Help ID!!!!

[eldogg4life]

I wanted to buy a basic shotgun so that I can build a tactical. I bought one and haven't used it much over the winter. Summer is quickly aproaching and I wanna take a tactical shotgun course. My problem is that the guy who sold me the shotgun said it was a remington 870 but the shotgun says "Sportsman 12 Pump Magnum". I do not know if some of the things I wanna get will work. Can someone please help me identify the shotgun so that I can get the proper accessories??? It also has a very long "hunters" barrel. I wanna get a shorter one which I think would make more sense for the application in which I intend to use it. The current length makes it feels like a musket.

Thanks for your held in advance....

eL

 

[lockedcj7]

Remington has made at least three variations of the 870. The design is the same but they vary in the level of fit and finish and also in the materials used to make the trigger group.

The 870 Wingmaster is/was a very good quality pump with nice fit and finish and smooth action. Great Gun!

The 870 Express is supposed to be the same gun with a cheap, black finish. There have been some rough edges on the internals on the samples I have owned/shot. Still a good gun for the money.

The 870 Sportsman I can't really speak about. I haven't even held one though I have heard that they are more cheaply made.

The aftermarket parts should still work on the Sportsman but you might be better off to sell this one and buy a short-barreled gun. The replacement barrel alone will cost upwards of $100.

 

[Dfariswheel]

The "Sportsman" is what Remington used to call their "budget" model guns before the Express was introduced.
The Sportsman 870 series was made from 1984 to 1986, when it was replaced by the cheaper to make Express models.

Actually, the Sportsman was better than the current Express, since it was basically a Wingmaster with a hardwood stock, and a less polished finish.

Unlike the Express, the Sportsman used the original type of 870 magazine system so you don't have to alter the gun to install an extension.

Any accessory or barrel made to fit an 870 will work fine on the Sportsman since it is just a version of the 870.

On barrels, make sure you buy a barrel that has the magazine cap retention plunger and spring in the front face of the barrel support ring.
Newer Express guns do not have the plunger.
You can buy new 18" barrels direct from Remington for very reasonable prices.

To install a side saddle, you'll have to either cut off or replace the longer commercial fore end with a shorter Police-length fore end.

Other than that, all accessories will fit.