870 Express and Plastic Parts

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vitesse9

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I've been eying an 870 for a long time. I like its look, feel, quality and versatility. Seems like the perfect gun for someone who wants a do-it-all shotgun. But, I just can't get over the fact that a gun as popular as the 870 express comes stock with a plastic trigger group and other plastic parts.

How do you guys feel about the 870 express and the plastic parts? Do you care? Do you wish the still made the basic 870 with all metal parts? Why do we have to pay the $ for a Wingmaster or hunt down a police model from a dealer who'll sell us one to avoid the plastic?

I'd like to see Remington at least offer a choice.
 
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Cheaper materials to meet lower price points.

Look around a people ar selling mossbergs with 2 barrels for $200+. People want the best of both worlds. They want a cheap shotgun but want quality parts. They have to cut corners to meet the low price point and still make money. Remember they are in it for the money.

Can't have everything. Thats why I bought a used 870 Police.

Rellascout
 
On another forum, we did a poll of people who had encountered a broken plastic shot gun part.

With the exception of Mossberg's plastic safety switches and one case of a plastic Remington Express trigger guard that just simply got BASHED very, very badly, there wasn't much reported.

We've all read the advertisements for shotgun magazine followers to "replace the weak Remington follower that will break, jamming the gun".
In fact, nobody reported ever actually SEEING one broken.

Truth be told, the Remington Express plastic trigger group MAY actually be superior in some ways.
It has no finish to wear off and look ratty.
It's self lubricating.
Unlike aluminum it won't dent or bend, and if it is deformed, it usually "springs" back into good enough shape to be used.

No one has used an Express plastic guard assembly long enough to be sure, but so far, it looks like the plastic will be as durable as the aluminum.

And true, in order for Remington to make a forged and milled steel receiver 870 at a competitive price with the cast aluminum Mossberg and Winchester, something had to give, and that something is a rougher finish and plastic parts.
 
I know it's about the money, and I know that there's the police model for people who care (actually, it's not really made for "us" and you have to go through the hastle of finding a dealer who'll order you one). But, the police model is, first and foremost, a fighting gun. I love the 870 express because they can be had in combo configurations where you can have a deer barrel, a skeet/bird barrel, and for an extra $100, you can have a 18" home defense barrel. A police model wouldn't be as suited for the sporting purposes.

I just wish they made an 870 express that was more like the quality of the police model. I'd be willing to pay for it. But, I'm not willing to buy a Wingmaster and the extra two barrels (at about 300 a pop) just to have a better quality sporting/self-defense shotgun.
 
I actually have a police trigger group from Remington shipping to me because I wanted the metal and heavier duty trigger group parts.Remington said the Express trigger plate assembly is made of high impact composite material.
The metal trigger plates are made from a liquid metal that starts in a powder form and I guess it is like an injection mold if I get my info understood correctly.It is made of an aluminum type alloy.So These metal trigger groups are not milled from a solid billet.Just the same I'm turning my express into the Police model the slow and expensive way.Buying the Police model from the get go is the smart choice if the plastic parts bother you.
 
I own a wingmaster and it's a great gun, I was skeptical of synthetic guns but I buckled down and bought a Mossberg 835 UltiMag it's a great gun for Turkey and skeet, It shoots all rounds equally well from 2 3/4 to 3.5". I have converted to believing in synthetic. Although they are not collectors, I bought it to be functional. Some guns are good for collectors, I love them all the same :p I held the 870 Express it felt a little 'flimsy' compared to the Mossberg 835 but tha'ts just me.
 
I don't care.
I am not a real avid shotgunner, but I have probably shot my 870 Express enough to be pretty confident in it.
I have hunted with it a little bit.
I have shot trap, skeet, and sporting clays with it a little bit.
I have taken two formal shotgun classes: Frontsight four day defensive shotgun and Gunsite 260. One was four days of almost continuous firing and the other was five days of almost continuous firing.

I would guess that I have over 5000 rounds through it. A LOT of slugs and buckshot. All the plastic parts are fine.
 
I used to be a machinist and or tool & die guy in my earlier years, and I have a love for good steel. However, I must be honest and ask myself in each case, does it matter if it is plastic or aluminum or steel? Is stamped steel better or worse than a milled or forged or cast part? How about colled rolled vs. tool steel? Stainless vs. Carbon steel?

Ask yourself what is the function of the part, and will anyone ever know by the performance if it was plastic or steel? I think Mossberg should put steel safeties on their shotguns (and they can be had as such, at least in the ones they make for the military), because I saw a plastic one fail during a bout of trap shooting in a way that I don't think a steel one would have. Except for asthetic reasons, I can't say as it makes much difference on most parts where I have seen plastic. Plastic doesn't rust, and that is good.

As long as we are talking about such things, can anyone tell me why a stamped steel is inferior to a part that is milled or cast?
 
I am not going to get into the peeing contest over so called plastic parts vs steel (or whatever metal).......I am going only to say that at Dixie Slugs we use only Wal-Mart Remington 870 Express gund and a series of Remington and Hastings barrels (Rem. Smoothbores and Hastings rifled)......Why? Simple, they stand up to the pounding from our testing high-density loads!........james@Dixie Slugs (dixieslugs.com)
 
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