The Remington 870 shotgun is one of the most loved and adored shotgun models in the world. Although there are multiple versions of the Remington 870 available, nothing beats the design of the classic 870 models. That is why the restoration of these older Remington 870 is essential in order to preserve their high-quality design and functionality. The two biggest flaws you’ll find with an old Remington 870 is rust and damage to the exterior and interior. Rust generally accumulates on the metal components of the weapon because the previous owner failed to lubricate the weapon on a regular basis to maintain it. More than likely, a Remington 870 in this condition has not been fired in many years. And if there is damage to the weapon, it could be old damage which somebody caused and then just discarded the shotgun because they didn’t want to bother fixing it.

Fortunately, weapons in rough conditions like these can be restored if you follow a few simple tips. But before you clean anything, you have to disassemble the entire weapon so you can see the exact condition of all its metal components and parts. If the rust is really bad, you’ll probably see a reddish-brown color on these metal pieces. The quickest way to get rid of that rust is to run a bath and then pour a bunch of malt vinegar into it. Let the rusty metal pieces soak in that water for 30 minutes and then try scrubbing off the metal with a thick-wired hairbrush. Do this for the next 5-10 minutes and you should see the rust come off. The end result should be a sparkly gray metal color which is what it’s supposed to be. Rinse off these pieces in the sink under hot water to ensure all the residue is off too.

The rest of the parts are likely the wooden parts, especially if it’s an old Remington 870 Wingmaster for the 1950s. The stock and forend are the two remaining parts which are likely wooden. If these parts are not too damaged, then you can just sand and polish them to restore their shiny appearance. But if they are in bad shape, you can purchase a new wooden stock and forend and then assemble them with the older metal components. A lot of gunsmiths can custom make the original wooden designs of these older parts. However, you may be able to find some at the Remington website as well.

Here is collection of the posts about Remington 870 restoration:

1976 Remington 870 Wingmaster Restoration

1976 Remington 870 Wingmaster Restoration

Read more: 1976 Remington 870 Wingmaster Restoration

Remington 870 Stock/Forend Restoration

Remington 870 Stock After Restoration

Read more:Remington 870 Stock/Forend Restoration

Remington 870 Wingmaster Restoration

Remington 870 Wingmaster Restoration

Read more: Remington 870 Wingmaster Restoration

How to Restore a Shotgun (Rust Bluing)

Rusty Parts of Remington 870

Read more: How to Restore a Shotgun (Rust Bluing)