Remington 870

so why do these "tried and true go to" guns suck so bad? Had a chance to play with one last weekend I felt so dirty I had to take a shower after using it. its rough, clunky, not smooth and shoots terrible

thoughts?

I love mine.... hasnt failed me once

I have dropped this gun into water, shot hundreds of times, not cleaned it and it still functions great. The reliability factor is what i love about this gun. I let all my "new hunter" family members start with it and even bring it with me to shot clays here and there

sacrilege
perhaps it is the operator that is "rough, clunky, not smooth and shoots terrible"

Go find a wealthy woman to buy you a Beretta semi and leave those pump guns for the up and comers

G were you shooting experts out of that 870?

I think he just trying to ruffle up some fussin

I have put my 20guage benelli back in the truck to use my 12 gauge 870 on the worst condition days. It just doesn't quit.

I bet Nav has an older 870, so thats why hes good.

Kdub, come on man, you know I dont shoot those crappy shells, those experts are better for throwing than shooting.

bottom line is that gun is a starter gun and not meant for a long haul

What year was that gun you were shooting? 870 used to be an Awesome Gun (If it was made before Remington was bought out) I Think around '01 or so...I have both guns and the newer model is still good but I can tell It is made w/ cheaper parts than the pre-'01 Model. ex. Using a plastic safety instead of metal. I would say that I still use the Newer one, but My truck got stolen last week and it was in there!

They are good guns....until you get your hands on a B gun

I use mine for Dove and hogs. I have killed hogs with buckshot out of the modified barrel along with dove with birdshot. I recently purchased a rifled barrel and put a 2x7 Nikon slug hunter on it, thing will shoot 2 inch groups all day. I have killed 8 hogs with it in the last couple months on Ft Hood. IMO its one of the most versatile guns for the money and mine was passed down from my Grandpa who purchased it around 40 yrs ago. I like them.

my thoughts exactly

I bought it last September so its a bit older

Guess depends on what your used to. mine is 40+ yrs old never let me down. Then ive never had a quality piece like a Benelli or such. Between it and my old savage double, food comes home with us!
wonder what load you shoot? today's load are more dirty than decades ago.

I've had one for 38 years. It has never let me down. Purchased a SBEII and now the 870 protects the house. I used it for deer, ducks, geese and doves. Never shot a hog with it, but I might try now!

give it time, youll upgrade sooner than later

I have always liked 870's,I have 3. But I bought the 870 super mag about 4 years ago an it's junk,jams constant,it will not eject the empty hull,then you have to take the barrel off an run a stick down it to nock out the empty hull.There is all kinds of videos on u tube an I tried just about all of them ,called Remington an that was like talking to one of my deer mounts,it even jams if you put a empty hull in it ,you don't even have to fire it to jam!

I have an older 870 and two of my sons have the newer versions. Older 870 are better built than the newer ones. Can tell a difference big time.

The older one's should be known as Mr. Reliable.

The older wing master is a good gun

finally someone with some sense

And they are heavy!!!

I'm wondering if it was an 870 Express and not a Wingmaster. Night and day difference

The Wingmaster is the one to get, now days you have to pay a little extra but worth it. I have had a Wingmaster for 42 years and it never failed me. I used it for everything from dove to turkey, sandhill crane to ducks, and quail to pheasants. Never jams never miss fires. But Wingmaster NOT express.

I've had mine for 35 yrs!

Thats this one is, an old wingmaster. Goes bang every time i pulled the trigger.

Would like to try one of newer auto loaders some day, i hear the recoil is tamed down a heck of lot for todays shooters!

My daughter's boy friend won all kinds of competitions shooting his 870 for trap and skeet. He loved to out-shoot some kid with a $3000 gun. I think that is why he used it.

Absolute night and day. The original Express were good guns back in the late 80's when they first started making them but not as good as the Wingmaster. The stock, finish and action are better on the Wingmaster.

My first gun was an 870 mag in college. My first shot ever hunting dropped a dove. I was on top of the world. Still took me 30 minutes to chase it down and rip its head off. That was its highlight. I started duck hunting after college and the gun just sucked. It could not hit anything. It would never work properly even though I was aimed perectly on my game. I am left handed and got a left handed SBE and made a world of difference. I bring that 870 hunting still but it just weighs the truck down 20 years later. It is killing my gas mileage but take it anyway... A guy from West Point borrowed it last weekend. He shot around 75 shells and not a single dove. Hate that thing but still bring it just in case. I had to borrow one for a dove hunt a few years ago. I swear I went 25 shells before hitting a bird. Pretty embarrassing for a gun to be so bad.

And I will bring it this weekend praying my SBE doesn't break.

I had this same conversation with a guy at work the other day. The 870 is proven to be one of the most effective and reliable shotguns ever designed. I deduced from our discussion that he was just the typical millennial; too young and inexperienced to be able to appreciate the genius of the simplicity. He will grow out of his brash ignorance, I'm sure. I just pray it doesn't take as long as it took me!

