to the Wingmaster...and now people have the balls to complain that the Express isn't as refined as the Wingmaster is out of the box! They are the exact same gun...there's no conspiracy theory...the only costs savings to Remington come from the previously mentioned differences in furniture, barrels, trigger guard, finish and fit! 10-15 years ago there was a difference in the construction and materials used in the extractors, bolts, locking blocks and slide assemblies of both versions but sadly now they are all same.
 
Express is what it is an inexpensive pump action based on an old proven design altered with other materials and finished to allow it to compete against the other crap model pumps out there. Something had to give to get it for the price one does today and it has
That being said the fact you can find 870 parts all over the place regardless if express or wingmaster and interchange between most years and models is worth a lot IMO
Thank you express for affordable choke tubed barrels, rifled barrels, barrels with scope mounts all of which will fit on any 870. try to do that on a BPS without the cost of a new gun for an extra barrel
Will it ever cycle as smooth as a wingmaster NOPE but will it function correctly and smooth enough to go bang every time yep with my experiences with them. That being said I think I have four express a 410,28 ,16ga and a 12ga. Personally I have never heard too many complain about any of the smaller gauge ones. The 12ga I have is one of the 1st years produced and other than the rough finish vs blueing and hard to keep from rusting it works just fine with no polishing or honing after it was bought
Cannot comment on today's offerings since I have never owned one
Cheers
 
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No one with any brains trashes the 870, especially the Wingmaster.

Another one to look at is the Ithaca 37. Very lightweight and a dream to carry. And ambidextrous.
 
BigUglyMan said:
No one with any brains trashes the 870, especially the Wingmaster.

Another one to look at is the Ithaca 37. Very lightweight and a dream to carry. And ambidextrous.
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My dad's late seventies wingmaster is awesome. I had one jam last range trip but that was very uncommon. Probably more to do with the cheap Winchester white box ammo than anything. The newer ones still seem very popular with favourable reviews
 
Just to clarify one point, the new 870 Express does not have a plastic trigger guard. I bought a new left hand 12 gauge 870 Express 2 weeks ago and it is definitely a metal trigger guard. I gave the gun a good cleaning (it was shipped filthy) and a light oiling. That action is pretty darn smooth to me. I'm not saying the Wingmasters aren't a more premium firearm (and I would have probably bought one if they were available in Southpaw) and I'm not adverse to paying extra for aesthetics, but I'm not seeing a lot wrong with the Express. Just my opinion. Maybe I'm just thrilled to get an actual lefty shotgun!
 
Your LH Express is a limited market gun. It's highly doubtful Remington invested money into equipment required to produce a plastic LH trigger assembly but it's much more plausible to believe they are using the same equipment that was used to produce the LH Wingmaster aluminium assembly. Take a pic of your trigger assembly and post it please! I'd almost bet it's the old thin style that has less aluminium behind the safety. You may also have a late 80's to late 90's Express even though it is brand new! The LH 870s never were big sellers and there is lots of old stock on the shelves.
 
I had one in the 90s long enough to decide it didn't fit me. Couldn't fault the gun, but when I discovered O/Us there was no going back. I've got a dandy 70s gun that I got in a trade from a friend. He used it steady for a couple years then discovered left hand guns. Its been sitting in safes for over 30 years. I should probably sell it someday, you know, if someone wanted that sort of thing.
 
I own an Express version in 16 gauge and have owned several Express guns in all gauges but the .410. All with some limited use smoothed up very nicely. The only issue I experienced was a rough chamber on one of the 12 bores. Polished it and that was fixed. I know the Express gun gets trashed a lot when in comparison with the Wingmaster but they are good guns and deserve more respect. If I had to choose one shotgun for all uses and longevity it would be a 12 gauge 870 Express. They are easy to keep running and they feature the "flex tab" modification like police magnums. A lot of older Wingmasters that guys brag about (and rightly so) do not have this feature. It is a simple thing that one day could prevent a wounded animal from escaping and the next day save your life.

Darryl
 
the 870 is good but it is still the queen to the real king the Model 12 ,haha just had to .come one we all know it I just said it ,I do love the wingmaster .but , Dutch
 
Only reason I bought my BPS over a wingmaster was for the bottom eject of the browning. Since I'm a left handed shooter it was a no brainer but jeeze the wingmaster I held in the shop looked and felt great.
 
Isaac799 said:
Only reason I bought my BPS over a wingmaster was for the bottom eject of the browning. Since I'm a left handed shooter it was a no brainer but jeeze the wingmaster I held in the shop looked and felt great.
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It is all a matter of taking the time to get familiar with it. I had to switch to a leftie maybe 30 years ago but still shoot all right hand guns including a batch of right hand wingmasters
Give one another try and I bet you will adapt just fine
Cheers
 
You can change the safety from right to left. My experience with it is limited to changing one back, but if I remember correctly its a matter of drilling a hidden hole for the detent ball and spring and reversing the cross-bolt.
 
The wingmasters are great no doubt about that but I just wanted to chime in to defend the 870 express too. I just picked up an express in 20g youth with the shorter 21" barrel for myself to use as a nice light truck gun and for my wife and stepson to shoot when they want to come out. Is it a wingmaster?? No of course not, nobody in their right mind would compare the two for fit and finish, but I still think the Express is a good deal for the money, I picked mine up with a discount for like $350 and it is a great gun for the money. I have a couple of Mossberg 500's in 12g and I have to admit I am liking this 870!! I would feel bad having a beautiful and classy Wingmaster kicking around behind the seat of my truck but not the express, to my mind thats what its for. A solid knockabout, don't worry if it gets scratched gun.
 
I just couldn't bring myself to buy another new Remington. The Wingmaster is certainly better fit and finish than the express, and it will probably work just fine. But Remington has fallen into a very bad habit of trying to make bigger profit margins by manufacturing guns the absolutely cheapest way possible. I just can't reward that line of thinking with my money.
But people do buy them. And defend them. I'd buy an old used but well cared for Wingmaster if I needed another pump, but if a new gun was desired I'd look at a Browning or maybe one of the Italian guns. You don't have to wait for them to "slick up" or worry about poor fitting parts or QC issues.
 
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