Remington Model 870

I have had my Remington 870 express for about 10 years now. I am the second generation to use it. My grandfather used it before I did and has shot many good sized deer and lots of pheasants with it. Same as I. I have dropped it, gotten it drenched by rain, covered with snow, and caked with mud. It is a matte finish mind you, which means it does not take a whole heck of a lot to rust. All it takes to make it weather-proof is a little Rem-Oil and an old t-shirt and its good as new. Have never had any major malfunctions or anything. Numerous slugs, steel shot, lead shot, high-brass you name it, have been shot through this gun. As for price it is well worth the average 350 bucks you spend on it. This gun will last you a lifetime. It will share many memories and have more to make in the future.

This gun is unstoppable. I have owned a fullsyn 870 supermag since they first offered the 3.5 inch capability. Before the supermag I owned a 3" capable 870 express. I have read through several of the reviews and find that almost every complaint comes from user error. The gun will not attempt to load a second shell in the chamber if you short stroke it properly, just try and find the right spot, get some rhythm and they will come out easily (I did share this complaint when I was unfamiliar with the 870 but you will get it soon enough). More than anything else... this gun is reliable. I grew up in Stuttgart, Ark. the duck hunting capital of the world and have dropped this gun in the mud, ice, red clay, even some sand, fired all sorts of rounds through it, and it is damn near indestructible. If it does have an issue (which is rare) you can strip it in the field with little issue (I don't recommend this if you are not familiar with the gun because you will likely lose the spring or choke... Read more

got this gun for christmas last year, and i love it. i got it with a 20" rifled barrel on it, and its very accurate. the only downfall is that it is pretty heavy, but you can always buy a composite stick for it.

I have gotten 2 870 expresses in the past year. 1 I bought Full syn. super mag. 12ga. I have only had it jam up when i am cycling it to unload (user error). It tries to load two shells if you are pulling the shells out by hand so they won't hit the ground. I have also had the ejector lock on one shell when unloading. On inspection it had a ding on the rim of the shell. The second a christmas gift, 20ga magnum beautiful gun. Never had a problem. As far as the action/ pump jamming if you don't put it together right this will happen every time. The slide arms can feel like they are seated correctly, and one or both may be just off track. Gun will be tight and jam open or shut. I can only assume that many of these first shot out of the box complaints come from not prepping the gun. I would never take a brand new gun out of the box and fire it. I want to know the weapon inside and out. Take it apart, inspect it for burrs, lube everything liberally, make sure everything looks... Read more

i have had my remington 870 express for a year now and i love it. i have only shot about a box of shells through it (25 shells) but it has never malfunctioned. i use it as a hunting shotgun and have killed several squirrels with it. i gave it 4/5 because it didnt quite deserve the 5 star rating because its not a very good looking gun. i have never had a problem and dont think i will. please note that the majority of the bad reviews come from people who purchased the 870 supermag, also you will have bad reviews for every gun on the market that cost less than 10,000 dollars. i feel quite confident that me and my 350.00 remington 870 express will have a happy life together.

This may come to a surprise to all of you (myself included) Remington 870 fans. I recently purchased a brand spankin' new 870 Express Super Magnum for my son, this was to be his first shotgun. After waiting the 10-days to pick up this new firearm I must admit that both my son and I were as excited as kids at Christmas. Of course we were, duck season was to open the coming weekend and we were all ready. Now for the sad story... Fresh out of the box the action would not function, the choke insert would not budge, the owners manual was non-existent, and we were quite perplexed. Not an issue, it's only been 15-minutes, well take it back to the store. Well Sportsman's warehouse was only too happy to inform us that the ejector spring looked like it had been attacked by an angry hammer (their words, not mine) and that it took two people (one to hold the gun, the other to yank and pry) to even get it apart. After almost 30-minutes, the same two salesman along with help from a manager... Read more

I love my 870 Express. I bought it new in early 2010 and have never had a problem with it. I haven't shot 3 1/2 in shells (cuz why would I need to?) but I've ran plenty of remington express magnums through it with no problems and no jams, shoots everytime unless I get too excited and short-stroke it. I have the 18 1/2 inch barrel with nothing but the bead sight, and I can do a 6 inch group at 50 yards all day long at the range. Also, the reason I got the 870 in the first place was because my shooting buddy - former US Special Forces instructor - carried one in Iraq and Afghanistan and swore by it. I haven't been disappointed.