The next best thing is the BPS, and you can still get it in 16 gage

Got an 870 on my 16th birthday, never misfired until last season and I am 47. And the error was due to my poor cleaning over 31 years, broke it completely down and it is banging away just like it were new.

Mine is not a super mag.... 3 1/2 inch is silly

only shoot 2 3/4 out of mine

The new 870s are nothing like the older models.

The new ones feel cheap and rough. My dad's old 870 that's at least 30 years old is a much nicer gun.

Prayers up

Wood weighs more than plastic

Same here and it kills everything plenty dead.

My 870 (bitter sweet) was bought in 1969 by my friends father. My friend went down the wrong road and sold it to me for a $100 to support his habit. Haven't seen him since.

I have 7 pump shotguns....4 870's......they do for me everything I ask them to do.....just can't see spending several hundred to thousands of dollars to accomplish the same thing you can for a few hundred...

I bought an 870 Express when I was a poor graduate student back in 1994. It served me well for years as I used it for ducks, doves and clays. Didn’t matter if it was a cold, rainy, muddy morning, or a sweltering and dusty afternoon, the gun just performed flawlessly. Over time my shotgun preferences have taken a distinct turn towards those with two barrels, and I don’t remember shooting the 870 in over 15 years; however I have never considered parting ways with it, and don’t think I ever will. It’s in my safe, waiting to serve as needed as a foul weather gun, a loaner for a good friend, or maybe for my son to use if he decides to start hunting. It’s just too good of a gun to not keep.

I will never buy another EXPRESS again, however I'll buy Wingmasters all day long. Bought a new EXPRESS in the late 90s and it worked well for a short time, then starting having issues. Sold it and never looked back. I was in high school so I needed something cheap. My dad always had Wingmasters and so now that I can luckily afford to spend a few more bucks I buy them. Not sure I'd take a 870 out in the worst days though over my Xtrema duck hunting though.

The Remington 870s made today are not like the older models that were once made. The older models I agree were the best made pump shotguns. Remington in the past 4 years has changed factories several times and the QA on the products has been mediocre at best. I certainly would not recommend one for a first time shotgun buyer as their are better made models out there for roughly around the same price.

exactly

I have found a couple of really good older 870's at pawn shops for a good deal....

My 870 is 48 years old, and just about the only shotgun I have used in hat 48 years. There is no telling how many cases of shells that have been shot. I carried one for awhile in Vietnam, it went through mud, sand monsoons and everything else and kept on working.

its not fancy and its kind of heavy, but I bought my first 870 when I was 10yrs old. its got 25yrs of use on it now, its hunted every season i owned it and everything from dove/duck/quail/hogs with it. when I was younger and shot frequently and poorly I put cases of shells thru it. I might shoot a half case a year now.

I loaned mine out for a couple hunts so far this season. It lives up to its reputation. About 150 shells and a couple birds in the bag. I feel sorry who I loan it to next. Not really.

Hey Garrett, doesn't your younger brother shoot an 870?

one my hunting partners shot an 870 with Hevimetal shells and can kill most
any duck at any distance

thats the only gun he can do that with?

I see this same stupid topic at least 2 or 3 times a year. Sure if I had $1k to spend on a really nice gun I would.

Spoiled rich boys gotta put down something.

Much anger in this one

Envy you must feel

-Yoda

spoiled and rich is far from me, and I am not sure what that has to do with an 870 being junk..I mean they are junk if you are poor or rich

ndhunter, you know I like your style

I buy 2 870s a year from the pawn shops. They are disposable. Great for 50 bucks. Don't know what the big deal is.

they are very reliable shotguns and kill plenty of ducks

Killed another coyote on Ft Hood with mine this morning

Doves dislike my 16 gauge 870 Wingmaster.

nice shooting guys, but remember that just because you killed something that doesnt make your weapon the best weapon...folks have killed plenty with rocks

Garret was that post a joke, not to be taken seruously?

When I was in the 5th grade I killed a dove with a slingshot. It was awesome.

posts like this remind me we need a "like" button

ducknbass, I'll never tell

I'll just have to assume.

Fake news. Staged... 1

Yeah but you were probably aiming at a beer bottle when you hit the dove.

Nope. It was up in a tree, about a 35 yard shot, it made the most awesome sounding thump when I hit it.

A wealthy woman, excellent choice.....a Beretta?

Show your appreciation by taking her to nice, romantic dinner at Pancho's after you get your new shotgun. Romance and hot sopapillas. Cant beat it.

This dude knows how to play the system. But ponchos is a bit rich for my blood.

you raise the flag, she pays...that's how it works when you marry up financially

The older ones are good guns. The new ones suck. Also if you plan on shooting 2 or 3000 rds a year they will not hold up.

Obviously ndhunter has no clue how ugly Garrett is

"Like"

What I lack in looks I make up for in personality

Do you guys think an 870 would be a good gun for a kid or an amateur?

Amateur for sure, I don't even let my kid shoot one

That is not very nice.

Define amateur.

The 870 I bought a few years ago was complete junk. I use it as a boat anchor and paddle now.

Your all ugly so far as I know. Sometimes nothing is a real cool hand. LOL