The Remington Model 870 is a pump-action shotgun manufactured by Remington Arms Company, LLC. which became one of their most popular firearms, and has remained so to this day. It is widely used by the public for shooting sports, hunting and self-defense, as well as by law enforcement and military organizations worldwide.The Handbook Of The SAS And Elite Forces. How The Professionals Fight And Win. Edited by Jon E. Lewis. p.47-Tactics And Techniques, American Army Special Forces. Robinson Publishing Ltd 1997. ISBN 1-85487-675-9 Development The Remington 870 was the fourth major design in a series of Remington pump shotguns. John Pedersen designed the fragile Remington Model 10 (and later the improved Remington Model 29). John Browning designed the Remington Model 17 (which was later adapted by Ithaca into the Ithaca 37), which served as the basis for the Remington 31. The Model 31 was marketed as the “ball-bearing repeater” and was well-received, but its many machined and hand-fitted parts made the gun expensive to manufacture. Consequently, it struggled in sales compared to the Winchester Model 12. To achieve better sales, Remington produced the Model 870 in 1950, which was more modern and reliable in its construction, easy to take apart and maintain, and relatively inexpensive.
The 870 was a commercial success. Remington sold two million guns by 1973 (ten times the number of Model 31 shotguns it replaced). As of 1983, the 870 held the record for the best-selling shotgun in history, with three million sold.Wallack, LR. "Sixty Million Guns". 1983. In Gun Digest Treasury, Harold A. Murtz, editor, DBI Books. 1994 p.193 By 1996, spurred by sales of the basic "Express" models, which were added as a lower-cost alternative to the original Wingmaster line, sales topped seven million guns. On April 13, 2009, the ten millionth Model 870 was produced.
Design details The 870 features a bottom-loading, side ejecting receiver and a tubular magazine under the barrel. The gun comes with a plug for migratory bird hunting which reduces the magazine's capacity to two rounds. It has dual action bars, internal hammer, and a bolt which locks into an extension in the barrel. The action, receiver, fire control group, safety catch and slide release catch of the Remington Model 870 shotgun are similar to those used on the Remington Model 7600 series pump-action centerfire rifles and carbines. The basic fire control group design was first used in the automatic 11–48. Twelve gauge stocks will also interchange on the older 12-gauge-sized 20-gauge receivers, although modification is needed to fit the smaller sized 20-gauge receivers employed since the late 1970s. Several parts of the 870, such as buttstocks and magazine tubes, will interchange with the semi-automatic Remington 1100 and 11–87.
The original 870 models were offered with fixed chokes. In 1986 Remington introduced the new Remington "Rem Choke" system of screw-in chokes (also fitted to Remington model 1100 auto-loading shotguns at the same time). Initially, the Rem Chokes were offered only in 12 gauge in barrel lengths of . The following year the availability was expanded to the 20 gauge and included other barrel lengths.
The 870's production for over 30 years had a design flaw whereby a user could fail to press a shell all the way into the magazine when loading – so that the shell latch did not engage the shell – which could result in tying up the gun. This was caused by the shell slipping out of the magazine under the bolt in the receiver to bind the action, requiring rough treatment of the action or even disassembly. The potential issue was resolved with the introduction of the "Flexi Tab" carrier. Guns with this modification can be identified by the U-shaped cut-out on the carrier, visible from below the gun. The cut-out, combined with modified machining on the underside of the slide assembly, allows the action to be opened with a shell on the carrier.
Variants
There are hundreds of variations of the Remington 870 in 12, 16, 20, 28 gauges and .410 bore. All Remington 870 versions are built on the same platform and receiver, but there are small differences that can be more than just cosmetic. In 1969, Remington introduced 28 gauge and .410 bore models on a new scaled-down receiver size, and in 1972, a 20-gauge Lightweight ("LW") version was introduced on the same sized receiver, and all of the smaller gauges today are produced on that size receiver. From the original fifteen models offered, Remington currently produces dozens of models for civilian, law enforcement, and military sales.
The maximum shell length that can be used in a Remington 870 depends on the barrel and receiver of the particular model. While the receiver length determines whether a shell will feed, the chamber length in the barrel determines if it will be safe to fire. For 12 gauge 870s, the maximum shell length is in (70 mm) for non-magnums, 3 in (76 mm) for magnums, and in (89 mm) for super magnums. Since barrels can be changed, it is important to also check the barrel markings to ensure the chosen cartridge length is safe to use.
