I'm starting to get into duck and goose hunting. I'd like to buy my own shot gun but like everyone else I'm on a budget. I'm looking at the Remington 870 Magnum. In the area of shot guns I just have no experience to draw from so I'm asking you guys what you think????

I've been using pump guns for over 50 years.
It's hard to go wrong with an 870.
I'd look for an older used 870 Mag, they are a little smoother.

My preference for shotguns runs strongly to O/U guns.....however If I was to decide on a pump gun, It'd be an 870 Remington or a 1300 Winchester or a Browning BPS.....

Of the three I'd guess the Remington is the less costly and the most reliable. Darn things are quite good!

When it comes to pumps the 870 is hard to beat. Find a used one and save your self lot of money.

You can't go wrong with an 870 Magnum.

I would stay away from the "express" line Remington is offering. They use a plastic trigger guard for instance vs. and aluminum on the Magnums, and Wingmasters. The Express stocks are cheap quality synthetics being about 3/16" thick and not suitable for anything that might be roughly handled.

I vote also for a used Magnum, or Wingmaster as their action will be smooth as glass, and well worth the investment.

Good luck with your search

IMO the best pump shotgun ever made is the Remington M-31. However, the simpler 870 is also a great shotgun and 100% reliable. I have owned maybe a half dozen. They are plentiful and can be bought cheap in pawnshops, etc. Look for an early version with walnut stock.

The earlier 870s are great guns but can't handle steel shot without having tubes added. In addition to what's alrady said about the Express and other new models, they don't balance as well as the early guns mostly because of the heavier barrels for steel shot.

My favorite of the current lot of pumps for wing shooting is the Benelli Nova.

I've retired from hunting due to arthiritis, but as an avid waterfowl hunter I preferred the Browning BPS. It's a well made, reliable shotgun that handles all forms of non-toxic shot well, but best of all is the bottom ejection which keeps your hulls from smacking your buddy upside the head and normally puts them in the bottom of the blind or boat where they are easy to pick up. I had my BPS from about 1980 to 2007 and it stood up to a lot of hard use and even some abuse, but kept right on ticking. In over 20 years of hunting I never had to take it to the gunsmith once.

The Remington 870 is one of the all-time great shotguns. Because so many have been sold used models can often be found at very attractive prices.

Among currently made pumpguns one of the best guns, and certainly one of the best buys, is the Weatherby PA-08. On the current web site the synthetic stocked model is listed at $299 and a nice-looking wood stocked model at just over $400. Those are suggested prices, you may be able to find them for less at gun stores.

I've shot sporting models quite a bit and found them very well made and reliable. Good guns and at the current prices, amazingly good values.

I recomend the 500 or 835 mossberg. I own both and after many years of shooting all birds with them I've never had a problem

Pretty much all said above is accurate, I would go with the 870 also, made in the USA, very reliable and inexpensive. I actually would go with the express synthetic stock for waterfowl. I use to do a LOT of duck and goose hunting and it is very hard on the cosmetics of a gun. A wood stock, no matter how well finished will get dents, scratches and nicks and then absorb water and swell up. I've had to take stocks off and dry them in a low temp oven after hunting for days in wet conditions. The stocks would swell up and block the safety.

I still have my father's 870 wingmaster he bought brand new in 1957. It's as smooth as glass now, as the day he bought it. It actually looks dang near brand new still. It's a 20 ga, and no, I don't use it for waterfowl, but I consider it a testament to the reliability of the Remington.

My hunting shotgun is a Rem 11-87 Premier. I use it for everything from dove to geese. It will handle the 3" shells, which I think is all you'll need. I flattened a turkey with it this fall at 40+ yards and a duplex 2x4 3" load.

If you got a used 870 wingmaster, chambered in 3" 12 ga, that would be the last shotgun you'd ever have to buy.

Unless you just wanted another one.

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:
My preference for shotguns runs strongly to O/U guns.....however If I was to decide on a pump gun, It'd be an 870 Remington or a 1300 Winchester or a Browning BPS.....

Of the three I'd guess the Remington is the less costly and the most reliable. Darn things are quite good!

Wasn't there a time when the 870 wasn't used by police departments because they had some sort of jamming problem? Browning never did. I'd pick a BPS or Ithaca myself.

I've owned three different versions of the 870, the oldest I bought close to 40 years ago, put thousands of rounds, plus sand, water, snow, ice etc. through them and don't recall any jams and never heard of that. I do know all the guys I hunted with years ago were using Ithacas and laughed at me with the 870, a few years later, they were all using 870's as their Ithacas quit working. Where are Brownings made now, Japan?

I have a Benelli Nova and love it. Would recommend one to anyone.

Peter

Don't know if cops didn't use em because of it, but I do know an 870 can be jammed very easily when loading it. Get a Win mod 12---pricey but worth it.

One day I was in a friends gun shop and he had a bunch of 870's from the near by prison. Customer came in and bought one. The guns were pretty minty and he was selling them really cheap. The customer took the gun out back with a box of shells, then immediately came back in. Told my friend it wouldn't fire. The gun was unloaded so they investigated and by God it wouldn't fire. Well pop a drift pin out of the trigger group and lo and behold what was the problem is a ball wool like had jammed the trigger mechanism. The ball was the same color as the prison guard uniforms. Goes to show a gun should be disassembled and cleaned in that area. This is not a fault of the 870. Just an interesting story.

