# Rem 870 ???



## sullivanfire1 (Mar 9, 2011)

Fellas, help me out here. My friend has a 12 ga 870 and says it shoots 2 3/4" only. Every 870 I have ever seen will shoot both 2 3/4" & 3" true ??? My 935 Ulti-Mag says 3 1/2" but will shoot all 3 shells.


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## Wycliff (Mar 9, 2011)

Its according to how old it is some of the old wingmasters were only 2 3/4


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## Twenty five ought six (Mar 9, 2011)

Wycliff said:


> Its according to how old it is some of the old wingmasters were only 2 3/4




What he said.

"Magnum" Wingmasters handled the 3" stuff.


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## redka (Mar 9, 2011)

x3
Rem 870 wingmasters been made since the '50s long before 3' shells.  He may have one of those older ones.  Shell length is stamped on the barrel.


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## sullivanfire1 (Mar 9, 2011)

*Will this work???*



Twenty five ought six said:


> What he said.
> 
> "Magnum" Wingmasters handled the 3" stuff.



Let me ask you this, it is stamped 2 3/4" but if it will hold and eject a 3" shell unfired, would it be safe to fire one and see if it will eject???


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## Dead Eye Eddy (Mar 9, 2011)

If the barrel is stamped "For 2 3/4" shells only", then DO NOT fire 3" shells in that shotgun.  If the barrel is stamped "For 2 3/4" or 3" shells, then you have to look at the receiver to find out if you can fire 3" shells in that shotgun.

Regardless of what the barrel is stamped, you can only safely fire 3" shells in a "Magnum" receiver.  All 870's are stamped/engraved on the left side of the receiver.  If it says "870 Wingmaster", "870" or "870 Express", then only 2.75" shells should be fired in that shotgun.  If it says "870 Wingmaster Magnum", "870 Magnum", or 870 Express Magnum", then 3" shells can safely be fired in that shotgun.

A 3" shell is only 2.75" unfired.  A 2.75" shell is only 2.5" unfired but 2.75" fired.  That is why an unfired 3" shell will load into and eject from a shotgun with a 2.75" chamber.


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## groundhawg (Mar 9, 2011)

sullivanfire1 said:


> Let me ask you this, it is stamped 2 3/4" but if it will hold and eject a 3" shell unfired, would it be safe to fire one and see if it will eject???



No, do not do fire the 3" shells in any gun mark for 2 3/4" shells.  Also it will not likly eject without the aid of your pocket knife.


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## rvick (Mar 10, 2011)

back in the day I shot a buck in frt. of dogs with a 3" shell in an old 870 wingmaster marked for 2 3/4" shells. The shell would not eject & the buck was about to regain his feet & get gone. I had to bang the stock on the stump that I was standing on to load another shell & finish the buck. Traded for a 3" gun.


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## jmoser (Mar 14, 2011)

I bought a new 12 ga 870 Express in ~1989; It had a 2 3/4" only [non-magnum] receiver.   

The receiver will be marked 'magnum' if it can take 3" shells; you can put a 3" chambered bbl on a 2 3/4" only receiver - it will fit but will not cycle / eject 3" shells.

So - Yes, there are 2 3/4" only 870 receivers out there and you can mix and match 3" bbls on them.


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## Puckerdup (Mar 14, 2011)

Dead eye Eddy is dead on. The 3 inch magnum will chamber in a 2 3/4 inch gun because  the crimped shell is 2 3/4 inches long. When its fired the crimp opens but since there is no room in the chamber it cant open completely and can cause a dangerous pressure build up in the barrell, possibly causing it to explode. Not ejecting the empty would be the least of the potential problems.


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## ts602 (Mar 21, 2011)

My 870 is a super mag.and will shoot 2 3/4,3,and 3 1/2" shells.


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## Muddy Water (Mar 21, 2011)

I agree with the previous posts saying that it is probably an older 870. I have an old 1100 dated back to the  mid 60's and it will only shoot 2 3/4in shells even though newer models will take 3in shells. Shotguns are just like rifles in the fact that just because a round fits in the chamber doesn't mean it can be safely fired from the gun.


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## Hunterbob1 (Mar 29, 2011)

sullivanfire1 said:


> let me ask you this, it is stamped 2 3/4" but if it will hold and eject a 3" shell unfired, would it be safe to fire one and see if it will eject???



no no no no no
1. It could do you harm by exploding in you face.
2. It could do your gun harm.
3. Fefer to number 1


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## Ihunt (Apr 5, 2011)

I have two older 870 wingmaster's. 2 3/4 in only. Before anyone pm's me-they are not for sale.


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## LEON MANLEY (Apr 5, 2011)

Ihunt said:


> I have two older 870 wingmaster's. 2 3/4 in only. Before anyone pm's me-they are not for sale.



