Lawyerman
Member
I have made my last few tactical shotguns using Express models as bases.
Why? I can buy the Express models out of pawn shops for between $100-125 versus nearly double that for Wingmasters. The vast majority of Wingmasters I see are 2 3/4 only guns with the chromed, non flex tab followers. Changing them over to magnums and the flex tab is expensive.
I have found that the Express guns are rougher to cycle initially, no problem, shoot it! They wear in about as smooth as a Wingmaster eventually. I replace the stocks with synthetic Speed Feed or Choate short units (reduced pull and "police" style foreend) so why pay more for pretty wood? The bluing is no advantage over parkerizing in a rough duty gun.
The Expresses use sintered metal parts. Now we're getting somewhere. Except for the fact that the best selling 1911's made in America use the exact same materials- Kimber and Springfield both use MIM parts in their hammers, sears etc.... and everybody and their brother wants one.
I'll take the Express.
Why? I can buy the Express models out of pawn shops for between $100-125 versus nearly double that for Wingmasters. The vast majority of Wingmasters I see are 2 3/4 only guns with the chromed, non flex tab followers. Changing them over to magnums and the flex tab is expensive.
I have found that the Express guns are rougher to cycle initially, no problem, shoot it! They wear in about as smooth as a Wingmaster eventually. I replace the stocks with synthetic Speed Feed or Choate short units (reduced pull and "police" style foreend) so why pay more for pretty wood? The bluing is no advantage over parkerizing in a rough duty gun.
The Expresses use sintered metal parts. Now we're getting somewhere. Except for the fact that the best selling 1911's made in America use the exact same materials- Kimber and Springfield both use MIM parts in their hammers, sears etc.... and everybody and their brother wants one.
I'll take the Express.