# Remington 870's



## woodtickgreg (May 11, 2020)

I got bored the other day and pulled out a couple of my 12 gage remingtons. I want to do a build on one of them.
This first one is a beautiful gun. I was told it's a police edition, plain birch stock and very short barrel. It had a short barrel so it could be mounted vertically in the front of a police cruiser and clear the roof.


 The blueing is beautiful on this gun.



I honestly dont know if it's ever been fired. I cant bring myself to molest this gun.



From the tip of the barrel to the reciever it measures 17 1/2"



Now this one is the perfect candidate.for a build. It's a 870 express, mat black finish, has a smooth bore slug barrel on it with iron sites. I used to hunt with it so it also has a scope mount that I'll probably put a halo graphic site on.


 


It'll shoot 3" shells but damn that hurts, lol.



19 1/2" barrel to the reciever.



This one is going to become a black gun, a shtf gun. I always wanted a shotgun like that but they are expensive. I've had this gun a long time and I dont intend to deer hunt with it again so it's perfect for a build. I've been chatting with Marc @ripjack13 A bit about this build, bouncing ideas off of him. Hes been helpful.in pointing me to resources. Thanks Marc.
Stay tuned...........

Reactions: Like 6 | Way Cool 2


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## trc65 (May 11, 2020)




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## William Tanner (May 12, 2020)

Got a soft spot in my heart for this gun. Drove one around for 20 years. Mine wasn't an express. It didn't have the rifle site. It had a bead at the muzzle and another half way down the barrel. Yours sure is a nice one. Bill

Reactions: Like 1


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## woodtickgreg (May 12, 2020)

William Tanner said:


> Got a soft spot in my heart for this gun. Drove one around for 20 years. Mine wasn't an express. It didn't have the rifle site. It had a bead at the muzzle and another half way down the barrel. Yours sure is a nice one. Bill


The wingmaster with the short barrel just has the bead sight.


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## The100road (May 12, 2020)




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## Ray D (May 12, 2020)

Always liked the Wingmasters.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## T. Ben (May 12, 2020)




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## Wildthings (May 12, 2020)




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## tocws2002 (May 13, 2020)

I have a couple of 870s, one in 12 gauge and one in 20. Looking forward to what you'll be doing with your Express!

-jason

Reactions: Like 1


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## ripjack13 (May 13, 2020)




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## Gdurfey (May 13, 2020)

Love the 870, it fits me. Ordered a left handed express, just don’t get out enough. I am left eye dominant and was encouraged to relearn to shoot left handed. Made a huge difference, but hated the safety on the right handed model so ordered the left handed version. 

enjoy the build, looking forward to what you do. 

by the way, is there any better sound than a pump shotgun??

Reactions: Agree 3


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## woodtickgreg (May 14, 2020)

I'm trying to date the wingmaster, it could be 2 years. Its wierd how you date a Remington 870, it goes by a letter date code on the barrel and not by the actual reciever serial number. So far it could be a 1963 or a 1980. I know I have the original receipt for it somewhere as it was inherited from my father's estate and I found the receipt going through his papers when he died. I'm thinking it's a 1980 It's in a box with some other shooting stuff, I just dont know exactly where that box is.
The Express has a metal trigger gaurd and not the plastic variety. I took the barrel off today and it doesn't have the magazine dimples either, that's a good thing, makes installing the extension much easier.

Reactions: Like 2


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## woodtickgreg (May 14, 2020)

Well it was bugging me where the box was so I went on a mission to find it. I also found the original boxes for 2 S&W 38's, and a baretta jetfire .25 auto that I also inherited. I found the original sales receipt and owners manual for the wingmaster, it was purchased in 1981 so it could be a 1980 manufacture. My father also had a period in his life where he was in security of some kind. Hence the small carry guns, shotgun for the car, and these 2 items that I'm sure the leo's here will recognize.
Dont make me thump your skull.



These are the real deal, lol. Albeit somewhat vintage.

Reactions: Way Cool 7


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## woodtickgreg (May 15, 2020)

So heres the first modification on the 870 express.
I chose the +2 shot magazine extension so it wouldn't stick out past the barrel. It gives me 7 shots, 6 in the magazine and one chambered.


 
Step one is remove the magazine cap nut and barrel.


 
I removed the barrel so I could work the old spring retainer out, I was very carefull not to pry on the magazine tube at all.


 
Barrel off, and I cleaned the gun and oiled it while I was at it.


 
Here you can see the new magazine spring and the stock one, quite a difference.


 
I like the new bright orange shell follower instead of the stock flimsy black one.


 
These are the stock parts that are being replaced, I'll save them incase I ever want to put it back to stock.


 
I like the new orange follower, you can just look into the loading port to see if the gun is empty, much better than the stock black part.



Last thing to put on was the magazine to barrel clamp. It just gives the longer magazine a little support. And it also has a hole for attaching a sling.

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 2


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## woodtickgreg (May 15, 2020)

It now holds seven 2 3/4" shells, will be less with 3" shells I'm sure. I didnt have any on hand to test.


 its stops just short of the end of the barrel. I could have went with a 3 shell extension but it would have stuck out past the barrel and I didnt want that.


 I like the way it looks and the functionality of it.


 
I'll be changing the stock soon.

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 4


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## tocws2002 (May 15, 2020)

What are your plans for the stock? Going synthetic or making a custom wood stock?

