Identifying a Wingmaster

MikeS · March 20, 2001, 07:00 PM

I'm interested in buying my first 870 from an out of state
dealer who advertizes it as being a Wingmaster.This shotgun will come with a synthetic stock, 18" barrel with mag. extention and a Parkerized finish. My question is: With
all of the alterations done to the original shotgun, how
can I verify this is a Wingmaster receiver and not the Express model? Thanks for any help.

DML · March 20, 2001, 09:53 PM

Unless the name has been polished off, it will have "Wingmaster" stamped on the left side of the receiver.
If you send me the serial number, I can look up the approximate date of manufacture.

Intel6 · March 21, 2001, 02:29 AM

The reciever will also have "Express" on its side if it is an express. The express 870's are bead blasted and blued. If this is a factory parkerized job it may be a "police" or one of the "special purpose" 870's. If it is one of those, it won't say "wingmaster" but they are the better quality 870's.

DML · March 21, 2001, 02:35 AM

Actually, I wouldn't pass up an older Express. Some with with a X,W and A prefix have a pretty nice finish and they don't have the magazine "dimples".

Dave McC · March 21, 2001, 06:47 AM

Besides the Wingmaster, Express and the varied SP models. there was a Sportsman Model and some possible limited edition jobs. The grapevine says that some shops, decades back, could get their names on an 870 if they ordered enough,so there may be some others out there with collector value.

I wouldn't worry all that much about any 870, pre-PC.

On this,my guess is it's an old Police or Correctional wepon that has been used and abused. Frankenstein's reciever and wood started out at the Md Pen, and the shop that took the older ones in trade parted out the junkiest and "Parkerized" the receivers, thus starting the process on creating my ugly but reliable little wingshooting gun.

March 20, 2001, 07:00 PM	#1
MikeS Member Join Date: April 17, 2000 Location: San Diego, CA USA Posts: 57	I'm interested in buying my first 870 from an out of state dealer who advertizes it as being a Wingmaster.This shotgun will come with a synthetic stock, 18" barrel with mag. extention and a Parkerized finish. My question is: With all of the alterations done to the original shotgun, how can I verify this is a Wingmaster receiver and not the Express model? Thanks for any help.

March 20, 2001, 09:53 PM	#2
DML Senior Member Join Date: November 24, 2000 Location: Aridzona Posts: 257	Unless the name has been polished off, it will have "Wingmaster" stamped on the left side of the receiver. If you send me the serial number, I can look up the approximate date of manufacture.

March 21, 2001, 02:29 AM	#3
Intel6 Senior Member Join Date: October 13, 2000 Posts: 425	The reciever will also have "Express" on its side if it is an express. The express 870's are bead blasted and blued. If this is a factory parkerized job it may be a "police" or one of the "special purpose" 870's. If it is one of those, it won't say "wingmaster" but they are the better quality 870's.

March 21, 2001, 02:35 AM	#4
DML Senior Member Join Date: November 24, 2000 Location: Aridzona Posts: 257	Actually, I wouldn't pass up an older Express. Some with with a X,W and A prefix have a pretty nice finish and they don't have the magazine "dimples".

March 21, 2001, 06:47 AM	#5
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	Besides the Wingmaster, Express and the varied SP models. there was a Sportsman Model and some possible limited edition jobs. The grapevine says that some shops, decades back, could get their names on an 870 if they ordered enough,so there may be some others out there with collector value. I wouldn't worry all that much about any 870, pre-PC. On this,my guess is it's an old Police or Correctional wepon that has been used and abused. Frankenstein's reciever and wood started out at the Md Pen, and the shop that took the older ones in trade parted out the junkiest and "Parkerized" the receivers, thus starting the process on creating my ugly but reliable little wingshooting gun.