New pump: 870 Express vs. Wingmaster

[762X39]

I have both a Winchester 1300 in 20 gauge (28 inch vented rib barrel) and a Remington 870 LE model (14 inch barrel) and love both of them. The Remington is a bit handier and has taken lots of grouse but the Winchester has a bit better range on bunnies with the extra 12 inches of barrel.Still my favourite gun is always the one that is handy when I need it.

 

[Wyoming Shooter]

I suggest the Wingmaster...

The 870 has long been in use by most law enforcement agencies. By "use", I mean stuffed in a cruiser rack and shot very little. It's almost impossible to wear the gun out. As agencies transition to the AR-15 pattern rifle, many used LE guns have been traded in and made available to the general public. I'd keep my eye open for one of those. Buy it for $150 - 200 and get yourself an extra barrel for birds. :ar15: Best regards, ELN.

P.S. - I have 2 of them. You never know...

 

[AndrewP]

I think it's one of those amount of expected use things. If you hunt all the time, or shoot trap weekly or in some other way get the full use out of it, then the intangables like nice finish, better parts etc, become important.

If you just want something to carry in your truck and blast clay birds tossed by your friends on a 4 wheeling trip in a casual way, then the Express is ideal.

The Express is a great gun for the money, but if you take that out of it, it's just an OK shotgun. An 870 Wingmaster is a GREAT gun and the standard by which all pumps are measured, whether you factor in price or not. As was mentioned above, it's a gun your grandson will still be shooting 50 years from now.


Edit: If the $500 means you don't buy it at all, buy the Express. It's the best $275 you'll spend this year. But if $500 more won't break the bank, the Wingmaster is a very nice shotgun and still not huge money.

 

[FshTaco99]

My first was an 870 and it, as stated above, is a work horse. You can shoot ducks, row your boat, use it as a breaker bar and it will still shoot. Depending on what you're into I recently purchased a Benelli Nova for hunting this year. One piece synthetic stock, nor will it really break the bank...And it shoots 3 1/2. Either way buy a Patternmaster choke and blow some feathers off!