870 variants can be grouped into the following: +ModelGaugeBarrel LengthBarrel TypeDescriptionFieldMaster Deer12-gaugeFully rifled20-inch fully rifled barrel with adjustable rifle sights. Satin black finish with walnut stock and fore-end with rubber recoil pad.410 Turkey TSS.410-boreVent Rib, Rem ChokeExtended full choke, TRUGLO rail system. Receiver milled for maximum strength and reliability.Turkey Camo12-gaugeVent Rib, Rem ChokePump action with full Rem Choke. Matte black finish on barrel and receiver. Synthetic stock. Shoots both 2 3/4" and 3".SPS Superslug12-gaugeFully rifled extra heavy (fluted)Drilled and tapped sights, Matte black finish. Synthetic stock.Fieldmaster12-gauge, 20-gaugeVent rib Rem Choke and fully rifledBead and rifle sights, satin black carbon steel receiver finish, American walnut satin stock finish.Fieldmaster Synthetic12-gauge, 20-gaugeVent rib Rem Choke and fully rifledBead and rifle sights, satin blue receiver finish, matte black synthetic stock finish.Special Purpose Marine Magnum12-gaugeCylinder chokeCorrosion resistant utility gun with synthetic stock.SPS Super Mag Turkey Predator12-gauge (", 3" and ")Rem ChokeSlide action with pistol grip stock and black overmolded grip panels.Super Magnum Flyaway12-gauge (", 3" and ")Vent rib, Rem ChokeSlide action with innovative bolt design keeps cycle stroke equal for all 3 lengths of shotshells.Super Magnum Turkey/Waterfowl Camo12-gauge (", 3" and ")Vent rib, Rem ChokePump shotgun with camo coverage.Wingmaster12-gauge (" and 3"), 20-gauge, and .410-boreVent Rib, Rem ChokeSatin finish on stock and fore-end. American walnut woodwork. Receiver and barrel are polished blue.Fieldmaster Fully Rifled Cantilever12-gaugeFully rifledFully rifled barrel with black satin finish and walnut stock with fore-end rubber recoil pads.
Unlicensed copies
Chinese arms company Norinco has made unlicensed copies of the Remington 870, as the design is no longer under patent protection.
Users
Country Organization name Quantity Date ReferenceAustralian Defence Force _ _ EKO Cobra _ _ Austrian armed forcesFederal Police Special Units _ _ Belgian Armed Forces _ 2008 First Special Forces Battalion (BFEsp)__ Canadian Armed Forces _ _ Correctional Service Canada (CSC-SCC) _ _Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) _ _ Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) _ _ Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) _ _ London Police Service (LPS) _ Finnish Army (designated pumppuhaulikko 12 HAUL REM 870) _ _ Bundeswehr, GSG 9, and Spezialeinsatzkommandos _ _ EKAM counter-terrorist unit of the Hellenic Police _ _ Royal Hong Kong Regiment _ _ Army Ranger Wing, Special Detective Unit, Emergency Response Unit _ 2000 Israel Defense Forces and YAMAM _ _ Unité Spéciale de la Police group of the Grand Ducal Police _ _ Various special operations such as: Grup Gerak Khas JMF Elite Forces Pasukan Khas Laut (PASKAL) Pasukan Khas Udara (PASKAU) Pasukan Gerakan Khas Unit Gempur Marin Grup Taktikal Khas _ _ Portuguese Marine Corps__Sierra Leone Police51+After 2001Swedish Armed Forces (designated "Förstärkningsvapen 870") _ _ Swiss Armed Forces (designated Mehrzweckgewehr 91; MzGw 91) _ _ Republic of Korea Navy Special Warfare Brigade__Taiwan Coast Guard, Taiwan Reserve Army (T85 Shotgun) _ _United Kingdom Special Forces (designated L74A1), Police Service of Northern Ireland and Specialist Firearms Officers as a breaching weapon _ _ U.S. Border Patrol _ _ U.S. Department of Education 27 2010 U.S. Military (designated M870) _ _ U.S. Secret Service 1,600 2001 Jones, Richard D. Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009/2010. Jane's Information Group; 35 edition (January 27, 2009). .Federal Bureau of Investigation - - Internal Revenue Service 60 2010 Various police forces such as: California Highway Patrol (since 1965) Cambridge Police Department (Massachusetts) Los Angeles Police Department Sparta, New Jersey Alaska Department of CorrectionsDiez, Octavio (2000). Armament and Technology. Lema Publications, S.L. . Pennsylvania State Police 2 (Cambridge PD) _Mobile Police Force (Canh Sat Co Dong)__
Non-state users Lebanese Forces
See also Combat shotgun Knight's Armament Company Masterkey List of individual weapons of the U.S. Armed Forces
References
External links
Remington page for 870 A guide to Collecting Remington 870 Shotguns from Remington Society Remington page for 870 Tactical Remington Military MCS page Important differences between Remington 870 Police and 870 Express shotguns