-jason


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## woodtickgreg (May 15, 2020)

tocws2002 said:


> What are your plans for the stock? Going synthetic or making a custom wood stock?
> 
> -jason


Synthetic, it's going to be a black gun.

Reactions: Like 2


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## woodtickgreg (May 19, 2020)

The stock might be on backorder.


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## woodtickgreg (May 28, 2020)

Yay!Look what finally showed up today. Usps 2 day shipping took 10 days.

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 4


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## woodtickgreg (May 28, 2020)

I found some time to play with the gun and installed the new stock.
This is what you see when you open the box.


 I layed out the parts.


 They give you 2 pages of instructions and about 6 or 7 adapters, you choose the one that is for your gun as it will fit many others.


 Removing the stock buttplate pad.


 1 screw to remove the original stock.


 They dont tell you in the instructions to remove this spacer but you need to.


 If you dont remove the spacer it leaves a gap between the reciever and the new grip.


 Spacer removed and the gap is gone.

Reactions: Like 3 | Useful 1


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## woodtickgreg (May 28, 2020)

Next I installed the cheek pad.


 After the stock was installed I took the gun apart to install a new fore grip.


 More adapters to select.


 And the instructions tell you to cut out all of the cross supports.


 And this is how it looks after you do that.


 I dont have plans at this point for any other accessories to mount on the picatiny rails. 


 So I removed them, they give you some block off plates for that.

Reactions: Like 2 | Thank You! 1 | Way Cool 1


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## woodtickgreg (May 28, 2020)

And here it is with the new furniture.


 I like the new slide grip. Looks cool and feels good in the hand.


 I love the adjustability of the stock length. And I have always liked a pistol grip rifle stock.


 It has dramatically changed the look and function of the gun. It is now a black gun!

Reactions: Like 5 | EyeCandy! 1 | Way Cool 1


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## Eric Rorabaugh (May 28, 2020)

I like it!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## trc65 (May 28, 2020)

Great transformation!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## ripjack13 (May 28, 2020)

Awesome Greg! That looks so different. Cant wait for a range report!!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## woodtickgreg (May 29, 2020)

Gotta save my pennies for one more piece, a sight, before I go to the range and shoot it.


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## T. Ben (May 29, 2020)

Congratulations you’ve just made yourself an evil assault weapon, I love it!!

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## Ray D (May 29, 2020)

woodtickgreg said:


> Gotta save my pennies for one more piece, a sight, before I go to the range and shoot it.


Have you decided on a sight yet? Red dot?


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## woodtickgreg (May 29, 2020)

Ray D said:


> Have you decided on a sight yet? Red dot?


Yup, I'm thinking red dot reflective type, not a tube type. So it will still have a wide field of view and quicker target acquisition.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Ray D (May 29, 2020)

Burris and Vortexes are great quality red dots but pricey. I have the Burris FF3 on my dedicated turkey rig and love it. They just came out with the FF4 so a FF3 can be had at a discount. Still some FF2’s around but I don’t care for the placement of the battery compartment.

Reactions: Informative 1 | Useful 1


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## woodtickgreg (May 29, 2020)

I'm liking this one, has decent reviews and I like it's small size. I thi k the battery is a top load.

Reactions: Like 2


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## SubVet10 (Jul 18, 2020)

Very nice choice on the ATI furniture. I have an M4 style with side saddle reloads. And both a light and red dot on the rail on top of the receiver.

Reactions: Thank You! 1


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## woodtickgreg (Jul 18, 2020)

I still gotta choose a red dot micro reflex sight.


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## ripjack13 (Jul 18, 2020)

Greg, lemme check my stash. I may have a red dot you can have. I got it from the admin on Mossbergowners years ago. I've never used it....

Reactions: Way Cool 1 | +Karma 2


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## ripjack13 (Jul 18, 2020)

Ok, it's not in the safe. It's gotta be somewhere. Unless I sold it and dont remember. Doh!

Reactions: Funny 1


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## ripjack13 (Jul 19, 2020)

I looked everywhere in my house Greg. I cant find it. 
I even looked in all my conversations on the gun forums to see if it was sold, but nothing shows up.
Sorry man. False alarm....


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## woodtickgreg (Jul 19, 2020)

No worries, I appreciate you looking for it. I'm not in a rush and I want to get a good one for it that is not to large, and I dont want to spend a fortune. The one I was considering above has become unavailable for the time being. Lots of things have become unavailable lately. This is just a small taste of socialism, stores and vendors constantly running out of product. Partly due to covid, and partly due to the countrys civil unrest. Strange times indeed.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## woodtickgreg (Aug 10, 2020)

The sight I showed above came back in stock and actually dropped a few bucks in price, so I ordered it.

Reactions: Like 2


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## ripjack13 (Aug 11, 2020)

I found the red dot!
But, it's not mine anymore. I asked a guy over on mossbergowners, and he said he bought it from me years ago. Lol

Reactions: Funny 3


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## woodtickgreg (Aug 12, 2020)

Thats ok Marc, look what came today!









Love the small size of this red dot. Would work on a pistol very nice as well. Hopefully I can get some time to get it mounted this weekend.

Reactions: Like 3 | Way Cool 3


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## Ray D (Aug 12, 2020)

Very nice. I love my red dot on my dedicated turkey gun. Looking forward to seeing it mounted.

Reactions: Like 1


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## ripjack13 (Aug 12, 2020)

Nice. That's pretty much what I had. I was using it on my 835, but didn't like it. So I switched it out for a big one. Not sure of the name.
Looking forward to range report too....

Reactions: Like 1


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