870 Wingmaster dating by serial number...

[Andy54Hawken]

So I went to a gun show yesterday and traded for a Remington Wingmaster ( Not Express )
with a 18 inch Improved Cylinder fixed choke barrel and large bead sight.
Walnut ( ? ) stock with no checkering , Remington brown vented recoil pad ...
Chromed bolt , blued steel lifter...

I think that the barrel is a replacement as it is marked for 2 3/4 and 3 inch...but my receiver is marked with a "V" not a "M" for magnum....so hence my thought of a replacement barrel.
Edit to add:
No letter codes are present on the left side of the barrel...
on the underside of the barrel is KT which if it is a misplaced date code makes the barrel from May 1970....

Anyways...
Does anyone know how to date a 870 Wingmaster by the serial number...?
Thank you
Andy

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[Andy54Hawken]

Update...
I contacted the folks at Remington Arms...their reply was fast ( within a day )
I have a 1981 Police Model Wingmaster , that left the factory with 18 inch Improved Cylinder barrel....
It seems my thoughts on the barrel being a replacement was wrong....its nice to be wrong sometimes...
Andy

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Just for fun here is a picture of my new to me Wingmaster...
Andy

 

[DirectDrive]

Wow, that's in beautiful shape !
Nice score Andy !

Nice skeet gun or grouse gun.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Thanks DirectDrive...
I traded a CVA flintlock pistol , I put together for this gun....
Yeah I'm thinking of a grouse gun , a fun shooter , or a Bump in the Night kinda gun...
Andy

 

[MrMillspecer]

Nice score Andy. The Wingmaster is one of my favorite shotguns. But I don't care much for the newer ones with plastic parts. I had read the older wingmasters are good for 250000 rounds. Mine is for home d at the moment but have the walnut stocks and vented rib barrel for hunting. Now you have one of each. Lucky.

Are you going to put an extended mag on it ?
Web pic

 

[Pops1911]

Nice shot gun Andy. Mine was from February 1950. The Wingmasters went on sale for the first time in January 1950. Still shoots like a dream even with a newly added short barrel. Still have the original long barrel with the full choke for hunting waterfowl and upland birds.

 

[titsonritz]

Nice score Andy. The Wingmaster is one of my favorite shotguns. But I don't care much for the newer ones with plastic parts. I had read the older wingmasters are good for 250000 rounds. Mine is for home d at the moment but have the walnut stocks and vented rib barrel for hunting. Now you have one of each. Lucky.

Are you going to put an extended mag on it ?
Web pic
View attachment 507493

I would chop that fore end down to match the one on Andy's new score. There is a reason the police models came with the shortened version.

 

[MrMillspecer]

I would chop that fore end down to match the one on Andy's new score. There is a reason the police models came with the shortened version.

Its a web pic. Not mine. And I agree the shorter one would be better. It was to show the magazine extension. I use hogue stocks on mine.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

@MrMillspecer ... Thanks...!
Not sure if I am gong to get a extended mag or not...it does balance out nicely as is....but I may try one , just 'cause...
No plastic on this one ...YAY !

@Pops1911
Thank you...I've always wanted a shorter barreled 870 ...
I have my first gun , its a 870 from 1962 , in 20 gauge...as it was Grandads gun...I wouldn't think of shortening it...I just take it out for grouse and have fun with it...

Andy

 

[titsonritz]

Not sure if I am gong to get a extended mag or not...it does balance out nicely as is....but I may try one , just 'cause...

I took the factory extended mag off my 870P and replaced it with a one shot extension for what I think to be nice balance plus an extra shot, but I also have a Surefire DSF light so moving any weight off the front end was a bonus.

That '62 20ga is beautiful.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Thanks titsontiz...!
Andy

 

[WillametteWill]

Nice pick up Andy. Mine is very similar. At least that one. You have to watch out for 870's. If you remember the Star Trek episode of The Trouble with Tribbles...they multiply when you put them in safes!

Mine is being finicky with extended mag tubes. I've tried two different ones and different followers as well and there is an intermittent issues with shells catching at the seam when loading.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Thanks Will...
I may try a extended mag...or maybe not...
I like the balance of the gun now as is...and 4+1 rounds of 12 ought to be fine for me....
Thinking of getting a leather ammo carrier for the stock from Badger Claw Leatherworks , before anything else...well not before more ammo....
Andy

 

[titsonritz]

Thinking of getting a leather ammo carrier for the stock from Badger Claw Leatherworks

Though you're probably more into leather I'll share this anyway, I have tried a several methods of carrying spare ammo on my 870, this is my latest and the best I've run across thus far.
https://www.aridusindustries.com/products/remington-q-dc/

 

[Nosler]

So I went to a gun show yesterday and traded for a Remington Wingmaster ( Not Express )
with a 18 inch Improved Cylinder fixed choke barrel and large bead sight.
Walnut ( ? ) stock with no checkering , Remington brown vented recoil pad ...
Chromed bolt , blued steel lifter...

I think that the barrel is a replacement as it is marked for 2 3/4 and 3 inch...but my receiver is marked with a "V" not a "M" for magnum....so hence my thought of a replacement barrel.
Edit to add:
No letter codes are present on the left side of the barrel...
on the underside of the barrel is KT which if it is a misplaced date code makes the barrel from May 1970....

Anyways...
Does anyone know how to date a 870 Wingmaster by the serial number...?
Thank you
Andy

For a long time Remington 870's serial numbers were located on the barrel but not the receiver. From 51 to early 54 when Remington began making the 20 ga on its own frame the only numbers were on the barrels. I have a 1954 production, large frame 20 ga. That has only a receiver an and no date code or number on the barrel. Then I have a first year 1951 production large frame 20 ga. That has the serial number on the barrel and no place else.

 

[Siglvr]

As an aside for people looking for amazing price to performance ratio: Remington made something called a Model 31 that predated the 870. They needed to get the costs down to compete, so they did the usual things, figured out how to cut corners, eliminate hand gunsmithing and shave costs by making a cheaper version and they hit a home run with the 870. However, the Model 31 is a much better shotgun and they couldn't come close to reproducing it with today's costs for anywhere near what it would cost to make. If you are thinking of getting a pump 12 ga, you won't do better than an old used Model 31. If you do go for the 870, the police and Wingmasters versions are a better version alternatives, certainly the older ones are as good, perhaps better (according to about everyone), than the new ones. The 31's was arguably the smoothest pumping pump gun ever built. They say it's like it runs on ball bearings and I think that's accurate. They don't carry the price premium they should, because they are not "new" I suspect.

 

[WillametteWill]

Good info Siglvr. Agree on the older compared to newer and the Wingmaster / police models as well. Only have one newer one; still nice but the older models are sweet.

 

[coop44]

I bought a 1980 wingmaster magnum with a 30" vr barrel off here not long ago. As long as the mossberg fan boys keep the Remington prices down i will buy more. Love a steel reciever, better balance and longevity.

probably going to cut and crown the barrel down to 24, like a short barrel with a rib.

 

[Nosrac]

I know this is an old thread but I've been shooting clays recently with my 1st shotgun given to me by my dad back in 1979. It was brand new at the time and given to me for my 14th birthday right around the time I took the firearms safety course and passed it. Lots of fun. I have a 18" IC to trade out the original 28 mod choke but normally I'm running it on trap or the 18 on skeet for fun. Going Grousing with it again this fall.