You are probably wondering how we could put the 870 Wingmaster in the top slot and kick the 870 Express down to fourth place. And believe us, we get it, but there are some major differences to contend with here.
This Remington 870 shotgun shoots great. There is nothing wrong with the Express, as it is just as ergonomically fitting, just as reliable and just as accurate as the Wingmaster. However, there are still a lot of accessories out there for it, both standard and aftermarket. These accessories turn the 870 from factory to an upland bird gun to a high-tech tactical to a nightmarish zombie gun. That’s why this gun is so great.
Let’s look at some realities here. The Wingmaster typically retails at around $800 or more new, which is a nice chunk of change to fork out for any pump scattergun, especially considering that a new semi-auto Swiss-cheese maker is just a touch more above that. The cost of a new Remington 870 Express? Around four-hundred bucks or less.
If the Wingmaster is the candle at which we are going to hold this gun to, then we must, by comparison, say that the feel of the gun could be that of slightly lesser quality; however this gun doesn’t feel the slightest bit cheap.
The finish is not as crafted as the WM and there tends to be a little more “rock” in the forend (meaning left and right as opposed to forward and back). But honestly, that’s really it as far as major differences. We’ll just call it “no frills”.
The Remington has the ability to shoot both 2 3/4 and 3 inch shells, available in 12 or 20 gauge, vent ribbed barrels (bead sighted) and the ability to accept any 870 aftermarket product out there today.
Think of it as a Remington 870 Wingmaster-lite.