Finally got the chance to lay hold of my father's 870 Express. It was purchased in Delaware sometime between 1989 and 1991:
Attachment 31976
Some years ago he replaced the factory wood with factory polymer stocks. Apart from that the gun is stock.
Attachment 31977
Here you see the blued bolt with evidence of wear from use. The extractor is made of machined steel.
Attachment 31978
Parkerized finish is uniform and has proven durable as evidenced by the wear on it relative to the wear evident on the bolt.
Attachment 31979
Aluminum trigger group with the flex-tab lifter.
The action on this gun is Wingmaster smooth because at this point the receivers were still being vibrahoned. It was used heavily for hunting birds, small game, and deer for about a decade without issue.
If you can find an Express model gun made like the one pictured, it's a damn fine shotgun. Don't hesitate to buy it. It is a completely different animal than the 870 Express I bought a little more than 10 years later.
If you want to see how Remington used to build guns: