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870 Wingmaster Concerns? Please Help!

6K views 11 replies 9 participants last post by  Savinkov 
#1 ·
So I just brought home a beautiful 870 Wingmaster and much to my dismay, discovered a few things that I did not spot or pay much creedence to in the shop. Now I am suffering from some buyers remorse and would like that assuaged.

1) There is more fore-end wiggle than I am comfortable with, but since it is the first 870 I've owned, I'm not sure if I'm wrong in being concerned. When the slide is fully forward, it is able to move back and forth a slight bit, and there is definitely a bit of left to right wiggle when gripped how one would hold a fore-end. The entire thing doesn't move, but the upper portion does. Is this all normal? I just expected it to be a bit tighter.

2) There is a slight burr up and to the left of the trigger guard, I feel like its nothing but it is actually relatively sharp - I dont, however, wish to sand it/grind it, for fear of ruining the finish. Anyone experienced this in the past? Is it worth worrying about?

And last but definitely the biggest issue for me:

3) With the barrel off, looking at the internal portion of the fore-end, I am struck with what appears to be slightly less than perfect-quality control. Pictures attached. It looks less than sanded down, but with the finish put right on top of that, and then the split down the center where it wraps around the mag tube is straight for the most part, but looks like some wood-worker got lazy towards the end.

Thoughts? I really would prefer not to have to return it, but wanted feedback before I put any shells through her. Thanks for the input!

~Gunnut
 
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#2 ·
Alas, I have tried 10 different times and It keeps telling me my "file upload failed" so hopefully you guys can use your imaginations. Just picture a rather rough hewn inside of the fore-end. Is this ok/expected with most shotguns? I just have never had a Wingmaster or 870 before and given the price I paid for it, I don't want to have gotten a lemon.

Thanks!

~Gunnut
 
#4 ·
Not much point in making the underside of a wooden forearm (that will never be seen) pretty.

Go shoot it.

Remember with all pump shotguns "you need to be man with the gun." You need to briskly rack that action like you mean it. Don't baby it when working the action, it will hang up.

If you overpaid for a pretty one, go on gunbroker and buy yourself a used beater cop trade in Wingmaster. They are a dime a dozen and still to this day go for $250 or less.
 
#3 ·
I dont think you really have anything to worry about. My Wingmaster which is a fairly old has a pretty rough hewned foregrip too on the interior. A jewel file will take care of the bur on the trigger gaurd, just touch it up with a blueing pen. Most of these guns on the pump part of the gun where the fore grip is aint exactly built all that tight. A little movement is acceptable and will actually help with reliable functioning when using a variety of ammunition. Excessive loosness in the action is cause for concern.
 
#5 ·
870s had some serious quality control issues back in the 80s and 90s but from what i had heard most of those issues had been taken care of. some shotgun companies just have looser fore ends than others. i shot a benelli nova and I thought it was going to fall apart compared to my brownings. my advice is if you have any doubts take it back where you bought it BEFORE shooting it. compare it to another 870 and see if the other one has the same issues and if you still like it or want a different brand/model. your odds of getting it exchanged at full value are much better if you havent fired it.
 
#6 ·
Sounds like the forend nut is loose causing the forestock to wiggle. Finger/hand tight is plenty. While it can be done with a flat piece of metal or large screwdriver, the best way for applying and removing the nut is with a forend wrench. The threading on the forend tube and nut are very fine and easy to cross-thread. Pull the wooden forend fully to the rear of the tube and make sure it is centered left/right and then tighten the nut.
 
#8 ·
I don't have my 870 immediately accessable but IIRC the forend linkage isn't
all that tight even when the bolt is in battery.

It's not a Parker or a Lefever or whatever... If you're really particular about all that
stuff, you need to go spend $398,217 on a handmade gun... or something.

I like the 870 - you can get barrels, grips, magazine tubes, etc. you-name it so you
can use it on Bambi, starlings, Ducks, Varmints, and (most importantly) Obama-voters
on a "Shopping Spree". But it's a Chevrolet, not a Rolls.
 
#10 ·
If you are not happy with the gun take it back ASAP. Look over a couple others and see if they are up to your standard. BEFORE you shoot it. If it has a noticeable burr on it they should not have any problem with your returning it.

I looked at 4 or 5 before I chose my 870 25 years ago and 3 on my Citori, just for the checkering and wood color/grain. Look at the checkering and ask to break the 870 down to look at it. If they balk, go elsewhere. I look over everything I buy very well. I go over fishing rods/reels, shoes, jackets, jeans, cars everything looking for bad stitching, line guide wrapping/handle, paint quality etc. Sometimes I leave without finding a good enough product for my standards. I especially do it with a new vehicle. I once had a truck delivered from another dealer and it had pin striping on it that they did not tell me about. I told them I did not want it. After taking off 1/2 the price of the topper I bought it.
 
#12 ·
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I look over everything I buy very well. I go over fishing rods/reels, shoes, jackets, jeans, cars everything looking for bad stitching, line guide wrapping/handle, paint quality etc. Sometimes I leave without finding a good enough product for my standards. I especially do it with a new vehicle. I once had a truck delivered from another dealer and it had pin striping on it that they did not tell me about. I told them I did not want it. After taking off 1/2 the price of the topper I bought it.
I've totally screwed up doing that on some occasions, particularly with
vehicles. I've blown off a deal because of something I didn't like, thinking
I was being smart, only to find out that what I thought was broken, wasn't
what I thought and I'd just passed up one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.

Sometimes when I do see some sort of defect, if it's something I can fix
myself, I figure that if I go get a different item, it's just as likely to have
something else wrong with it, that I can't even see.

But, YMMV... as one friend from Texas described it, I'm "snake-bit".
 
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