The "Holy Grail" of Remington 870 Wingmasters?

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VLT79

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Just got my Remington 870 Wingmaster Super Magnum...that's right a 3.5" chambered Wingmaster!! They were indeed made for a few years and are possibly one of the rarest or at least hardest Wingmaster versions to find today. The first ones off the production line had scroll engraved recievers and are the most often seen, then toward the end of production Remington offered these "clean" recievers. This one was produced in September 2006.

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Nice find. I passed on an engraved one (the nice engraved version, with the pheasant on the side. There was another version the next year with just scroll) years ago. Went back to get it and it was gone. Always regretted not buying when I had the chance.
 
Very nice. Congrats. It is in real nice shape. I've seen one with the engraving somewhere. :) Didnot know there was two engraving styles. Learn something every day
I've also picked up two high gloss blued wingmaster 3 1/2" choke tubed barrels since

Cheers
 
3macs1, it was in nice shape. I purchased it knowing it was missing the ejection port cover (which I purchased thru Numrich a couple weeks ago) and that dent that's visible on the left side of the stock up near the top point of the checkering, so it was pretty much a 98% condition gun. Our customs officials opened the package to verify content and cut the bubble wrap that was around the extra chokes, thru everything back into the hardcase with the 2 (now unwrapped) chokes against the receiver and back into the cardboard shipping box. By the it got here the rear top of the receiver was all scratched up!!! Major pi$$ off!!! I fixed it as good as I could with emery cloth and cold blue but it still shows!

browninggold, I've never heard of any Super Magnum Wingmasters with a different style of engraving other than the scroll type either...so that's very interesting to hear for sure!
 
Very cool!
Another rare gun that I never would have heard about without a website like this. Nice to hear about the different reciever configurations too.
Your for sale ad for the 870 competition single shot led to a discussion at my club that concluded with an older member bring out his Competition gun for us all to try and I was fortunate enough to purchase that gun! Now when I go to shows and chat with the guys at clays shoots I'll have something else to look out for.
Thanks for informing us about these rare versions of the classic 870 wingmaster!
Dano
P.S. I have a "Target Contour" barrel on my 1100. What does this stand for? I was told it was a sporting clays barrel.
 
It depends on the vintage of the barrel, Dan, but if it is marked "Target Contour" it was probably made sometime from the mid 90's up till today. I believe the current 1100 Classic Trap, Premier Sporting & Sporting still use that same barrel and like the one the 870 Classic Trap it is simply a "Light Contour" barrel with a 2 3/4" only chamber. Funny thing about the 870 "Target Contour" barrels is that despite being stamped as 2 3/4" only they actually have a 3.5" chamber.
 
Here are the different patterns Remington did. The first (and nicest IMO) came out in 2000, also available in 2001. VERY hard to find this one!

The second came out in 2002. Another hard to find version.

The last version came out in 2003. Plain receiver now standard til Super Mag is discontinued.
 
browninggold said:
Ooops, sorry for the upside down pics!
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HAAA. Another guy with a set of original remington catalogs I actually looked this morning. I pretty much have a complete set to the late 50's and you already posted the pics. My 3 1/2 I waited for and is a 2000and came in with 5 more so someone has them in canada. I thought the plain receiver started at the end but was suprised to see this morning it was 2003.
Thanks for sharing and nice to see someone else keeps the old literature and loves these what I call blue collar guns
Cheers
Also have in my collection quite a few of the browning in your wish list NIB or unfired missing box but not ready to sell right now but getting old so if I change my mind will send a PM. Since I know they are going to a good home Not grade 5 however mine are grade 1 only and the 16ga bps is an upland rest of BPS are just hunters , 12 BPS has been fired, 410, 28 and 20 not and sold off the 10 last year
Will also watch for others for you in the interm
 
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Beautiful gun, thanks for sharing the info.
It sounds like you really know your 870's.
Are there any especially good books or info sources dedicated to the 870?
Thanks
 
Don't mean to butt in perhaps the boys know where there are some books. I have honestly never looked however if you like to take these and other remington shotguns apart and work on I find this book helpful
To me was crazy money like 79 bucks when I bought one but I think they are 1/2 that now
Cheers
 
browninggold, thanks for the pics! That is very interesting info as the 2nd version is the one I have seen most often for sale...and of the dozen or so I've actually handled all but 2 (including mine) were "clean" receivers and none with the 1st style engraving. Typically, the first and second years are the biggest sellers so one would assume the nicer engraving of 1st version would be common...it would be nice to see what the exact production numbers of each version were but I doubt even Remington could answer that one.
 
Funny now I have seen the most of the 1st version, none of the second and maybe 2 of the last and I have been on to these since I read about them prior to the 1st ones leaving the factory in may be 99 or so. I had to have one and wish now I had of took all six in that batch. But was also broke at the time raising a family
Cheers
 
MD853 said:
Beautiful gun, thanks for sharing the info.
It sounds like you really know your 870's.
Are there any especially good books or info sources dedicated to the 870?
Thanks
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I am unaware of any books about the 870's history and such but the Remington society does have a half-a$$ed timeline for it and another for the 1100. It's a good start but there is lots of info and variations that are missing.

http://www.remingtonsociety.com/rsa/journals/870/
http://www.remingtonsociety.com/rsa/journals/1100
 
3macs1 said:
Funny now I have seen the most of the 1st version, none of the second and maybe 2 of the last and I have been on to these since I read about them prior to the 1st ones leaving the factory in may be 99 or so. I had to have one and wish now I had of took all six in that batch. But was also broke at the time raising a family
Cheers
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Now I need a 2000 model year gun...that engraving is too Purdy...know where a guy might find one?!! ;)
 
VLT79 said:
Now I need a 2000 model year gun...that engraving is too Purdy...know where a guy might find one?!! ;)
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Only when he is dying :D you and my mrs may become the best of friends but go for the superx1's and model 21's first
since my all time favorite shotgun gun the model 12 28ga is going in the ground box with me along with some imperial shells just in case I head to the light instead of darkness :)
Cannot understand why the mrs says I better put a mag light in the box also :(
 
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3macs1 said:
Funny now I have seen the most of the 1st version, none of the second and maybe 2 of the last and I have been on to these since I read about them prior to the 1st ones leaving the factory in may be 99 or so. I had to have one and wish now I had of took all six in that batch. But was also broke at the time raising a family
Cheers
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I only ever saw one of the first versions, and made the mistake of taking the weekend to think it over. Went I went back to get it the next week, it was bye-byes. Definitely one gun I'd like a do-over on, cause I remember it being one of the nicest pump guns I'd ever seen.
 
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