farscott
Member
I was at my local dealer on Saturday afternoon after picking up a bicycle for my wife. Yes, I was looking for a new toy since she got a new one. 
Like many of the people on this forum, I am a bit fond of (read: addicted to) the 870. I also have been looking for a beater 870 for a variety of uses. So I was looking over the used shotgun racks for any good deals. Here is what I found sitting lonely in the "discount" rack next to a Remington 31 and a very cosmetically challenged 870 in 20-gauge with a cracked butt stock: An older 12-gauge 2.75-inch chambered Wingmaster (as witnessed by the 12954xxV serial number) with a non-ribbed barrel that had been cut for a Poly Choke. At first glance, it looked pretty good.
The stock had a few dings, nothing too bad, and the metal work, for the most part, was excellent. The bluing was a bit worn as expected from a field gun. No signs of corrosion inside and out, except for some verdigris on the bolt carrier and some gunk on the shell carrier. The few dings on the metal likely came from life in the discount rack. The bore looked good with no visible pits, but it was in dire need of cleaning. I could not see any signs of a bulged barrel. The metal was dry and any lubricant on it or in it was gummed up. The action cycled smoothly with no perceptible stickiness even with the lack of lubricant. The Remington recoil pad looked like it had some life in it. All in all, an 870 with lots of life left in it.
The price on the hanging tag read $325, but I was sure that the owner would come down on that as Poly Chokes are the kiss of death here and the owner likes to haggle. Confirmation of that came with the words, "How about $275 for that 870 with the dog d&*k?" from the owner. Did I mention the Poly Choke was really not popular around here?
I later measured the barrel with a tape measure to learn the barrel with the choke was 25 inches, but I knew it was considerably shorter than when it left Ilion. The barrel was marked "Remington Arms Company, Illion, NY" with a batch of patent numbers and was also marked "Full". Of course, it was not a full-choke any more due to the Poly Choke.
Ahh, the Poly Choke. My first shotgun was a Winchester Model 12 with a Cutts Compensator on the end of it, so I was not unused to such a device nor did I share the opinion of the owner. After all, the gun could be adjusted in the field with no need for carrying tubes or wrenches. The Poly Choke install looked well done, but it was my best bargaining chip. I asked the owner how much to get the barrel bobbed and he said, "Not much." But "not much" made for a OTD price closer to the price on the hanging tag. So I asked how much for a new barrel as "I cannot use that wonder winder". I also complained that the chamber was "only" 2.75-inch, forgetting to tell him I rarely, if ever, fired a three-inch shell. He hemmed and hawed, and I put the 870 back in the rack and made as if ready to leave.
After he saw where I was heading, he asked me, "What would you give for that old Wingmaster?". I offered $225 OTD as I figured the Wingmaster was worth at least as much as a new 870 Express. He accepted the offer, and it followed me home. I figure I got a decent deal, and I had lots of fun haggling.
After dinner, I tore it down and cleaned it. With a little TLC and some cleaning, it looks much better and it cycles nice and smoothly. I might spring for a shorter barrel for it, but I am going to shoot the Poly Choke barrel first.
Any ideas on when this one was made? How did I do?
Like many of the people on this forum, I am a bit fond of (read: addicted to) the 870. I also have been looking for a beater 870 for a variety of uses. So I was looking over the used shotgun racks for any good deals. Here is what I found sitting lonely in the "discount" rack next to a Remington 31 and a very cosmetically challenged 870 in 20-gauge with a cracked butt stock: An older 12-gauge 2.75-inch chambered Wingmaster (as witnessed by the 12954xxV serial number) with a non-ribbed barrel that had been cut for a Poly Choke. At first glance, it looked pretty good.
The stock had a few dings, nothing too bad, and the metal work, for the most part, was excellent. The bluing was a bit worn as expected from a field gun. No signs of corrosion inside and out, except for some verdigris on the bolt carrier and some gunk on the shell carrier. The few dings on the metal likely came from life in the discount rack. The bore looked good with no visible pits, but it was in dire need of cleaning. I could not see any signs of a bulged barrel. The metal was dry and any lubricant on it or in it was gummed up. The action cycled smoothly with no perceptible stickiness even with the lack of lubricant. The Remington recoil pad looked like it had some life in it. All in all, an 870 with lots of life left in it.
The price on the hanging tag read $325, but I was sure that the owner would come down on that as Poly Chokes are the kiss of death here and the owner likes to haggle. Confirmation of that came with the words, "How about $275 for that 870 with the dog d&*k?" from the owner. Did I mention the Poly Choke was really not popular around here?
I later measured the barrel with a tape measure to learn the barrel with the choke was 25 inches, but I knew it was considerably shorter than when it left Ilion. The barrel was marked "Remington Arms Company, Illion, NY" with a batch of patent numbers and was also marked "Full". Of course, it was not a full-choke any more due to the Poly Choke.
Ahh, the Poly Choke. My first shotgun was a Winchester Model 12 with a Cutts Compensator on the end of it, so I was not unused to such a device nor did I share the opinion of the owner. After all, the gun could be adjusted in the field with no need for carrying tubes or wrenches. The Poly Choke install looked well done, but it was my best bargaining chip. I asked the owner how much to get the barrel bobbed and he said, "Not much." But "not much" made for a OTD price closer to the price on the hanging tag. So I asked how much for a new barrel as "I cannot use that wonder winder". I also complained that the chamber was "only" 2.75-inch, forgetting to tell him I rarely, if ever, fired a three-inch shell. He hemmed and hawed, and I put the 870 back in the rack and made as if ready to leave.
After he saw where I was heading, he asked me, "What would you give for that old Wingmaster?". I offered $225 OTD as I figured the Wingmaster was worth at least as much as a new 870 Express. He accepted the offer, and it followed me home. I figure I got a decent deal, and I had lots of fun haggling.
After dinner, I tore it down and cleaned it. With a little TLC and some cleaning, it looks much better and it cycles nice and smoothly. I might spring for a shorter barrel for it, but I am going to shoot the Poly Choke barrel first.
Any ideas on when this one was made? How did I do?
