What year did Remington shotgun quality collapse?

[314159]

Reading about the Federal Flight Control 20 gauge load coming out.

Thinking about a Remington 20 (1100 or 11-87) with a mag extension. (Unable to presently find any extensions for other brands.)

Probably have to pick up something used. So what year manufacture must I avoid as the plague?

[HCM]

Reading about the Federal Flight Control 20 gauge load coming out.

Thinking about a Remington 20 (1100 or 11-87) with a mag extension. (Unable to presently find any extensions for other brands.)

Probably have to pick up something used. So what year manufacture must I avoid as the plague?

There is no one year Remington QC “collapsed.”

It was a gradual process.

Regardless I would not trust even the best of Remington 1100s or 11-87s for duty or self defense.

[314159]

My experiences with both differs. This will be a pampered ladies gun in any event, not an entry team issue piece.

So, what year was it that Remington first came down with the sniffles, if not full blown plague?

[HCM]

My experiences with both differs. This will be a pampered ladies gun in any event, not an entry team issue piece.

So, what year was it that Remington first came down with the sniffles, if not full blown plague?

Pampered or not I would not trust either for anything other than hunting or clays.

I know people who’ve had good experiences with them for hunting and clays but every 1100/11-87 I’ve seen pressed into “tactical” use has been problematic whether personal or Agency owned /operated.

Performance with bird shot doesn’t translate to performance with buck and slugs.

The 870s and 700 rifles started their decline in the mid to late 2000s.

[Grouse870]

I think the issues have been mostly over blown. Generally speaking I think the issues are in the mid 2000s. However I have four from that era and my dad has at least that many. Outside of a minor rust issue I haven’t had any issues. My main 870 has a lot of rounds through it at this point. I think you will be just fine.

[JohnO]

I have a Remington 870 Wingmaster 12G that was purchased in approximately 1979.

[Borderland]

I've had a few. I have an 870 that was made in 1970. Bought it new and used it for years to hunt. Thousands of rounds through it and never a problem. I had an 1100 for awhile but didn't use it much. Probably an 80's gun but not sure. Never had any problems with it the few years I had it. I have an 11-87 now. Probably early 90's manufacture. I just bought it last summer so maybe 500 rds so far. It works just fine.

I'm not sure why they get a bad rap these days. Maybe because I've never experienced one made recently. I've looked at newer ones and the quality just doesn't compare to the older ones. How they hold up I wouldn't know.

So from my experience they were fine up until Dupont sold the company in 92. There's still many of those older ones out there and I wouldn't hesitating buying one. Obviously, because I just did.

[fatdog]

I too found all 1100's to be guns that cannot be run hard. 1998-2002 I was running one as my primary 3-gun shotgun, both a 12ga and an LT20 (20 ga made major), the interceptor latch was my sworn enemy as well as a few other fiddly parts and those damn pins in the action that were little more than cut off paperclips. My 1100's fit the old saying, if you are going to run one in 3-gun you need three. One to start the match, one to finish the match when that one goes down, and one that is already away at the gunsmith getting fixed.

I became a hard core Benelli M1S90 fan in that era and graduated from my Remington phase, the Benelli's were rougher to shoot, a lot more recoil, but worked 110% if you fed them ammo they liked.

As cited, the 1100 is just not a robust design and IMO only good for killing a few pheasants.

We live in an era where there are some truly good soft shooting gas shotguns for defensive use, the original 1100 is not and has not ever been one in my view.

[HCM]

I too found all 1100's to be guns that cannot be run hard. 1998-2002 I was running one as my primary 3-gun shotgun, both a 12ga and an LT20 (20 ga made major), the interceptor latch was my sworn enemy as well as a few other fiddly parts and those damn pins in the action that were little more than cut off paperclips. My 1100's fit the old saying, if you are going to run one in 3-gun you need three. One to start the match, one to finish the match when that one goes down, and one that is already away at the gunsmith getting fixed.

I became a hard core Benelli M1S90 fan in that era and graduated from my Remington phase, the Benelli's were rougher to shoot, a lot more recoil, but worked 110% if you fed them ammo they liked.

As cited, the 1100 is just not a robust design and IMO only good for killing a few pheasants.

We live in an era where there are some truly good soft shooting gas shotguns for defensive use, the original 1100 is not and has not ever been one in my view.

In fairness to the 1100/11-87 bird shot (clays and bird hunting) is what they were designed to do. They were never intended to be run with any significant quantity of buck or slugs. Even the so called police or tactical variants were just cosmetics and marketing from an era when LE shotguns were carried much and shot little.

But ultimately, I agree, there’s nothing that would require federal flight control that I would want to use one for.

[Hambo]

Reading about the Federal Flight Control 20 gauge load coming out.

Thinking about a Remington 20 (1100 or 11-87) with a mag extension. (Unable to presently find any extensions for other brands.)

Probably have to pick up something used. So what year manufacture must I avoid as the plague?

Look for an '80s 1100, don't add a mag extension (not really needed), and hope for the best. Then buy a lifetime supply of the 20ga FC the moment you see it for sale. Federal is terrible about buckshot production, and has discontinued some of the best loads because Federal.

Alternatively, she could get an A300 Patrol or 940 Tactical in 12ga with a proper length stock and shoot it just as well, if not better, using low recoil FC.