Problems with Remington 870s?

M

mathman

New member
It seems that recently I have been reading an unusual number of complaints about Remington...in particular, the 870. Some have cited that the employees are just not up to speed...and others have said that Remington is cutting corners to try to compete with other manufacturers (plastic parts, etc).

What's the story?
 
More software probs than hardware. I see a fair number of 870s, since I,A, get people started and many of them buy an 870 after reading what I and others say about them and B, oodles of folks have them and shoot them where I do.

I've not seen a real dog yet. I HAVE seen.....

Off center choke threads.

Off center choke and barrel borings.

Less than acceptable wood to metal fit.

Some rough chambers.

The first two can be made right under warranty. The third can be lived with and the last can be fixed with 4/0 steel wool and elbow grease.

Old, used 870s are not as cheap as when I started buying them feverishly, but they still are a great value. Everyone should have some.

As for plastic parts, there's no difference in reliability, durability or ergonomics.

I PREFER plastic followers. They do not peen the receiver as the steel ones can under heavy use with buck and slugs. My oldest shows a trace of this after a mere 15K or so. My TB has close to 20K trap loads through it in my hands alone and shows not a trace of peening.

I've yet to see ONE of the plastic TGs glitch, and I'm sure I'd hear about it. BTW, for the weight conscious, the poly TG is about 2 oz lighter than the one made from recycled beer cans.

And while I like lots of shotguns, if I hit the Lottery the first thing I'd buy would be more 870s, including letter grade trap guns and a 28 gauge WM.
 
Dave layed it out for you real well - I think if you pick up a new 870, a Nova, a Browning BPS etc you'll start to see a difference in them and it will probably correlate to price. I have a few of the older 870's and they're good guns - but I also have a few of the Browning BPS's and I think they're better guns long term. But most of my pump guns were bought in the 70's ...... and the new Remington 870's like the express and some of the low end guns seem to just not be very well built. Personally, I'd recommend a serious look at the Browning BPS - they should retail for around $ 475 and I think it's a lot of gun for the money.
 
I bought a new, or was given a new 870 youth last Christmas. I've always been a huge fan of Remington, and own half a dozen or so. To me the 870 is simply THE shotgun. However, this new 870 is the biggest piece of junk I've ever owned. The stock is rough, and not even completely finished. I rubbed the stain off the stock with my finger while squirrel hunting one day. The metal rusts if it gets rained on and you don't tear it down and clean it immediately. Don't even think about keeping it in the field all day till dark and clean it the next morning once it gets light. Mechanically??? It's as good as any other 870 I've owned. The workmanship and material is simply crap. Remington told me to send it back to them, but I want the shotgun that my Dad handed me, not some replacement you know... So I'll live with my bastxxx child 870. I'd skip and new one and find an older one in a shop, but stick with the 870.

Edit: Mine is an express
 
greeneggsandham

Take this for what it is, unsolicited advice. If you are going to keep the 870 your father got you (nice dad) I recommend you fix it up a little bit more to your liking. Why not strip, sand and refinish the stock and forearm. This will cost you all of 15 bucks, and make a huge difference. The wood will still be birch, but smooth, even, and strong. Secondly, if you hunt in an area which sees wet conditions, why not buy a can of Brownells "spray & bake" polymer finish, and give that baby some serious rust protection. I have heard many good comments about the end result of these products, and everyone likes having a nice weapon. You will also be more "emotionally involved" in your shotgun, after some love on your part.:)
 
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I have an older 870 wingmaster that I bought in perfect shape for $100



just thought I'd add that.. dont know why.. move along now :D
 
Plastic Parts

I personally have not problem with plastic parts. The plastic trigger housing looks everybit as tough as aluminum.

Can't say I like the Integrated Saftety system with a key lock, however. I know a fellow who got bored in the duck blind and started fiddling around with his and managed to activate the safety with his finger. He didn't have a key and it was locked up for the rest of the day. Watching those mallards with their feet down working to their deeks was quite frustrating. His buddy did great. He now wears a key around his neck.:D
 
Greeneggs, disassemble your Express, soak it inside and out with oil and let it set for an hour. Wipe off all you can and reassemble. Yours will be much more resistant to corrosion.