5 The 870 is a wonderful weapon. I have the express supermag. I have HD setup (18" houge pistol grip) and hunting (28" barrel full buttstock) only problem I ever Sent from my iPod.

I have had this gun for two years now, and had nothing but problems. this gun wouldn't even make a good club. In the two LONG years i have had the 870 supermag, it has been sent back 8 times. the gun simply refuses to eject shells. I am an avid trap shooter, goose, and deer hunter, and this gun is not what I expected out of a Remington. Don't buy one!!!

My Remington 870 Express Super Magnum is the first firearm I have ever owned. I have owned it for a little over three years now; it lives in my room to defend against home invasion. Most of the shells I have used with it are 2-3/4" Winchester double-odd buck and slugs; I have experienced very good accuracy and reliability with them. I have also used Wolf-branded and "flame thrower" rounds with no problems. Until recently I kept it fairly clean; once after every use. Now I might wait a couple months before cleaning it (I am in college and don't go shooting much). Issues / Quirks: The only time I have ever had a troubling jam with the gun was when I attempted to use some Federal cartridges (probably purchased in late 2007 / early 2008 in VA or CA) at an indoor range in Southern California. The Federal rounds (purchased in MI from 2008-on) I have used more recently have not had this issue. Aside from that, the gun generally cycles reliably. The action rails must be pushed outwar... Read more

i just bought the remington Model 870 Sportsman ShurShot Super Magnum Turkey gun from the Bass pro shop an 1 1/2 drive there then same thing back. i got it home took in out of the box pulled the pump action back and it jammed. after a lot of force it slammed back up in place so i pulled it down again and it jammed again. this time i had to place the barrel on the floor and push with all i had to get it to slide back down. i put it back in the box and took it back the next morning another 3 hour of driven. they didnt have another one so the called two ohter bass pro shops with each one haven two each they checked the ones they had and their guns where donig the same thing. i sold my benelli nova to buy this gun to go on a turkey hunt out of town this weekend now i cant go cus i dont have a gun. they gave me my money back and when i got home i call remington company about the gun they said they havent had any problems with them and asked if i tryed taking that gun apart to lub it. i tol... Read more

so i was about to order a remington 870 express super mag when i came across this post. I can buy the combo with both barrels for $507 plus $18 shipping and thought it was a great deal. If the supermag is so unreliable does anyone know any similar priced alternatives??

Love my Rem 870, very customizable, never had any jams or breaks (1,000+ shells) feels very solid and well build. Can't think of anything I dislike, maybe reassemble, got to be a monkey to do it.

hey I have been duck and goose hunting since i was 11, which is now about 15 years. Come fall My dad brother and i all eat sleep and breathe bird hunting. We all shoot are Remington 870's wingmasters. With out a doubt the most dependable pump i've ever used or seen. I should mention that all three of our 870s are pre 1980. No cycling issues, on the occasion i will short stroke it and the hull coming out meets the new shell going in. Between the three of us we probably shoot 1000+ rounds a year. My house mate bought a new 870 express and is having the same issues that every one else seems to be having, serious cycling problems and lack of support by remington. I outshot him on a few occasions only because his gun was working like a single shot. If you want an 870 make sure it's not one of the new generation ones where the issues seem to be popping up like daisies. OLD 870 = Pretty Good NEW 870 = pretty crappy

