Which Remington Express to get?

Thanks for all the input guys! It's tough for me to decide. If I bought the basic model, I definitely want a rail. Drilling and tapping alone would put the gun at the same cost as the tactical one and the tactical one would have the ghost rings and breach choke. However I've looked around at some of the aftermarket "trigger pin" style rails and you can get those for around 35$ (anodized aluminum), but then that leaves me to spend more coin on an optic. What's your experience with trigger pin rail mounts?
 
84wh1 said:
Thanks for all the input guys! It's tough for me to decide. If I bought the basic model, I definitely want a rail. Drilling and tapping alone would put the gun at the same cost as the tactical one and the tactical one would have the ghost rings and breach choke. However I've looked around at some of the aftermarket "trigger pin" style rails and you can get those for around 35$ (anodized aluminum), but then that leaves me to spend more coin on an optic. What's your experience with trigger pin rail mounts?
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If You don't mind me asking - and this is not an aggressive question in any way - why are You planning to go with the ghost ring sights on a shotgun?
 
I have plenty of experience using all types of shotgun sights (beads, beads on pedestal, rifled deer sights and ghost rings). I find ghost rings to be the quickest to acquire based on delivering an accurate hit on my target. I have yet to fire a RDS on a shotgun though. But I have used RDS on C8's, .22 and my sks
 
84wh1 said:
As for a wingmaster, I would like to get one IF I can find a used one. What parts on an express would require an "upgrade" to make it wingmaster standards?
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IME, the machining specs on the Wingmaster must be tighter, because they're miles ahead on the Express models in fit and finish.

FWIW, I bought two12ga 870 Express models, and in retrospect I wish I had one with a rail.

3" shotshells have real advantages over 2 3/4". When you drop bucks or ducks or tresspassers you'll be thankful for all the power you can get.
 
With regards to the wing to express differences, aside from a few parts (trigger guard and group is metal not plastic, and I believe a few other parts are stamped vs cast), it's really just the finishing of the gun that makes it smoother. They take the time to polish and deburr it all and you'll notice the reciver wont have manufacturing marks or burrs on them. Since I am cerakoting my gun, this ment nothing to me, and like I mentioned, a judicious stoning and filing of the action elements made it as smooth as a wing without a shot being fired. I can literally use my index finger to cycle the action. The 'shoot 1000 rnds to smooth it out' club is right, but with my extensive background in manufacturing I know better than to let burrs bed themselves into other mating/sliding parts.
With just a few rackings from new the bolt assembly already started scoring the reciver and that's not good to me. But I'm an ocd kinda guy and my kit and the quality of the items I make reflect this.

For rail, I splurged on the s&j rail/high tube adaptor and this thing is BADASS. Their product is top notch. I'm looking into what I can/should TiAlN as I have access to that process (pvd) as well.

And as above said, why limit yourself to 2.75 when lets say there's an ammo shortage and 3" is all your local shop has....... Never limit yourself when it comes to a defence shotgun as flexibility is the whole reason in the first place!
 
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I don't hunt so for me 3" is moot. What I generally do is keep and eye out for a Wingmaster (I've bought most of mine at Epp's and currently have 7). My last one I paid $250. I sold the barrel for $80, and the stock set for $80. That gave me a Receiver for $90. From there you can build whatever gun you like. Or you can just leave the gun as is, cut the barrel (a lot of the older Wingmasters have the police style wood stocks if you like them) and take it from there. I am fortunate that I am a machinist and can do any mods including drilling and tapping at work so I have an advantage there. The one I just bought is destined for a TRS just to try out (I have bead, ghost rings, and irons) For slugs I still do best with irons, but the old eyes aren't so good anymore, so we'll see about the red dot. I also generally Teflon coat my shotguns since I acquired a litre of Teflon a couple of years ago and no sense letting it go to waste. I'm also converting one to an 8 1/2" since I acquired an 8 12/ dlask barrel just recently. These are 2 14" and a 20" slug gun
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How long do yoi find the Teflon lasts?? And 250 is a steal on a wing. They are selling for a lot more now on ee and in the stores. The prices you guys got are deals.
 
Surrey Boy said:
IME, the machining specs on the Wingmaster must be tighter, because they're miles ahead on the Express models in fit and finish.

FWIW, I bought two12ga 870 Express models, and in retrospect I wish I had one with a rail.

3" shotshells have real advantages over 2 3/4". When you drop bucks or ducks or tresspassers you'll be thankful for all the power you can get.
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The machining is really pretty much identical. The insides of the receivers all look the same. I have Wingmasters, a Police, and Express. The insides are all the same. The external finishes are what is different.
 
What sort of work did you do to the action?
I'm trying to decide between an 870P that already has the extra attention and deburring from the factory, and doing the work myself to an 870 Express receiver. I already have an "870 Express Magnum" which I believe is an older Express chambered up to 3" before all the receivers came 3" spec.

AFisher said:
With regards to the wing to express differences, aside from a few parts (trigger guard and group is metal not plastic, and I believe a few other parts are stamped vs cast), it's really just the finishing of the gun that makes it smoother. They take the time to polish and deburr it all and you'll notice the reciver wont have manufacturing marks or burrs on them. Since I am cerakoting my gun, this ment nothing to me, and like I mentioned, a judicious stoning and filing of the action elements made it as smooth as a wing without a shot being fired. I can literally use my index finger to cycle the action. The 'shoot 1000 rnds to smooth it out' club is right, but with my extensive background in manufacturing I know better than to let burrs bed themselves into other mating/sliding parts.
With just a few rackings from new the bolt assembly already started scoring the reciver and that's not good to me. But I'm an ocd kinda guy and my kit and the quality of the items I make reflect this.

For rail, I splurged on the s&j rail/high tube adaptor and this thing is BADASS. Their product is top notch. I'm looking into what I can/should TiAlN as I have access to that process (pvd) as well.

And as above said, why limit yourself to 2.75 when lets say there's an ammo shortage and 3" is all your local shop has....... Never limit yourself when it comes to a defence shotgun as flexibility is the whole reason in the first place!
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I used a few stones (400-800) to clean up where the action bars slide. I did the same for the bolt assy and where it slides. I used 400grit paper to clean up the bolt and other action elements. I used a deburring tool to clean up all burrs in the extraction port, loading port, etc. I lightly stoned the hammer. Be aware this exposes some of the 4140 so keep it oiled or consider coatings or a dfl.

It's about 1 hr of work total. Id be happy to help out if you need it in exchange for ammo, parts, beers, etc :)

I'm not a gunsmith but I am a certified tool and die maker so I know my way around a stone.



Gin said:
What sort of work did you do to the action?
I'm trying to decide between an 870P that already has the extra attention and deburring from the factory, and doing the work myself to an 870 Express receiver. I already have an "870 Express Magnum" which I believe is an older Express chambered up to 3" before all the receivers came 3" spec.
Click to expand...
 
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