Remington 870 Barrel Questions

[Tbald14]

I need to know if the Remington 870 Special takes only 870 Special Barrels or if you can use an 870 Express barrels as well? From all my research i can not find a solid yes or no. What i have found is that express needs express, wingmast with wingmaster.....

 

[Tbald14]

And now i am finding contradicting info... you can put an 870 barrel on any 870?!?! Please advice.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Caveat:

I am NO expert:

You can mount any 870 barrel to any 870 receiver.

You MUST be careful, though, in that if you mount a 2.75" shell only barrel on a "magnum" receiver, that you ONLY run 2.75" shells through the gun while that barrel is mounted.

*I have no idea if this applies to any of the 3.5" barrels/receivers.

-J-

 

[Tbald14]

Awesome thank you

 

[Hookeye]

No you cannot mount an 870 special bbl on a regular 870.

The "special Field" 870's have a shorter magazine tube and the bbl band is farther back to work with that.

The bbl is secured by the magazine cap, unlike an 1100.

On 1100 Special fields you can use regular 1100 bbls (and visa versa) as the bbl band/gas port thing is in the same place for each and rides a bit back from the end of the magazine tube (so the shorter mag tube of an 1100 special doesn't affect it). The bbl on an 1100 is positioned by the forend, which is secured by the mag cap.

Hastings made slug bbls for 870 Specials way back, in fact in some Cabelas catalogs they used such an equipped rig in sales pics for clothes and other stuff (always thought that odd).

On older 12 gauge 870s you can tell a magnum receiver by looking for the "M" in the serial number (old 1100 12 gauges the same). On some Express models they had just "Express" on them, with an M designated serial number- it is a Magnum receiver. Others had "Express Magnum" and were 3" receivers as well. Why the difference? Because back then some folks only wanted 2 3/4" rigs. The labelling on the receiver told what config the gun was sold in- determined by what bbl it came with. Of course people swapped 'em around and who knows what is what on the used market.

New 870 Express I think dropped the M designation in the serial number, but the receivers say "magnum" somewhere on them.

Supermag 3.5" versions say supermag and have no M designation in the serial number.



To add: the 870 Special Fields are 3" chamber. The first ones were 21" fixed choke, then they came out with 21" Remchoke and the final versions were 23" Remchoke. Same bbl lengths for 1100 Specials.

Now..............the Sam Walton English stocked 1100's..........have a full length mag tube. Again, 1100 bls, Special and regular, will intechange within gauge. But the SW versions are NOT Special Fields- just have the bbl and buttstock of a Special. 1100 Special Fields are 2 3/4" chamber.


You'll see some folks bunny blastin' with 20 gauge Express "youth" models (with reg buttstock). They may look like a Special, but they aren't. Bbl length the same as old Specials (21"), but running full mag tube. "Poor Man's Special Field" we call 'em.

The best balance I thought was the old fixed choke 20 gauge 870 Specials. I loved mine. Got one later for the wife and she hated the straight grip.

 

[Tbald14]

OK... Thats is the most info i seen thus far. Thank you

 

[Hookeye]

No prob. I've had a few Specials (and about 30 total 870/1100s)