Just recently I bought an 870 express. I am only a young 20 years old but I have been around guns all my life. I had heard that the 870 series was one of the most reliable gun on the market. My very first shot my gun jammed and I was very upset. After tinkering around and completely taking apart the gun, it dawned on me that maybe the ammo I was using was faulty. After looking at the Winchester Universal shells that I had bought, I saw that at the base of the shell was a very cheap aluminum. Thus it would expand greatly inside the barrel and cause the gun to jam. After switching to different ammunition I have never had a problem since. I only use brass at the end instead of aluminum. The only faulty feature on the gun I noticed was that the bore is smaller than most and that is typical for an express, hence the reason for it not being successful with the Winchester shells. If your wanting to be able to shoot anything and everything. The best thing to do is to fire a few hundred rounds ... Read more

I have the 870 Wingmaster and the 870 Express. TheWingmaster is the finest pump I have ever fired...20+ years old and flawless. I bought the Express for one of my sons about 5 yrs ago and it never leaves the gun safe because it is a piece of junk. Can't fire more than one or two rounds and it jams...dealer wouldn't do anything to assist. I've not taken it to the gunsmith because of all the feedback I have read about that not helping solve the problem. Go with the Wingmaster and you have no regrets.

First of all everyone posting on this thread should be made to know that there are many different versions of the remington 870 and not all of them are made of the same grades of steel or the same wood. The two models which I have encountered, the Wingmaster and the Express both are very reliable shotguns that both recieve regular use durning deer season. In rain or snow these guns have never jammed. While the Wingmaster is made of high grade materials the Express is still a very effective weapon. But, if given the choice and the money buy a used Wingmaster in good condition. Your grandchildren will hunt with it someday

While The 870 is not the top of the line when it comes to shotguns, it is my FIRM belief that this firearm is the most reliable, dependable and versital shotgun ever manufactured. I own a variaty of shotguns for many different applications. I have 9 pump action guns, 6 of which are rem 870's. In my many years of experience, i have seen this gun go from the jungles of Vietnam, to law enforcement, to teaching youngsters about clays and wingshooting. so to a the ney sayers, i say get to know your firearm, it's applications and limitations.

ok so i have had this gun for like 6 years and i hate it when people say this gun sucks or it is no dependalble t\because that is sooo not true, dont beilieve any of these people that are ginving the bad reviews because its not the gun its them, its how you pump it, if you pump it to slow or the wrong way it WILL get jammed SOME of the time but thats true with most pump shotguns, i love this gun but i would get the one with the long barrel and chokes because even though this is a great gun its a great gun for the money, it doesnt even compare to benneli but if your someone who cant spend like 1000 dollars on a gun then this gun is excellent so all im saying is to buy this gun you will be amazed and yea sometimes it acts up but if you know how to use it it will never jam but i do ahve to admit that it is very heavy so to solve this problem i lifted weights a little for a few months and i discovered it ddnt matter the weight so i hope ive helped make a good decision but i highly reccomen... Read more

I bought a brand new synthetic 870 super mag 3 1/2inch around christmas time last year (2008). I am very pleased with this gun. After reading all the bad reviews I think I may be one of the lucky ones. Since I purchased it I've shot hundreds upon hundreds of shells of all different brands. I must mention I do keep my gun very clean and well lubricated. I always have a thin coat of Rem-oil applied to moving parts just like the owners manual says. The only issue I have with the gun is when I'm out shooting clays and the barrel gets really hot, the pump will lock up and I have a hard time cycling a new round. I usually just wait 30 seconds for it to cool down and it works fine. But like I said, this only happens when the barrel is really really hot (after 15 consecutive shots) so in a hunting scenario this has never happened to me. I know there are better shotguns out there but I picked up my 870 brand new for dirt cheap (around $200) and I am very happy with it so far. I out-shoot my bu... Read more

Just bought my son a Remington 870 Express Youth Model, wish I hadn't. My son is 11 and what a heart breaking experience, he went through about 26 hours of hunter training class and he can't even go hunting. Took it out clay pigeon shooting before he got through with the class and shot off about 150 shells and seemed to do fine. Now it doesn't eject the shells and the slide is now jammed up (while cleaning it). Poor kid is so frustrated. I am really disappointed too, I thought Remington was a great brand.

