1964 Rem. 870 20 ga. barrel question

[UpTheIrons]

I have taken possession of a Remington 870 Wingmaster in 20 ga. that was built in 1964. This is when they were still building them on 12 ga. frames, so barrels are at a premium. Corson's has some for $300, which is a bit steep for me.

Does anyone know if there may be some available elsewhere for a little less? This gun is chambered for 2 3/4" shells, and has a full choke barrel on it. It is also in extremely good condition for its age. I don't think my father-in-law used it too much. I'll have to ask him.

I know it is a great pheasant gun, but I'm not planning on making any trips to pheasant country any time soon. My wife may like to use it to shoot some skeet, but not without a modified choke, and those prices are as much a decent new shotgun would run.

[seamusTX]

You have a 45-year-old family heirloom. A day will come when it is priceless.

The interchangeability of Remington 870 barrels is, IMHO, a cruel joke. You can't find barrels for less than the cost of an entire shotgun on the second-hand market.

My advice (which I rarely give) is to buy the gun with the features that you want in the condition that you want. An over-under or semi-auto is more suitable for skeet, and you can get a modern shotgun with screw-in chokes. (Of course, over-unders and semi-autos cost more, but if your wife wants a shotgun ...)

I had not surveyed the shotgun market for a while. It looks like handguns, rifles, and ammo have sucked up all the money. Prices for second-hand pump shotguns are in the $200 range.

Here is an example: http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displ ... &oh=216543" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Note that this is a closed auction where the buyer took delivery.

- Jim

[NcongruNt]

I'll agree with Jim. I'd keep that gun how it is and get something more to your wife's liking. No point in fiddling with an old gun that you can spend just as much buying a new (or used) one for.

As Jim stated, semi's or O/U guns are more suited for skeet. Inexpensive O/U guns have made their way into the market in the past couple of years, and I have one that I purchased several months ago that I've been quite happy with. Mine is a Stoeger Condor in 12ga, also available in 20ga, 16ga, and .410. There's also a 12/20ga field combo that comes with both sets of barrels for more flexibility. The 12 and 20 come with improved and modified removable choke tubes (so you can replace them with whatever you want if those don't suit you), and run around $350. They seem to be available at most big-box gun retailers, so are relatively easy to find. I got mine at Bass Pro in San Antonio. Yildiz is a Turkish brand carried by Academy that has a similar lineup and price point, and I've heard good reports about them.

I've had good success with skeet and dove/duck hunting with my Stoeger. I wrote a couple of reviews about mine (have been meaning to make a followup, as I've used it several times since, maybe I'll get to that next week), and have been happy with it. It performs well, and wasn't a big hit to the wallet. Here's the review:

http://therealnecessities.blogspot.com/ ... ondor.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Oldgringo]

You can abuse an original Remington 870 but I don't believe you can wear one out. I've got an 870 TB that has 1,000's of trap rounds through it and it is still as good as new...albeit the blue is a little worn on the magazine tube.

[UpTheIrons]

Thanks for all the help guys. I really appreciate the thinking out loud. Guess this means I need to get another shotty. Darn...

[stealthcrf]

if you really want to you can have your barrel threaded for choke tubes

[UpTheIrons]

if you really want to you can have your barrel threaded for choke tubes

I don't think you can have a full choke barrel threaded for choke tubes. Or am I wrong there, too? I don't really know that terribly much about shotguns, so all info is appreciated.

[seamusTX]

I don't see why not, but having a decent gunsmith give you the time of day is still going to cost more than an entire shotgun.

- Jim

[Keith B]

if you really want to you can have your barrel threaded for choke tubes

I don't think you can have a full choke barrel threaded for choke tubes. Or am I wrong there, too? I don't really know that terribly much about shotguns, so all info is appreciated.

Nope. Choke tubes are installed on cylinder bore barrels to reduce the end of the barrel to a smaller diameter and 'chokes' the shot pattern.