870 “Hardwood Home Defense”

[MRW]

I picked one up in September to take as a back up gun to a shotgun class I took in October. It is put together well. Finish is better than most of the 870 Express guns I saw over the past 10 years. The wood furniture is done well with a nice dark finish.

More importantly, it fed and ejected all the birdshot, buckshot, and slugs I put through it in my limited amount of shooting it. For comparison, I have a 2009 870P that occasionally struggles to extract cheap birdshot. Federal Flight Control 9 Pellet patterned very well out to 25 yards keeping all of the pellets in the A-zone of the silhouette targets I was using.

Non-Flight Control Federal 9 Pellet 00 buck did less well but I expected that. The pattern was good 15 yards and in. It started to spread a bit at 25 yards. Federal Tru-Ball slugs and Federal Hydra-Shok slugs were accurate out to 30 yards with the bead sight.

Based on my example and the few I've gone through at local stores I would recommend them to someone looking for a pump shotgun for home defense. I'm glad the new Remington is putting some extra work into these. I've hunted with an 870 and had them at work for years. It's nice to be able to get a shotgun I'm familiar with that runs well again.

The price around here is between $450 - $500 for the wood and synthetic versions so the price point is good too.

[Nephrology]

Good to hear Remington's QC has improved under the new ownership. My very first firearm ever purchased is a police surplus 20" 870 Wingmaster, manf. in early 1970s. Beautiful gun. May have to buy an R700 after the old ones work their way out of inventory.

[MRW]

Not on topic but I'm hoping to see some new production quality Remington 7600s in the future. It is one of my favorite deer rifles. They get a lot of use in PA and throughout the NE. It would be good to see them on store shelves again.

[BobM]

I’ve been tempted by a new 20 gauge youth 870 I saw in a local shop.