Used 870 - verification of version and what to check

[scw2]

Two questions I was hoping those with more experience can help with for an used 870 I was looking at.

1) What should I generally check on a used 870? It's supposed to be a police trade in, so I am expecting rough wear outside but otherwise don't know what I should check quickly to verify no huge issues.

2) The person at the store said it was a used police magnum, but it looks like a wingmaster to me. For one thing, it says wingmaster, and it has the chrome bolt and no flexitab. Is that correct? Are there older police models that were just converted wingmasters?

11026

[3-7-77]

1) See if they'll let you cycle some dummy rounds through it. The biggest thing to check for from a pain to repair/replace standpoint is a broken/cracked ejector. It "can" be done as a DIY with proper tools, but is a colossal PITA and requires refinishing if you care about looks. I've done it, it wasn't pretty and my side saddle covers the scars. If the ejector spring is broken you can usually replace it once without having to replace the ejector.

Action bars, if they are loose, are easy to re-stake, so I wouldn't worry too much. If it cycles dummies and ejects them forcefully you should be ok.

2)My dept has Wingmasters from the 70s before the Police Magnums came around. If it says Wingmaster and has a steel receiver, you basically have a Police Magnum. Providing it cycles in the shop, I would just upgrade to the flex-tab and replace the magazine spring. Newer models have a hi-viz follower, which was more added due to safety concerns. FWIW, our many of our mid-70s Wingmasters run like champs. My issued 870 is older than me (I'm 35) and I'm keeping it when I retire. All I've had to do to it is re-stake the action bars the last time I went through the 870 Armorer course, which was a really convenient time to find them loose.

[HCM]

870's can be rebuilt and last indefinitely. The police magnum wasn't a thing until the latest 70's or the 1980's. Prior to thta they were all wing masters. My agency has upgraded / rebuilt wing masters in service which date to the 1960's.

Follow 3-7-77's advice re function checks. If it checks out replace the flex tab parts, mag spring, and follower.

[DamonL]

A lot of 870 info here,

https://pistol-forum.com/showthread.php?21525-What-does-an-870-need

[Tabasco]

Check the shell latches and make sure they are staked properly. Do this by removing the trigger group, they should stay put and not fall out. My 870 circa 1980 had shell latches that had come loose and would fall out when the trigger group was removed. This created a double feed malfunction that was really hard to clear, and would happen intermittently. I sent it off to Wilson Combat for their "Remington Steal" rebuild package and noted the problem. Came back better than new, and no longer double feeds.

http://www.wilsoncombat.com/shotgun-customization/#remingtonsteal

[farscott]

The serial number on the gun in the photos ends in "V", so that gun left Remington with an ejector for 2-3/4" and shorter shells and is not a "Police Magnum". While it is possible the gun was modified to handle 3" shells, it is not likely as it lacks the Flexitab upgrades which would have been done by anyone on the ball enough to update the ejector. Do NOT trust the barrel markings as the barrels can easily be swapped. While you can fire a 3" shell in a gun with a barrel for 3" and shorter and an ejector for 2-3/4" and shorter, ejection may be problematic.