There are plenty of the older 870 WM's for sale.
The problem folks only offer a couple of hundred dollars for them.
 I have four; two in very good condition and the other two have some freckling and a couple of spots on the bluing.

I'll keep them in a corner loaded with buckshot for home defense before I sell them to a low baller.


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## Slipper (Apr 5, 2011)

I have an 870 from the mid 80's it came with a 30" full that held 3" and I bought another barrel (imp. cylinder) that would only shoot 2 3/4" (back before they came with screw in chokes) not sure but he might be able to get a different barrel for it.


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## bfriendly (Apr 7, 2011)

Dead Eye Eddy said:


> If the barrel is stamped "For 2 3/4" shells only", then DO NOT fire 3" shells in that shotgun.  If the barrel is stamped "For 2 3/4" or 3" shells, then you have to look at the receiver to find out if you can fire 3" shells in that shotgun.
> 
> Regardless of what the barrel is stamped, you can only safely fire 3" shells in a "Magnum" receiver.  All 870's are stamped/engraved on the left side of the receiver.  If it says "870 Wingmaster", "870" or "870 Express", then only 2.75" shells should be fired in that shotgun.  If it says "870 Wingmaster Magnum", "870 Magnum", or 870 Express Magnum", then 3" shells can safely be fired in that shotgun.
> 
> A 3" shell is only 2.75" unfired.  A 2.75" shell is only 2.5" unfired but 2.75" fired.  That is why an unfired 3" shell will load into and eject from a shotgun with a 2.75" chamber.



Ats what I got.............if you have the gun, you dont need to shoot a 3" shell anyway..............sometimes I wonder why I keep shootin that high brass


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## Rich M (May 5, 2011)

Just let the ducks/crows/etc. get in a little closer before shooting.  It's more fun that way and you aren't nearly as surprised when one falls.

Yes - 2-3/4 inch shells used to be the old stand-by.  Three-inchers were for the tough guys shooting long range at geese.  Then came steel shot and screwed everything up.

I had an 835 - bought the first year's model.  You WILL have ejector problems sooner or later - the part costs about $5 on-line and fixes easy when it does stop functioning properly.


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## king killer delete (May 21, 2011)

*No do not shoot 3 " in a gun marked 2 3/4 only.*



sullivanfire1 said:


> Let me ask you this, it is stamped 2 3/4" but if it will hold and eject a 3" shell unfired, would it be safe to fire one and see if it will eject???


 Most 870s today are not wing masters they are express or super mag models. A wingmaster will normally have a high blue finish and high luster wood on it. I have owned an a 870 of some sort since 1967. I have killed tons of ducks , deer and hogs  with an 870.Back in the old days when you could shoot lead shot at waterfowl you did not need 3 " mags to kill ducks and geese. When it became ilegal to shoot lead in  the U.S.  for waterfowl steel shot was very poor ammo at first. Before the ban most people bought the standard 870 which was only produced in 2&3/4 shells. Now you could by an 870 Mag wingmaster that would shoot booth 2&3/4 and 3 " shells.  Most Mag models came in 28 " or 30 " full or modified choke barrels. Most Improve Cylinder barrels were 2& 3/4 " chambers used for quail and upland bird hunting. Alot of the old 870 models came with a plain barrel no vent ribs. Vent rib models cost more money. I have had a bunch of good times with my 870s. I still have one stuck in the marsh on the Altamaha river near Rhetts island at the Altamaha WMA and one time  picking up decoys duck hunting I was doing a dumb thing useing my plain barrel 870 to pick  up decoys catching the decoy line with the front bead on (site)barrel. The air temp was colder than the water temp. Well ice formed in the barrel and some mallards droped right in on the remaining decoys with me  right there in an open boat. I threw up and fired and for some reason my barrel was about 6" shorter. Good gun I have carried one in combat. My dad bought my first 870 used and I dont know what he paid for it. When I bought my first 870 with my own money I paid 104.00 dollars for a 2&3/4 model plain barrel wing master with a high blue finish and wood finish and a 28" modified barrel at J.C. Pennys in Manhattan Kansas in 1973.


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## king killer delete (May 21, 2011)

*Depends on what you are shooting*



bfriendly said:


> Ats what I got.............if you have the gun, you dont need to shoot a 3" shell anyway..............sometimes I wonder why I keep shootin that high brass


 Some people shoot 2& 3/4 shelles in steel shot, and I dont like them. They dont carry enough power in steel shot. Lead is a different story. Steel does not have the mass lead shot does. Retained energy is  much less than lead. Back in the day a goose hunter with 3" mag BB could kill  geese at 50 to 60 yards. Now some folks shot 10 ga and dont get the same results as an old 3" BB in 12 ga. Thats why we now have 3 & 1/2 Super mags it is for waterfowl all the other deer loads in 3.5 " are tag alongs.


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