My friend has this mint 1978 vintage 870 Wingmaster 12ga and asked me to help. Used 870s are cheap because Remington has made 6 87. The FAIR MARKET VALUE of a Remington Model 870 (WINGMASTER). The gun was purchsed new in 1982, used gently less than 5 times,.
Originally Posted By SkagSig40: Thanks! Does anyone know if this is made better then a current production 870? Better steel? Can this be converted to a heavy duty Police model easily or at all?
I was thinking of maybe buying it and putting a heavy barrel on it and magpul stock and slide. Please don't ruin that beaut by changing the barrel and Magpulling it all up. Yes they are of a higher quality than more modern versions, but there are older police models that would work well for what you want to do. Maybe I'll just buy a current production 870 Police. The barrel says 2 3/4' shells. Will this feed any 12ga shell? I'm not up on shotguns so I'm not sure how these work.
Originally Posted By SkagSig40: Thanks! Does anyone know if this is made better then a current production 870?
Better steel? Can this be converted to a heavy duty Police model easily or at all? I was thinking of maybe buying it and putting a heavy barrel on it and magpul stock and slide. Please don't ruin that beaut by changing the barrel and Magpulling it all up. Yes they are of a higher quality than more modern versions, but there are older police models that would work well for what you want to do.
Maybe I'll just buy a current production 870 Police. The barrel says 2 3/4' shells.
Will this feed any 12ga shell? I'm not up on shotguns so I'm not sure how these work. If the SN starts with M it will with a barrel that has a 3' chamber. ETA: It might be the SN ends in M. Originally Posted By SkagSig40: Thanks! Does anyone know if this is made better then a current production 870? Better steel?
Can this be converted to a heavy duty Police model easily or at all? I was thinking of maybe buying it and putting a heavy barrel on it and magpul stock and slide.
Please don't ruin that beaut by changing the barrel and Magpulling it all up. Yes they are of a higher quality than more modern versions, but there are older police models that would work well for what you want to do. Maybe I'll just buy a current production 870 Police. The barrel says 2 3/4' shells.
Will this feed any 12ga shell? I'm not up on shotguns so I'm not sure how these work. If the SN starts with M it will with a barrel that has a 3' chamber. Starts with a T. Originally Posted By SkagSig40: Thanks! Does anyone know if this is made better then a current production 870?
Better steel? Can this be converted to a heavy duty Police model easily or at all? I was thinking of maybe buying it and putting a heavy barrel on it and magpul stock and slide. Please don't ruin that beaut by changing the barrel and Magpulling it all up. Yes they are of a higher quality than more modern versions, but there are older police models that would work well for what you want to do. Maybe I'll just buy a current production 870 Police. The barrel says 2 3/4' shells.
Will this feed any 12ga shell? I'm not up on shotguns so I'm not sure how these work. Originally Posted By SkagSig40: Thanks!
Does anyone know if this is made better then a current production 870? Better steel? Can this be converted to a heavy duty Police model easily or at all?
I was thinking of maybe buying it and putting a heavy barrel on it and magpul stock and slide. Please don't ruin that beaut by changing the barrel and Magpulling it all up. Yes they are of a higher quality than more modern versions, but there are older police models that would work well for what you want to do. Maybe I'll just buy a current production 870 Police.
The barrel says 2 3/4' shells. Will this feed any 12ga shell? I'm not up on shotguns so I'm not sure how these work. It will say Magnum on the side after Wingmaster, so nope.
Strictly 2 3/4' for that one. Are slugs safe in this gun? Originally Posted By SkagSig40: Thanks!
Does anyone know if this is made better then a current production 870? Better steel? Can this be converted to a heavy duty Police model easily or at all? I was thinking of maybe buying it and putting a heavy barrel on it and magpul stock and slide. Please don't ruin that beaut by changing the barrel and Magpulling it all up.
Yes they are of a higher quality than more modern versions, but there are older police models that would work well for what you want to do. Maybe I'll just buy a current production 870 Police. The barrel says 2 3/4' shells. Will this feed any 12ga shell? I'm not up on shotguns so I'm not sure how these work. It will say Magnum on the side after Wingmaster, so nope.
Strictly 2 3/4' for that one. Are slugs safe in this gun? That's beautiful! Please don't muck up that one. I'm looking for a good sound 870 to sbs but I sure wouldn't cut that one up to do it. Used 870s are cheap because Remington has made 6 87 boatloads of them since the '50s. It'll be pretty easy to find one in rougher shape to chop and refinsh.
It'll be much harder to find one in as nice w shape to take to the hunting fields with. I have an older (1987 vintage) Express that never gets used as there's no upland bird hunting in this part of Colorado but I'd have a hard time walking away from this beauty if I came across it in a deal or store. Originally Posted By SkagSig40: Thanks! Does anyone know if this is made better then a current production 870? Better steel? Can this be converted to a heavy duty Police model easily or at all? I was thinking of maybe buying it and putting a heavy barrel on it and magpul stock and slide.
Please don't ruin that beaut by changing the barrel and Magpulling it all up. Yes they are of a higher quality than more modern versions, but there are older police models that would work well for what you want to do. Maybe I'll just buy a current production 870 Police. The barrel says 2 3/4' shells. Will this feed any 12ga shell? I'm not up on shotguns so I'm not sure how these work.
It will say Magnum on the side after Wingmaster, so nope. Strictly 2 3/4' for that one. Are slugs safe in this gun? Not a 'MAGNUM' receiver so that hurts the value but it does have a ribbed barrel which usually add $50 to the value.
Hard to tell the condition from the pics. There is a fine difference between a 100% finish and a 95% finish but it makes a big deal to the value.
As a benchmark, I purchased an absolutely NEW, in the box 870 Wingmaster made in 1971with the standard receiver (for 2.75' shells) and a plain barrel with fixed choke a couple years ago for $325. The gun had never been shot or even assembled since it left the factory and it still had the hang tag and all Remington paperwork. I bought it from a guy whose Father had been a dealer until the early 1970s when he closed his shop. His remaining inventory remained in his basement until he died a few years ago. A couple years earlier than that, I purchased what I would rate as a 99% (original finish) 870 Magnum made in 1978 with a ribbed barrel for $400. Originally Posted By Dilbert556: I've got a 1970 Wingmaster with a 28 inch modified vent rib barrel.
The action on it is so smooth that if you hold it vertical and hit the slide release, the action will open on its own. I have used the crap out of it over the years, and the old gal is showing her age.but I'll never sell her. Yours is worth whatever you can get for it, which is probably in the 300 to 400 dollar range.
But you will never be able to get a finer shotgun for that money. Those are keepers, not sellers. Originally Posted By SkagSig40: Thanks! Does anyone know if this is made better then a current production 870? Better steel? Can this be converted to a heavy duty Police model easily or at all?
I was thinking of maybe buying it and putting a heavy barrel on it and magpul stock and slide. Please don't ruin that beaut by changing the barrel and Magpulling it all up. Yes they are of a higher quality than more modern versions, but there are older police models that would work well for what you want to do. Maybe I'll just buy a current production 870 Police. The barrel says 2 3/4' shells. Will this feed any 12ga shell?
I'm not up on shotguns so I'm not sure how these work. If the SN starts with M it will with a barrel that has a 3' chamber.
Starts with a T. If the barrel says 2¾' shell then it chambers a 2¾' shell, so it won't chamber 3' shells.