Was the 870 express that bad?

[Pamt84]

I started hunting in 96 or so with a Mossberg 500A field that my dad got me, zero issues. In 99 or so I got a 28" light contour 12g Wingmaster, far and away the best pump shotgun I have ever held (still is). In 2013ish I got an express for 269 with a rebate. It was the laminate wood model 28" 12g. I ended up selling it to a friend a couple years ago but I never had any issues with it, I prefer the american hardwood over the laminate look but that has nothing to do with function. I never even thought the action was that bad on it. I will say my Fieldmaster has a much slicker action out of the box than the express had but it was almost double the price.

A friend has the same express I had, it does have a ton of light surface rust, this person does less than nothing to take care of his gun. That gun has literally never been cleaned or wiped down. I would always bring mine home, boresnake it, pull the choke, brush the threads/oil them and wipe the gun down with a cotton cloth with mineral oil on it. You can't search for any type of hunting video on youtube without someone using an express that appears to be serving them just fine. What has been your personal experience?

 

[dogcat1]

The 870 Express is the same badness as the post 64 Winchester Model 70. The Wingmaster is a far better gun, better built and better looking. I have tried to us the Express and if feels like a rusty hunk of junk in my hands.
Dump the express, buy a Wingmaster....

 

[Tgood1]

They are a solid gun for the money spent. But I prefer a wingmaster. Unstoppable

 

[Trogon]

I purchased a 24" turkey barrel version 870 Express the first year they were offered. I haven't had the rusting issue you may have read about or experienced. Put an aluminum side receiver mount on it with a Tasco 4x scope for Ohio deer gun season, with a modified choke tube and Foster slugs it was fine in brush and sub 100 yard killer on whitetails.
I also bought a 20 gauge youth model in the early 2000's which did show tendencies of light rusting if not well wiped down with surface protectants.

 

[typilotguy]

A left hand 870 Express was my first gun. Functionally, it has been unstoppable. As has been mentioned though, rust plagued this gun from the beginning. If there was any amount of moisture in the air, the gun would be rusted after a morning in the field. No matter how much I would scrub and oil the exterior, even the morning of, a thin film of surface rust would inevitably form. I put up with this for several years, and finally had enough. On an early teenager’s budget, I did what I saw fit…and gave the 870 the rattle-can treatment. Krylon or Rustoleum I cannot recall, but it stopped the rust completely. Although I’ve touched up the high wear areas a time or two, this solution has lasted about 25 years at this point.

As my hunting horizons and gun collection grew, the old 870 was relegated to slug and turkey loads. As such, I had the original 28” barrel cut down, vent rib removed, rifle sights installed, and the shortened tube threaded for Remchokes. With a rifled choke and 1oz rifled slugs, I get outstanding accuracy (for an iron sighted smooth bore) - can put 5 into a ragged hole at 50 yards. It is also quite handy in the turkey woods with the shorter barrel.

Again, functionally the Expresses are fine and dandy. Finish wise, however, they left MUCH to be desired.

Before and after my “rust prevention”

 

[coreydb]

I bought a Wingmaster back in the 70s. It remains my most productive rifle for hunting in the Eastern US. Very smooth in the pump action.

 

[leslie hetrick]

our club bought ten 20ga express shotguns from walmart for 149.00 a piece(with walmart discount) for training 4-h,ers . and in the last 15 years they have fired thousands and thousands of cheap shotgun shells with out any issues, however they were and are well maintained to this day.

 

[buffybr]

Years ago I found a 12 ga Rem 870 Express for a little over $200 and I thought it would be a good field gun so it followed me home. It has a black barrel and action and is in a black pllastic stock. I called it my UGLY GUN. I also bought a Skeet choke for it.

When I got it home I put a spacer and new recoil pad on it so that it fits me.

The first time that I took it to the range, I shot 24 out of 25 Skeet targets, so it shoots fine. Since my other shotguns are break action O/Us I just have to remember to pump it for the second shot.

I later installed a recoil reducer in it's stock and recently gave it a "spider web" paint job.

 

[cajunchefray]

I bought a Wingmaster back in the 70s. It remains my most productive rifle for hunting in the Eastern US. Very smooth in the pump action.

I got a 12 gauge 870 Wingmaster for Christmas in 1980. My Dad bought it from Western Auto (remember them) to be the same specification as his dads 870 Wingmaster from the late 1950s. 30-inch full choke barrel. My Grandfather killed a lot of ducks and geese with it. That gun is very smooth.
Both are in my closest today.

I looked at a 20 gauge 870 Express compact in 2006 to use as a truck gun and for my wife. I just couldn't get past the rough action and finish.

My 870 Wingmaster never patterned well, so I bought a 26-inch vent rib barrel with Remchokes and started dropping a lot of birds and ducks.

I think the smoother action of the Wingmaster is worth the premium.

My grandfathers 1950s era 870 is the smoother of my two.