cmshoot
Senior Member
Project I’m working on for a student. She’s worried about a violent ex-husband and decided to arm herself and receive training. She wants training in both shotgun and handgun. After talking to her for a bit, we decided to start with shotgun. Her budget is about $300 for a scattergun.
Picked up a 1970’s era Wingmaster with walnut furniture and a 26” plain barrel with bead. Thought it would make an interesting write-up and progression, along with general information to help anyone thinking of doing the same. The shotgun cost $275, but I am selling the walnut furniture to make a little money to put back into the gun.
First, I wanted to talk about some of the pertinent differences between the Express, Wingmaster, and Police models of the Remington 870. I am not covering all of the differences, just the ones that I feel are important.
In general, the difference between a Wingmaster and the Police are:
-Wingmaster is high luster blue, while a Police is parkerized
-fancier wood on a Wingmaster, and the longer forend will not accommodate many “sidesaddle” shell holders or police in-car locking racks
-Police model has heavier magazine tube and carrier latch springs to ensure reliability with heavier loads. Most Wingmasters are used with birdshot while Police models are used with slugs and buckshot.
-Heavier sear spring on the Police model
-Wingmaster bolts are hard chromed
The differences between the Express and the Wingmaster/Police:
-Express has a bead blast blue finish
-Express models used a MIM extractor, the W/P models use a machined steel extractor
-W/P models have a vibrahoned finish on the inside of the receiver to smooth out burrs and the like
-Express models use a synthetic trigger housing while the W/P models use metal
-W/P models use the older ball detent system to hold the magazine cap in place, while the Express uses a cheaper, synthetic ratchet insert.
-Express model will not allow for the installation of a magazine extension tube without physical modification of the existing magazine tube.
I wanted to try and keep this particular shotgun as short and light as I could, without going the SBS route. I didn’t have a spare 18.5” barrel handy, and a quick check around didn’t locate one for a decent price. I cut the original barrel back to 18.5” by hand, squared it off, and cleaned it up with increasingly finer files, followed by stones, and finished with emery. Then I used Brownell’s Oxpho-Blue to reblue the end of the barrel. All that is purely my labor, which is free in this case.
For a sight, I thought I’d try something a little different on this one. Also, the student has a budget and I couldn’t go hog wild on this. I ordered a TruGlo Glo Dot II Universal. I’ve read good reviews, and I intend on using a 2-part epoxy to keep it in place. The TruGlo front sight was less than $22. If it doesn’t work, we’re not out much, and I’ll go with a different, tried and true setup.
I wanted to shorten up the length of pull greatly, while making the shotgun lighter and easier to handle. I ordered a set of Hogue furniture; an overmolded stock with short, 12” length of pull, and an overmolded forend that matches a Police model in length. I’ve used this setup for years and like it a lot. The pebbled rubber gives great purchase and they’re very durable. I’m 6’ and I even prefer the shorter length of pull. Most shotgun stocks are made with bird hunting in mind and are overly long for a fightin’ gun. Total is $78.76.
Picked up a Scattergun Tech 2-shot magazine extension with spring and follower from the same gent I bought the 870 from. Cost was $45, which is a steal for that particular item.
A new sear and carrier latch springs are roughly $12 total. FYI, the heavier carrier latch spring is the same one that is used in the Remington 1100/11-87. It is part number F16966.
In the mid-1980’s Remington made a modification to the lifter called the Flexi-Tab. In a nutshell, it solved a rare type of “jam” that could happen that was exceedingly difficult to clear. The Flexi-Tab solves the problem nicely. Since this particular 870 is older than that, it has a chromed lifter with no Flexi-Tab. I just happen to have a newer Flexi-Tab lifter in the parts bin I am donating to the project at no cost. Because I don’t like not having one in my parts bin, I order another for $23.75.
I will also be donating an Esstac shell card (sidesaddle) to the project.