Really, a jam problem? I've put thousands of rounds through 870's, 12 and 20 ga, lots of different loads, also sand, mud, ice, chap sticks duck calls etc.. When the ducks are coming in, you just grab something out your pocket and jam it in. I've never had an 870 jam, ever and I've never seen one jam. It must be news to the police and military too, since they use many thousands of them.

I believe what carpetman is talking about is a problem where if the shells weren't fully pushed into the magazine it jammed the mechanism. Remington has since fixed that problem. I would consider that a user error myself.

Joe you are correct, the jam happened when shell wasn't pushed all the way into the magazine. Was easy to do and did require care not to do. Never had that problem with a Win mod 12. User error??--why did it require Remington fix it? If it aint broke don't fix--they fixed it--musta been broke. Be like an exposed electrical wire and if careful you don't get shocked. Insulate the wire. My bro was use to it as he had jammed it and knew to avoid it.

SmokinJoe--Did further research and it wasn't a Remington problem at all. User error. Their fix was to send all Remington 870 owners for a session with Dr Phil. Well a couple got to see Dr Ruth.

I have the Mossberg 835 Ulti Mag combo.It shoots great with both barrels.I can use 2 3/4,3 and 3 1/2 shells.There's nothing here in NY I can't hunt well with this gun.Other than the recoil pad which I already replaced with a Kick EZZ (vast improvement) I like it a lot.

SmokinJoe--Was that nearby prison Brushy Mountain? I saw a tv show about it. How far away?

I learned a few years ago that there are things that matter on a pump shotgun more than manufacturer. Most of the major manufacturers make good servicable guns. Does the stock fit you? Take a hunting coat and gloves along and go to a store and try a number of different manuafacturers guns. How long is the pump cycle and how far out do you need to hold the forearm when shooting. Cycle the pump a time or two at the store. Where is the safety? Is it in a logical place for you?
Are you going to use this for slug hunting too? If so, are slug barrels available or combo guns available at a reasonable price?
Maybe a used gun from a good shop will get you what you want at a more reasonable price.
Even though I own several 3 1/2 inch guns, I've quit using 3 1/2 inch shells. Three inchers seem to kill all I shoot at, but a 3 1/2 inch gun is nice if your buddy shoots roman candles. It's tough to sit in a blind when you left your ammo in the motel. Mr. Murphy taught me that one.
A good recoil pad can make most guns more comfortable to shoot.
Just for the record, my favorite duck gun is an old 835 turkey gun, but the guys I hunt with shoot 870's. They all kill ducks.
Bfly

quote:

Originally posted by carpetman1:
SmokinJoe--Was that nearby prison Brushy Mountain? I saw a tv show about it. How far away?

No Ray, it's Luscasville prison in southern Ohio.

I have a 870 since 23 years ,i used it in swamps ,rivers ,slaty laggons ,i rented it for my clients shooting a media od 1000 shells a day ,and in my TAC MED COURSES, the gun ,continues functioning .BUY IT.

I still have my left hand 870 that I bought brand new in 1971. I have the original 28" vent rib barrel with a modified choke, as well as a smooth bore slug barrel, and I added a vent rib 28" with screw in choke tubes a few years back.

Bought a Mossberg AT600 pump in 1980. Came w/ a 30" full choke vent rib barrel, 3" Mag. for $83.00. Have a 18" open bore choke and a 28"mod barrel that I bought for it later. Change the stock to a pistol grip type rifle stock, if you know what I mean. She shoot s mag loads like there's no tom. Never really had a shine to the 870. By the way I have less than $300.00 in it . Try that w/ an 870. Just my 2 cents. Good shooting.

All brands of pump shotguns seem to work fine and have a following. 870s are most popular but I prefer Winchester as a brand. I hear that Benellis are fabulous. As for me, I currently would like to get a Mossberg stainless marine type. I have a Browning BPS and have no complaints, except that I just just cannot get very excited about it and like my Browning auto better since it points so well for me. On the other hand, I absolutely love my old
Winchester Model 12s, especially the trap with solid rib. What a great, great shotgun and i have a lot of memories of hunting times with it.

quote:

Originally posted by Greg K:
I still have my left hand 870 that I bought brand new in 1971. I have the original 28" vent rib barrel with a modified choke, as well as a smooth bore slug barrel, and I added a vent rib 28" with screw in choke tubes a few years back.

M870 is probably the most dependable, easiest to maintain and nearly indestructible. The gun is basically fool proof, the average person can completely dismantle and reassemble the M870 faster than you can count the amount of letters in this post. Keep the barrel bolt tight and a light coat of oil on the metal parts and your heirs will not bury it with you.

Shot trap with 870TC from mid 60's to early 90's and long since lost track of number of rounds through it and never gave any problems of any sort. Some used to criticize the "beer can" metal used in the trigger group, but it works day in and day out.
Will say I have two Win. Model 12's, one Trap and other high grade field and trap club in my area has some Model 12's being used as club rental guns and been shooting them since the 20's!! Prefer the Mod. 12's, but you can't take anything away from the 870's, they simply work and work well.

K-mart has the 3 1/2" models for sale for less than $300 out the door here every fall.

Rich

A used 870 can be bought in nearly new condition. They are often much nicer shotguns than the new ones and are less expensive.