Remington 870 Express question.

Oklahomie · Mar 15, 2013

I just purchased a brand new 870 Tactical and I noticed that in lighting of home that the finish is pretty crappy its a dark grey color with dark patches here and there. How long do the finishes usually last on expresses?

And there is a chip on the bolt right next to the extractor. Its tiny, probably a little smaller than the head of an ink pen, should I be concerned about this? Will it get worse under firing conditions?

This is my first shotgun and I knew going in that the QC on the express was hit or miss.

Thomasaj · Mar 17, 2013

I got the same model during black Friday. I am pretty satisfied with my fit and finish. Put 700+ through disassembled several times. Zero quality complaint.

Oklahomie · Mar 17, 2013

Lucky you. I have no doubts mine will run I just want make the bolt worse.

Netspirit · Mar 18, 2013

The finish on Expresses sucks big time. But it does not affect the function.

Just like with jeans, it is wear and tear on 870 that makes it look cool. It is a metal pipe; use and abuse it, practice as much as you can - just keep it rem-oiled and it will last forever. If you keep it in a safe, I recommend buying a dehumidifier (like this one).

If you absolutely have to have pristine finish, you can re-blue, <broken link removed> it, Cerakote/Gunkote/Duracoat it, Roguard/NP3, IonBond, Black-T, etc. - the possibilities are endless. You may simply trade your Express in for a Marine Magnum, which is somewhat more durable (nickel).

Oklahomie · Mar 19, 2013

Well I notice the for end Assembly had basically no finish inside of the tube and rust had started in. I don't know if that is normal to have a bare nakie fore tube. I let Remington know about the issues and they just want me to send it in so they can refinish it, which is mighty nice of them. I didn't even have to fight with them or take pictures.