I bought the 870 synthetic last week at a gun show. It was brand new and had heard good things from friends and family about Remingtons so I figured that it'd be a good buy. Took it out shooting for the weekend and after the second shot, couldn't cycle the next shell because the thing jammed on me. I took it apart and the shell was stuck so tightly in the barrel couldn't even pry it out. After awhile got a system down where it'd only take like 2 minutes to unjam the gun but this occured every other shot. Luckily we had 2 different types of ammo so we switched to the Federal shells. Worked great and for the most part my desire to throw the gun down and leave it in the middle of nowhere disapated. There were still cycling problems but they were minor. Wouldn't recommend buying it as there are a lot better quality guns out there in my opinion.

i bought a rem 870 3inch last year and i took it out on opening weekend for duck and it jammed and i was also told it was a new gun thing but it kept doing it for the next three weekends. also the bolt slides out while cleaning it for no reason, while pumping it withthe barrel off. i took it in to Gander Mountain for repair and it took 2 months to get it back and the bolt stills falls out but i havent shot the gun yet. this gun is not reliable at all i am never going to buy another 870 again.

I just bought a 870 Super Mag because I loved my 1952 870 Wingmaster so much. I just took my super mag out for the turtle dove season and shot five times, and had five jammed shells. I am not to impressed with the new super mag. I thought it would take the place of my old wingmaster. I have already called a dealer to send the new one in for repair. I guess the old one gets one more season if the repair is slow. Again love my old 870 Wingmaster, very disapointed in the new super mag. I hope they can fix it and it last as well as my old shotgun. I will try to return and let you all know how it works out.

Bought my 870 Super Max Gobbler online, had it shipped to a gunshop - drove to a safe location - took the gun out of the box = bang, bang, bang = a couple turkey targets and an old warehouse window, smooth as silk - mounted a Weaver rail and red dot sight and sighted it in at 40 yards = drove 10 rounds down the tube; perfect = can't say enough good things about the recoil with the Knoxx stock = sweet! No jams > been using brand name shells 3" and 3.5" Can't wait for turkey season this Nov in Western MD

The remington 870 is an nice solid steel work tool, but its not dependable! i purchase one about 3 years ago and it has let me down almost all the time in the field and trap shooting. the pumps locks up on me all the time. people said its still a new gun, but whats the excuse for my mossberg 500 which it has work like a charm since day one! others say its the shells but I've used every brand and still does the same. then once again my mossberg 500 works with all the brands of ammo. overall when its comes for having a good hunt or for fun in the trap field. I'll go with my mossberg. its a shame because its a nice looking gun with a lot of history on its name.

A great reliable gun I put over 10,000 rounds through it and never had a problem.

My 870 is a 89model 3" model the smothest most reliable gun I have shot or seen: but seems these bad reviews have a lot in common 3.5 mag 12ga erly 08 tells me, worn out reemer on that production line how bout we find some new purchesers to start writing reviews see if remingtion has fixed problem . early 3.5 function flawlesly

I bought my 870 magnum second hand last year and have put hundreds of shells through it. The only time I have ever had a problem was when I had bought cheap shells for shooting clays. After about 100 shells, when the gun had really heated up, I had a hard time chambering the shells. The moral of the story, don't buy cheap shells.

I was given a new Remington 870 Wingmaster 12 gauge 2 3/4 for my 16th birthday in 1976 by my father. Ater 30+ years and thousand(s) of rounds through it, I finally had to take it to a gunsmith early this spring for repairs. The repairs were minor and the cost was minimal. Should now be good for another 30 plus years. In my humble opinion, this "IS" and will always "BE" the best pump shotgun ever made.

i got a remington 870 2 years ago, its the best gun ive ever had. That says a lot. i can shoot all day long without a problem. its a worth while investment for anyone. if the gun doesnt work for you, it either encounterd a problem in shipping or you didnt take good care of it. I would not sell it ever.

I just bought an 870 express for my sons birthday. It jammed on the second shot. There happened to be 2 other people at the range with brand new 870's and they all were jamming. I called Remington and asked if they would upgrade the gun to a wingmaster because of the inconvienience, and they would for the full retail difference. I was told the repair on my gun could take up to 10 weeks. I am going to return the gun for a Browning.

