On the Remington 870 Express...

Me.

Me too. Two Expresses with no issue. Well, one isn't as slick as the other. Yet.

Have a 12 and 20 ga. Zero problems.

I've owned the same 870 Express for nearly 20 years, put several thousand rounds thru it, and have never had one hint of any type of problem with it.

Zero issues with one.

Three different 870 Express and zero problems...

'Tactical HD' is nothing but marketing.
The Express hasn't always been Remington's entry level model. My Wingmaster, that I bought 35ish years ago, is not the high end, plastic covered, stocked, shotgun a Wingmaster is now. It came with a plain, ribless, 30", full choked, duck barrel and a simple walnut(wouldn't actually bet on that. Might be though.) stock. No checkering at all. And after shortening the barrel, it eventually split at the muzzle. So present day quality issues aren't new.

Sunray said:

'Tactical HD' is nothing but marketing.

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No, it is an Express that has different features. That's more than marketing.

I've had an Express for 20 years and have had no problems.

Express hasn't always been Remington's entry level model. My Wingmaster, that I bought 35ish years ago, is not the high end, plastic covered, stocked, shotgun a Wingmaster is now. It came with a plain, ribless, 30", full choked, duck barrel and a simple walnut(wouldn't actually bet on that. Might be though.) stock. No checkering at all. And after shortening the barrel, it eventually split at the muzzle. So present day quality issues aren't new.

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Since 1963 every Wingmaster has had a walnut checkered stock, unless it was a police or government model. In the mid 80's they introduced the 'Sportsman' pump and autos, which were a slightly less expensive alternative with a hardwood stock. In 1987 they introduced the Express. And I would hardly call a split muzzle after someone cut the barrel a 'quality' issue.

I dinged up the stock on my Express using it to paddle a pirogue after the paddle got lost. Other than that, no problems.

I've had a 12g express magnum for at least 20 years and never had any issues with it. The only mod was a big safety and sling swivels.

You need to understand that the Express models of 20 years back are not the same guns as the Express models of today.

Mine, from 1990, differed only in wood & finish from the "regular" line of 870s.
Today's Express gets different parts & a different finish from those older Express guns.

I've never had any problems with mine, either, and it's a regular expedition member on wilderness ATV runs today.
It is, though, not the same Express sold today.
Denis

I have an Express I got a year ago - so it is the new "batch".

Zero problems. I probably have 700 shells through it.

No rough chamber issues, no corrosion issues.

I've had my for two years and haven't had any problems with it. It doesn't like to cycle the cheap Winchester ammo but I'm pretty sure that's the ammo's fault...

Remington550-1 said:

I've had my for two years and haven't had any problems with it. It doesn't like to cycle the cheap Winchester ammo but I'm pretty sure that's the ammo's fault...

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Nope. It cycles fine in my gun, so it is not the ammo's fault!

I have an 870 express with few problems that weren't caused by me. If you spill cleaning fluid on the wood stock it will bleach. It is also a bit rough to rack the slide. I feel I got what I paid for though.

My 18 year old express. Been submerged when I fell through ice, dropped down a steep ravine, soaked on hunting trips. So many hundreds of rounds I lost count. Some finish worn off the receiver is my only complaint.

Just replaced the synthetic stock with a woodie, she's a keeper.

Nice Shotgun Greyeyezz.

That must be your deer hunting spot complete with a picnic table, Igloo Cooler, and a Lay-Z-Boy .

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

Virginian said:

In the mid 80's they introduced the 'Sportsman' pump and autos, which were a slightly less expensive alternative with a hardwood stock.

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I have a pair of Sportsman58 autos that have been in service since the 50's. Are we talking about the same Sportsman?

No problems with my express, but it's always been run with a Mossberg 18" barrel at defensive shotgun matches.

Sportsman 59 !? Don't you mean Sportsman 58 ? The Sportsman name has been in use by Remington for close to 100 years. They began with the Sportsman version of the Model (19)11 and are still around in the form of the 11-87 Sportsman today.
The Sportsman 58 was the predecessor of the Model 1100, and was a 3 shot gas operated semi auto with the gas piston inside the magazine. There was a 3" Magnum version of the 12 available, but I don't remember if there was a 3" 20 or not offhand.
The 1980s era Sportsmen Semi auto and Pump were basically reduced cost versions of the Model 1100 and 870 Wingmaster. All I have seen had excellent metalwork and very good bluing with hardwood stocks and had Sportsman 12 on the left side of the receiver. They were the predecessors of the Expresses.

I have a relatively new Express in basic riot configuration (bead sight, short barrel, four round tube, synthetic stock). I have yet to pattern it but have added a sling and a stock cuff for four additional rounds. Compared to the rack grade Wingmasters I carried for many years I'd say this weapon is quite a bit better (everything I'm used for many years was in barely servicable condition -but still utterly reliable for that once in a lifetime moment....). I'll be finding out with this one as soon as I can get to the range.

Nothing beats a basic 12 guage with a riot barrel at close quarters. Using standard nine pellet 00buck rounds it's a fight ender, period. Even at a distance of seven meters the wounds have to be seen to be believed...

I have the old entry level 870, Sportsmen 12 I think is stamped on the receiver. It has wood stocks, poorly finished, but checkered, and low luster blue. But for all practical purposes it is an 870 down to the last detail. I also have old Wingmaster's, and express's, new-ish, and newer, and a new 12 ga. Super Magnum less than a year old.

To date, and more than 3 decades later, I can't recall ever having anything on an 870 break. I've run across ammo that doesn't run well in any of them, so I know it is definitely the ammo and not the shotguns, but no break downs. 870's are IMO, a hardy and 100% reliable SG, new or old.

GS

My 2011ish 870 express tactical has had some rust/ finish issues.

It likes to be kept dry and when its not, it wants to be wet with a "clingy" gun oil.