Remington 887 Nitro

Status
Not open for further replies.

blackops

Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
1,238
I've been checking out the new Remington 887 and IMO I like the look of the gun. The barrel and some other internal parts are coated with polymer to keep the rust off. They label it "ArmorLokt" and it supposively seals the receiver and barrel which in turn keeps the gun weatherproof. Seems like a rugged reliable pump. Anyways, I was wondering what do you guys think about it?
 
I think I'd give the Remington a few years. I ain't getting one anyway, but I just am nervous of buying something so new. I think it might make a good choice for marsh hunting waterfowl, though. I don't know, I've got no complaints for how my Mossberg camo has held up for 20 years, though.
 
One swing was enough.

No way, no how, not on the consideration list.

That's one awful-handling shotgun, diametric opposite of the 870 and the Nova.

The Nova would be my choice in this genre. It's head-and-shoulders above the 887.

You'd think that extensive use of plastic would offer engineers more and easier opportunities to tweak the balance and handling of a shotgun. And for all its faults, Remington's other totally new (as in not conceived in the 1940s) design, the 105CTi, feels great in the hands. Not sure what Remington's R&D department was thinking with this thing -- a good idea, actually, but poorly executed.

As it stands, I'll just keep the 870.:)
 
Last edited:
Is it just heavy or is it muzzle light, balance is not right? If it's just heavy, well, that could be a good thing goose hunting. I wouldn't expect a gun that big to be whippy, probably slow, right? That would matter on teal, but not so much big ducks and not at all on geese. Wouldn't be worth a crud on upland game, but Remington is marketing the thing to duck and goose hunters, obviously.

I need to handle one of the things, I guess, next time I'm at Academy to see for myself. One thing I like about my 500 is it's quick enough to the shoulder and to swing on teal. Teal are about like doves, can really get you tied in knots. :D The 835, because of the bigger frame for the 3.5" stuff is just that much heavier and longer and slower. My buddy has one with a 24" barrel, though, that really helps the handling in that gun. With a 24" barrel, the 835 is a fair duck gun, but I still think the 500 is better. Perhaps that's the comparison here with the 887 and 870?
 
It feels muzzle heavy, but that doesn't always mean "bad." The balance feels "off" somehow. Maybe it's BARREL heavy, with the weight evenly distributed. It just feels like a slug. Say what you want about the Nova, but it doesn't feel sluggish.

Muzzle heavy can be okay. Ever feel a swamped flintlock rifle? Some of those guns are nearly 6 feet long, with barrels that are narrow in the middle and flared at each end. They might be objectively muzzle-heavy, but they balance wonderfully. Weight distribution matters a lot.

American Rifleman (not usually known for ANY real criticism) said the same about the 887, as did Gun Tests, BTW. I'm not alone in this opinion.

That's what surprises me. With the whole thing covered in plastic, it should be really easy to shift the weight distribution.
 
My son-in-law is interested in an 887 for duck and goose hunting. Not sure when he'll get one since he's going active duty in a few weeks to work the border, national guard. He'll be somewhere along the border for a year, will get to come home once a month, so maybe we'll get a hunt or three in this season. Beats the hell out of Afghanistan I suppose. :D The boy's already done two tours in Iraq. I've been a little worried about Afghanistan. Don't want him pushing his luck. He'll be serving at the behest of our governor, not the great one in DC, too. LOL! If he gets an 887, I'll get to try it out in the real world for myself, I suppose. Not real sure it'll be this season, though.

It feels muzzle heavy, but that doesn't always mean "bad." The balance feels "off" somehow. Maybe it's BARREL heavy, with the weight evenly distributed. It just feels like a slug. Say what you want about the Nova, but it doesn't feel sluggish.

That wouldn't matter at all on geese, but it sure would on teal. My goose gun is a 9 lb ten gauge and handles like a cinder block, worthless for anything, but goose and turkey hunting, but geese is why I bought it.
 
Last edited:
It wouldn't matter if the geese were sitting.:D

For pass-shooting, gun handling still matters. Yes, the 887 is THAT bad. Go to a shop and swing one, and you'll feel it for yourself.

Also, Mossbergs handle quite well, IME.

This isn't a gun-snob thing, either. They may not be the prettiest guns ever made, but I think that the 870 Express and Mossberg 500 are two great-handling shotguns. Furthermore, the 535 is cheaper than the 887 AFAIK, and a fine shotgun. The Nova is a bit more, but not enough to warrant buying a slug.
 
How disheartening to hear Remington didn’t get it done on this one. I’ve been waiting for them to come out with a new piece to add the collection. Also, I was really looking forward to maybe purchasing one. I have the 870 Wingmaster and I wanted to give him a brother. Lol Anyways I’ll probably go with a semi-auto for my next anyways, maybe a Beretta or something.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top