I have an 870 supermag just purchased about a year ago and what a great gun. I have never had any problems with it, it always goes bang. If I had to pick one shotgun to never sell it would be this one, you can do everything with it.

I purchased a Remington 870 Express before Christmas. I found that I could not load a shell in the magazine. It is great if you want a single shot pump. I returned it and got it back 7 weeks later. The defect was still there. I returned it again with an empty shell in it, hoping they will find the problem and fix it this time. Their service is the worst I have ever seen. I was told it is on a high priority. It has been at that point for 2 weeks. I figure I will not see it again until April. I would say to anybody thinking of getting a Remington to think twice. Buy foreign, their customer service it better. Customer service has left this company and the company needs to follow. Dam shame for an American Icon. Oh, and never buy from Academy Sports either. That is where I got it and they are useless.

have had several 870`s over the years, great shotgun hands down!! I believe alot of the problems with people having jams is due to not cleaning the firearm and short shucking!!

I recently went shooting with some buddies who had just purchased two 870 expresses. They also had the cheap aluminum shells and they jammed about every 3rd or 4th shot. Another buddy with an older 870 had the same problem with those shells. After reading reviews I purchased the Browning BPS and I was shooting brass. We exchanged shells to see if that would help and to see if mine would jam with the aluminum. The BPS did not jam, and with the brass shells, the 870's never had another problem. From what I saw in the field, I believe a lot of the problem is with the shell being fired from the 870 and not the actual gun. I am very impressed with my browning, although the pump release is a little awkward for right handed shooters. Very smooth action and I would definitely recommend it. Hope it helps.

i just bought an 870 express supermag...WHAT a dissapointment! The very first shot jammed! Then after stripping it down to removing the spent shell, dry cycling the pump action with and without ammo, the second shot jammed. so again, I had to remove the barrel, push out the spent shell, reload and on take three-- the same result. Switched to Federal high brass ammo...again...jammed tight and would not release. So...in about 30 minutes i got 4 rounds off. STELLAR huh? i am in the process of returning it to Remington and after reading some other reviews i am dreading the outcome. i wanted a relable shotgun with a great reputation and i thought that a remington was the way to go...be warned...this could happen to you!! Stay away from the 870 express Supermag!

Looks like I'm not the only one... I got a new 870 Super Mag in October for duck season. It failed to eject and jammed up - badly. I took it back to the store and they sent it to Remington for repair. 10 weeks later, duck season is almost over and I get my gun back. Guess what happens when I shoot it? It jams - badly. Fortunately, the store has agreed to give me an exchange. That's why I'm here...trying to decide which gun to get. Definitely not another 870. Too bad Remington made a bunch of crappy guns. They're spoiling the reputation of a well respected gun.

You can hammer nails in with it.

I just bought a 870 supermag used from a friend and I shot it this weekend and it jammed everytime I pulled the trigger.  The gun is in brand new condition as my freind only shot it a dozen times and upgraded to a 10 gauge automatic.  I was shooting Federal, Kent and Blackcloud 3" and 3 1/2" shells and they all jammed.  Could this ammo be the problem?

Youngblood's remarks hit it right on the head. That noise that you're hearing from quail and dove is laughter when they see your 870. Purchased the gun new two days after Thanksgiving of 2008 because my springfield 67B fails to feed/locked closed, fails to eject with any/all types of ammo. SO DOES THE 870 RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX! Good luck getting that second or third shot off. Keep your sling shot handy.

870 express I have shot 10,000 rounds through this gun and no jam, or any problem. the most reliable gun I own. and I own many!

