Remington 870

Overview

The Remington Model 870 is a pump-action (slide-action) shotgun manufactured in the United States by Remington Arms (now RemArms) since 1950. It feeds from a tubular magazine under the barrel, loads from the bottom, and ejects to the side, and is built around a receiver machined from a single billet of solid steel. Offered in 12, 16, 20, and 28 gauge as well as .410 bore across hundreds of configurations, it is one of the most versatile and widely used shotguns ever made — chosen by hunters, competitive shooters, home defenders, law enforcement, and militaries worldwide. With well over 11 million units produced, the 870 is the best-selling shotgun of all time.

History & Background

Remington began developing the 870 in the late 1940s as a more modern, more affordable replacement for the Model 31. The Model 31 was a well-regarded "ball-bearing repeater," but its many machined and hand-fitted parts made it expensive and left it trailing the Winchester Model 12 in sales. The 870 — credited to a Remington design team including L. Ray Crittendon, Phillip Haskell, Ellis Hailston, and G.E. Pinckney — reached the market in 1950 as a simpler, rugged, easy-to-maintain, and relatively inexpensive design. It was the fourth major Remington pump-shotgun design, following the Models 10, 17, and 31.

The 870 was an immediate and lasting commercial success. Remington sold two million guns by 1973 — roughly ten times the number of Model 31s it replaced — and by 1983 it held the record as the best-selling shotgun in history with three million sold. Sales were boosted in the 1980s and 1990s by the lower-cost "Express" line, which was added alongside the original premium Wingmaster. Sales passed seven million guns by 1996, and the ten-millionth Model 870 was produced on April 13, 2009; the manufacturer now cites total production exceeding 11 million (and more than 13 million built overall). Notable engineering updates over the years include the 1986 introduction of the screw-in "Rem Choke" system and the "Flexi Tab" carrier, which corrected an earlier loading-related action-binding issue.

Design & Features

The 870 is a manually operated, slide-action shotgun. Key design points:

• Action: Twin action bars drive the slide for smooth, reliable cycling; an internal hammer fires the gun, and the bolt locks into a barrel extension. The action, receiver, fire-control group, safety, and slide release are closely related to those of the Remington 7600 pump rifle, and the basic fire-control design traces back to the 11-48 autoloader.
• Receiver: Machined from a single 8½-pound billet of steel — the basis of the gun's reputation for strength and durability.
• Feeding: Bottom-loading, side-ejecting, with a tubular magazine beneath the barrel. A migratory-bird plug is included to limit total capacity to three rounds (two in the magazine) where required by law.
• Chokes: Original guns used fixed chokes; since 1986 most models use the interchangeable Rem Choke screw-in system. Dedicated slug models use fully rifled barrels.
• Barrels: Easily interchangeable, in lengths from short tactical barrels up to 30 in; many parts interchange with the Remington 1100 and 11-87 autoloaders.
• Sights: Depending on model — a single front bead, twin beads, adjustable rifle-type open sights, or ghost-ring sights; deer and cantilever models are drilled and tapped or fitted with bases for optics.
• Shell length: For 12-gauge guns, maximum shell length is 2¾ in (70 mm) for standard chambers, 3 in (76 mm) for magnums, and 3½ in (89 mm) for "Super Magnum" chambers; the safe length depends on the specific barrel and receiver.

Technical Data

Feature	Specification
Manufacturer	Remington Arms / RemArms (USA)
Model	Model 870
Firearm type	Pump-action (slide-action) shotgun
Action	Pump action; twin action bars, internal hammer, bolt locking into barrel extension
Caliber / Gauge	12, 16, 20, 28 gauge, and .410 bore
Capacity	Tubular magazine; typically 3+1 to 7+1 depending on model (commonly 4-shot field guns, plug-limited to 2 in the magazine for migratory birds)
Barrel length	Approx. 14–30 in (360–760 mm) depending on variant
Overall length	Approx. 26.3–50.5 in (670–1,280 mm) depending on variant
Weight	Approx. 7.0–8.0 lb (3.2–3.6 kg) depending on variant
Stock / Frame	Walnut, laminate, or synthetic stock; receiver machined from solid steel
Sights	Bead, twin bead, adjustable open, or ghost-ring iron sights; optics-ready cantilever/receiver mounts on some models
Year introduced	1950

Variants

There are hundreds of 870 variants built on the same platform and receiver. In 1969 Remington introduced 28-gauge and .410-bore models on a scaled-down receiver, and in 1972 added a 20-gauge Lightweight ("LW") on that smaller receiver. Well-known and current configurations include:

• Wingmaster — the original premium line, with American walnut woodwork and a polished, blued finish.
• Express — the lower-cost line (matte finish, hardwood or synthetic stocks) that broadened the 870's popularity.
• Fieldmaster / Fieldmaster Synthetic — current field models in vent-rib and fully rifled barrel forms, with bead and/or rifle sights.
• SPS (Special Purpose Synthetic) models — including SPS Turkey, SPS Super Magnum Turkey/Waterfowl, SPS Super Magnum Waterfowl, and the SPS Superslug heavy fully rifled deer gun.
• SPS Marine Magnum — corrosion-resistant utility gun with synthetic stock and cylinder choke.
• Fully rifled deer / cantilever models — for slug hunting with rifle or scope sights.
• Tactical / Home Defense models — short-barreled (e.g., 18½ in) configurations with ghost-ring sights, extended magazines, pistol-grip or adjustable stocks, and Magpul furniture; the military version is designated M870.
• TAC-14 — a non-NFA "firearm" built on the 870 receiver with a 14-in barrel and bird's-head grip.

Calibers / Chamberings

As a shotgun, the 870 is offered by gauge/bore rather than caliber. Available chamberings include 12 gauge (in 2¾-in, 3-in, and 3½-in "Super Magnum" versions), 16 gauge, 20 gauge, 28 gauge, and .410 bore. The 12 and 20 gauges are by far the most common and offer the widest selection of barrels and configurations.

Intended Use

The 870 is a true multi-purpose shotgun. It is widely used for wing and bird hunting (waterfowl, upland game, turkey), for slug hunting of deer and similar game with rifled-barrel models, and for clay-target sports such as trap and skeet. Its short-barreled tactical configurations are extensively used for home defense and by law-enforcement and military units around the world.