Total, I should have about $410 in assembling this 870, before I subtract whatever money I get from selling the original furniture. All in all, it should end up right around $300, and the result will be a shotgun that I would depend my life on any day.
Semper Fi!
Picked up a 1970’s era Wingmaster with walnut furniture and a 26” plain barrel with bead. Thought it would make an interesting write-up and progression, along with general information to help anyone thinking of doing the same. The shotgun cost $275, but I am selling the walnut furniture to make a little money to put back into the gun.
First, I wanted to talk about some of the pertinent differences between the Express, Wingmaster, and Police models of the Remington 870. I am not covering all of the differences, just the ones that I feel are important.
In general, the difference between a Wingmaster and the Police are:
-Wingmaster is high luster blue, while a Police is parkerized
-fancier wood on a Wingmaster, and the longer forend will not accommodate many “sidesaddle” shell holders or police in-car locking racks
-Police model has heavier magazine tube and carrier latch springs to ensure reliability with heavier loads. Most Wingmasters are used with birdshot while Police models are used with slugs and buckshot.
-Heavier sear spring on the Police model
-Wingmaster bolts are hard chromed
The differences between the Express and the Wingmaster/Police:
-Express has a bead blast blue finish
-Express models used a MIM extractor, the W/P models use a machined steel extractor
-W/P models have a vibrahoned finish on the inside of the receiver to smooth out burrs and the like
-Express models use a synthetic trigger housing while the W/P models use metal
-W/P models use the older ball detent system to hold the magazine cap in place, while the Express uses a cheaper, synthetic ratchet insert.
-Express model will not allow for the installation of a magazine extension tube without physical modification of the existing magazine tube.
I wanted to try and keep this particular shotgun as short and light as I could, without going the SBS route. I didn’t have a spare 18.5” barrel handy, and a quick check around didn’t locate one for a decent price. I cut the original barrel back to 18.5” by hand, squared it off, and cleaned it up with increasingly finer files, followed by stones, and finished with emery. Then I used Brownell’s Oxpho-Blue to reblue the end of the barrel. All that is purely my labor, which is free in this case.
For a sight, I thought I’d try something a little different on this one. Also, the student has a budget and I couldn’t go hog wild on this. I ordered a TruGlo Glo Dot II Universal. I’ve read good reviews, and I intend on using a 2-part epoxy to keep it in place. The TruGlo front sight was less than $22. If it doesn’t work, we’re not out much, and I’ll go with a different, tried and true setup.
I wanted to shorten up the length of pull greatly, while making the shotgun lighter and easier to handle. I ordered a set of Hogue furniture; an overmolded stock with short, 12” length of pull, and an overmolded forend that matches a Police model in length. I’ve used this setup for years and like it a lot. The pebbled rubber gives great purchase and they’re very durable. I’m 6’ and I even prefer the shorter length of pull. Most shotgun stocks are made with bird hunting in mind and are overly long for a fightin’ gun. Total is $78.76.
Picked up a Scattergun Tech 2-shot magazine extension with spring and follower from the same gent I bought the 870 from. Cost was $45, which is a steal for that particular item.
A new sear and carrier latch springs are roughly $12 total. FYI, the heavier carrier latch spring is the same one that is used in the Remington 1100/11-87. It is part number F16966.
In the mid-1980’s Remington made a modification to the lifter called the Flexi-Tab. In a nutshell, it solved a rare type of “jam” that could happen that was exceedingly difficult to clear. The Flexi-Tab solves the problem nicely. Since this particular 870 is older than that, it has a chromed lifter with no Flexi-Tab. I just happen to have a newer Flexi-Tab lifter in the parts bin I am donating to the project at no cost. Because I don’t like not having one in my parts bin, I order another for $23.75.
I will also be donating an Esstac shell card (sidesaddle) to the project.
Total, I should have about $410 in assembling this 870, before I subtract whatever money I get from selling the original furniture. All in all, it should end up right around $300, and the result will be a shotgun that I would depend my life on any day.
Semper Fi!