I own two 12ga 870 Wingmasters. One that belonged to my father and bought new in the early to mid 80s, the other bought by me about 1995. My father lightly used his for deer hunting with out any problems. Since I have had it, I use it for quail hunting and skeet. I have used my fathers’ gun much more than he had but it looks as it did when new and without fail. My wingmaster bought new in 95’ has seen much more use and abuse than my fathers. I use this gun for every thing but mostly for deer, turkey, and dove hunting.  As my all purpose, this gun has seen thousands of shells and has been knocked and thrown all around  the truck. It looks rough but shoots great and has never let me down. I  am sure that there has been a jam at some point but not worth remembering.  I own and have used many other brands of shotguns but the 870 wingmaster is by far my favorite. My worst experience has been with a 20ga Mossberg 500 that jammed every other time. As for the 870 express I do not own one but h... Read more

I bought an 870 magnum on black friday. I own a mossberg 500A which works great, but wanted to upgrade. The 870 magnum started to jam when I tested it with different length shells. Basically the problem starts with the loading of the shells. The alignment of the guide is off as the shell is loaded in and it then gets nicked by the tube which has a real sharp edge. I put a bevel on it which made it work much better, but still no where near as good as the old (cheap) mossberg. I returned the 870 for store credit two hours later. Told them wife thru a fit for buying another gun I didn't need. Hope this helps. [email protected]

I have a Wingmaster and acquired it from a relative probably around the late 70s. Fired it off and on throughout the years...EXCELLENT RIFLE! My rifle has a serial number. Does it mean anything? Could it be broken down? Unlike cars, their serial numbers can be broken down to year manufactured to paint color etc.

DO NOT DOUBT THE REPORTS. THE MOST RECENT 870 IS JUNK. I BOUGHT ONE TO SHOOT CLAYS AND IT WILL NOT EJECT A SPENT SHELL. I USED 4 DIFFERENT BRANDS OF SHELLS, HIGH BRASS ETC. THEY ALL JAM. YOU CAN NOT PULL IT OUT WITH YOUR FINGER IT IS IN SO TIGHT. THE RANGE WE SHOOT AT IS LARGE AND I HAVE NOW SEEN 5 870 EXP. PURCHASED IN THE LAST 4 WEEKS. EVERYONE HAS THE SAME SET OF PROBLEMS. SHELLS SWOLEN UP IN UNDER-BORED BARELL,SPENT SHELLS WILL NOT EJECT AND/OR ACTION LOCKED CLOSED.THIS IS NOT DUE TO TWIGS AND ALL OTHER SMART ALEC CRAP IN THESE REVIEWS. MY NEW 870 IS AT REM FOR REPAIR. I WAS TOLD WHEN I CALLED ABOUT TURN AROUND TIME THE TECH ADMITTED THEY HAVE TURNED OUT MISCALIBRATED BARRELS ON 10,000 SERIAL NUMBERS OF SHOTGUNS FROM 870 TO 1100 TO 1187 MOSTLY PRODUCED SINCE SPRING OF 07. SAVE THE SNEID REMARKS PUNKS. SOME OF YOU CAN BARELY READ AND WRITE I MIGHT ADD.

I own 6 870's with ages from about 50 years old to brand new with a couple of them being supermags and the only time I ever had a shell jam in any of them was when using certain types of shells. I've never had a problem with the guns themselves. The same shells that jammed the 870 also jammed my Mossberg 500's and 835's as well as my Winchester, Beretta, and Browning. Some shells can either be slightly incorrectly sized or deform upon firing causing it either jam the receiver or fail to eject all together.

I purchased the 870 Supermag last year during the middle of duck season. It jammed often. I figured I just need to get more comfortable with it. Now it is already the second week of duck season, I have gone out twice and I am still having the same problem. Can anyone help me? Any advice out there? I am not made of money so I don't think I can pick up a another shotgun before the end of duck season. I owned a Winchester 1300 Defender (not for duck hunting), and it never once jammed on me. In fact, the recoil assisted the cycling of the pump action which made for quicker follow-up shots because it pushed the pump rearward. To complete the cycle all you had to do is push the pump forward and you were ready to pull the trigger.

i own a 870 from the pre-ban days. the gun was used for years by a local police department. what i would like to see is people on here who just bought the gun. im looking for a starter gun for my son but i dont want to buy a gun that is going to jam. he started off with mine but i would like to have one of his own. all help is appreciated guys. thanks