Bosshof speaks Gospel. Put some time in tweaking that Express and you'll like it much better.

We have always marked our weapons as ours by changing stuff. Refinish your wood or swap it for anything from plastic to marblecake walnut. Shoot it until it feels like a body part and you know it like your tongue knows your teeth.

And keep a round count. Note that after a few cases and a couple hunts it looks much better. Add some more cases and memories and you wouldn't trade it for a backstage pass to Heaven....
 
Bump on the recommendation on the Browning BPS above.

I have nothing against the 870, Express or otherwise; a good friend recently purchased a new 870 express and is very happy with it.

The BPS is built like a tank - it will take an awful lot to wear it out any time soon. It's heavier and absorbs the recoil quite nicely. Also, I like the tang-mounted position of the safety far more than the the position of the safety on the 870; it's much quicker.

The BPS is a dark-horse for some reason. The price for mine was very reasonable - $425, about the same as a Wingmaster; used they go for much less. I think people stay away from them because 1) they're made in Japan, and 2) they can't be 'pimped-out' like an 870 - there's no real aftermarket accessories for them except for barrels. However, I didn't want to do that with mine, so it wasn't an issue.

Maybe a third reason too - they're bottom-eject, like the Ithaca 37. Some people don't like that. Perfect for working in a duck blind, though.
 
RE: Browning BPS. This gun is made by Miroku, same folks producing the excellent Browning Citori O/U. If you like guns with bottom ejection it is a great gun. Made in Japan in case you care.

The Remington 870, when it was first produced, killed off fine guns such as the Winchester Model 12 and Remington's own 31. It accomplished this because it was reliable and Cheaper to produce.

Today the 870 finds itself (Or rather Remington does) in the same boat. Because of cheapie Mossbergs and now Chicom knockoffs Remington cannot produce the 870 the way it was once built and stay competitive. Too expensive, so they must cut corners and find cheaper production methods. Also some of the finishing done on older guns has been eliminated.

In the 50's it was metal stampings in lieu of machining. Today it is machine finishing and plastic parts.

The 870 express is an example of how to make something cheaply. Compare a new express to a 25 year old wingmaster if you can. If you cannot see the difference than...well I won't bother arguing with you.

Plus Remington is STILL in New York. Operating any business in that state is a nightmare.



My opinions are mine and I do not claim to be an expert in anything. And I did not sleep in a Holiday inn last night either.
 
I'd like to see a Police model and an Express model side by side to compare, but I can't find any Police models in the gun stores.

I'm really thinking about looking for an older 870 now...maybe I'll find one for a good price.
 
Bosshof and Dave, Thanks for the product information. Out of the millions of "things to do" it's good to hear a plug for something that should work. I do love the little gun, and we shoot trap quite a bit. I use it instead of my Citori most of the time. The checkering is so bad, that it won't hurt to sand it down I suppose. Honestly, it looks like someone took a grinder and ran it down the stock to make the grooves, and the wood is still furry. I'm more concerned with the metal so I'll try that idea. I plucked a long skinny steel box from the trash pile that wasn't made quite correctly that will be perfect for doing something to a barrel. I work in a machine shop, at least for now, so I might use my forge to make an oven, or even bake it in my pit with a propane burner underneath it. Any thoughts there?

Edit: Thanks for the advice too...
 
K80Geoff

I know that Mossbergs are a little less expensive, but what exactly is it about them that you think they are "Cheapie?" I have a "500" and I think it is very well finished, and very nice.
 
Now I have a Western Field which is actually a Mossb'500 and I love it. The Maverick on the other hand is the sorriest junkiest klunkajunk on the market. A fellow that we kicked out of our club for poaching, that happened to be a city councilman and husband of the Methodist minister, bought one. As we shoot trap every weekend, the day he brought it out, it wouldn't fire one out of three times you pulled the trigger. It wouldn't eject. It embarassed him really bad and he asked if anyone of us wanted it. We declined and we never saw it again after that day.
 
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