870 model numbers

General discussion about Remington 870 shotgun.
Jus10inla
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870 model numbers

Post by Jus10inla »

Ive got quite a collection, and being a lefty its almost impossible to find anything other thAn12 ga. . I have no problem shooting right hand gun left handed, its actualy more of a want than anything. So, with that said, was there ever

870 LH 16 ga
870 LH 20 ga
870 LH 410 ga

Also, what is the remington model of the wingmaster , express wood & express synthetic special run of 16 ga they did around 2002 that took the rem choke

I recently picked up a wingmaster LH 12 & so far it feels great


Was there ever a 3 1/2 " in left hand 870?

Is there a book or website that states ALLL model numbers of ALL 870s ever made?
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Jus10inla
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Re: 870 model numbers

Post by Jus10inla »

Im fixing to bid on a gun & it doesn't state, but is ther a sure fire way to tell if a gun is a LW model on the 20 ga? Im asuming the barrel contour into the action is about the only way?


What year did remington swap from the corn cob to normal foreend on the wingmaster?
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Re: 870 model numbers

Post by Synchronizor »

I believe Remington made 20ga LH models in the past, but currently it's just 12-gauges. Never heard of left-handed 870s chambered for the other three bore sizes, or left-handed SuperMags.
Jus10inla wrote:Im fixing to bid on a gun & it doesn't state, but is ther a sure fire way to tell if a gun is a LW model on the 20 ga? Im asuming the barrel contour into the action is about the only way?
In person, the most foolproof way to tell small- and large-frame 870s apart is to measure the width of the receiver:
Image

Otherwise, large-frame 20ga 870s will will have serial numbers that end in either "X" or "N", and start with something other than "RS". If the serial number on a 20ga 870 does start with "RS", it's a lightweight model no matter what letter is on the end.
Jus10inla wrote:What year did remington swap from the corn cob to normal foreend on the wingmaster?
The fore-end styles on older Wingmasters varied by model, so it's not an effective way to try to date one without more information.
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Re: 870 model numbers

Post by Jus10inla »

What about the 16? What are the measurements or/and serial number for that frame?
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Re: 870 model numbers

Post by Synchronizor »

16ga 870s were built on the same receiver size as the 12ga models (guess why they weren't popular), and had serial numbers ending in "W" (though there may have been some special-run or commemorative models with nonstandard serial numbers).
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Re: 870 model numbers

Post by Jus10inla »

I thought some were built on smaller frames?

Or is it different barrel. I know some of them were 12 ga barrels only bored out to 16.
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Re: 870 model numbers

Post by Synchronizor »

All 16ga 870 receivers were the same size as the 12ga receivers. The original 16ga 870s that ran from the gun's introduction into the very early 1980s (or thereabouts) did have smaller-OD barrels appropriate for the 16ga bore size, but there still wasn't much weight saved compared to similarly-configured 12ga models. A 12ga 870 equipped with a barrel that had a light contour and/or an inch or two less length could give you something that handled pretty much the same, but was much more versatile in what it could do. It's not too surprising that the 16ga was dropped from the 870 lineup soon after that bore size fell behind the 20ga in popularity in the American market.

The re-introduced 16ga 870s from the early 2000s had heavier barrels that were simply under-bored 12ga barrels, plus special 16ga Rem Chokes. Those were actually heavier than comparable 12ga models. I know some disappointed buyers of these late 16-gauges dug up older, lighter 16ga barrels to replace the chunky factory barrels. Needless to say, that run of 16ga 870s didn't last long.
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Re: 870 model numbers

Post by Jus10inla »

I have a 70ish model 1100 in 16 ga... it is by far the best squirel gun i own!! The stock is a little beat up. Id love to put an aftermarket stock on it, but cant find one that fits good or has a crisp barrel gap. I watch numrich religiously for a matching stock & foreend.


The only other 16 i own is a late model bps, but on my WANT list is the new a5 16 expected to be released early '17...
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Re: 870 model numbers

Post by Synchronizor »

The 16 is a fine gauge, no doubt about it. It can hold enough shot and handle shot sizes large enough for a wide variety of game, as well as various shooting games and even combat/defense. Its range of 3/4-ounce to 1 1/4-ounce is just about ideal for the vast majority of what shotguns are used for, and guns built around its bore diameter and weighted properly for its payload weight range can make for wonderful guns that are noticeably lighter and trimmer than those designed for the larger 12ga bore, and its potentially much heavier magnum payloads.

Unfortunately, if the gun is not built to take advantage of that, the 16ga is pretty pointless, as the 12ga can do everything the 16 can just as well (if not better), while being more versatile, capable, and common. That's what happened with the 16ga 870s, which is why I see little point to them aside from some collector value.
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Jus10inla
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Re: 870 model numbers

Post by Jus10inla »

Ran across this post.. would love to find out the model numbers or where i could buy one or both lol
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