3.5" Supermag barrel on 870 Wingmaster V receiver

KnightofCydonia · July 17, 2019, 07:04 PM

Hi,

I have a 1967 Wingmaster that's a V receiver, or 2 3/4" only. I only plan to shoot 2 3/4" in it, but the barrel that came with it is a 30" fixed full choke. I want to buy an Express barrel and a local one for sale is 3.5" supermagnum. I know the older wingmaster barrels are thinner in overall contour, will there be any fitment issues with a modern Express barrel being inserted into a vintage wingmaster receiver? I have an O-ring to secure the barrel nut. I've heard that the thicker Express contour barrels can cause rubbing against the fore-end wood as well.

T. O'Heir · July 18, 2019, 12:58 PM

Nope. An 870 is an 870.
Put a rifle sighted slug barrel on my early 80's vintage Wingmaster(they weren't always the higher end Remington) with no fuss. The slug barrel weighs a whole bunch more and is a whole bunch thicker than the 30", Full choke, bird barrel it came with. No rings of any kind required either.

Pahoo · July 19, 2019, 10:32 AM

I know that there might be a difference in the securing barrel lug. The older ones has a small BB that would settle into some dimples of the magazine tube or nut/cap. The newer barrels mag lugs do not have that BB. They do sell a conversion kit. Also, your barrel should say something like 3-1/2" only suitable for the mag receiver. Other than that, I am not aware of any fit differences. By the way, I have seen quite a number of older model barrels for sale and very reasonable. ….

Be Safe !!!

jmr40 · July 19, 2019, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Nope. An 870 is an 870.

Not so, there are lots of differences.

An 870 Special field has a shorter mag tube and barrels will not interchange with anything else. The Supermags have larger ejection ports to work with longer shells. They made "Light Contour" barrels for a few years, standard barrels will not fit until you sand a bit of wood off the forend. Older guns had a ball detent system to hold the magazine cap in place, newer guns use a different system and an O ring or other modification needs to be made for barrels to interchange.

Virginian · July 21, 2019, 09:01 AM

A 3-1/2" barrel will fit and work, but the ejector in your gun will likely limit you to 2-3/4" shells to function properly.
An O ring will work quite well to secure the magazine cap.
Last I checked they still have Light Contour 870 barrels. They are BLUED. An Express SuperMag barrel will be a lot heavier than a standard.
I have not seen any barrel channel issues on an 870 because of barrel weight. 1100s and/or 11-87s yes, but not on 870s.

KnightofCydonia · July 21, 2019, 10:42 AM

Thank you Virginian, exactly the info I needed. WIll look for a regular 3" express barrel.

July 17, 2019, 07:04 PM	#1
KnightofCydonia Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2009 Posts: 219	3.5" Supermag barrel on 870 Wingmaster V receiver Hi, I have a 1967 Wingmaster that's a V receiver, or 2 3/4" only. I only plan to shoot 2 3/4" in it, but the barrel that came with it is a 30" fixed full choke. I want to buy an Express barrel and a local one for sale is 3.5" supermagnum. I know the older wingmaster barrels are thinner in overall contour, will there be any fitment issues with a modern Express barrel being inserted into a vintage wingmaster receiver? I have an O-ring to secure the barrel nut. I've heard that the thicker Express contour barrels can cause rubbing against the fore-end wood as well.

July 18, 2019, 12:58 PM	#2
T. O'Heir Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2002 Location: Canada Posts: 11,978	Nope. An 870 is an 870. Put a rifle sighted slug barrel on my early 80's vintage Wingmaster(they weren't always the higher end Remington) with no fuss. The slug barrel weighs a whole bunch more and is a whole bunch thicker than the 30", Full choke, bird barrel it came with. No rings of any kind required either. __________________ Spelling and grammar count!

July 19, 2019, 10:32 AM	#3
Pahoo Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2006 Location: IOWA Posts: 8,048	Slight I know that there might be a difference in the securing barrel lug. The older ones has a small BB that would settle into some dimples of the magazine tube or nut/cap. The newer barrels mag lugs do not have that BB. They do sell a conversion kit. Also, your barrel should say something like 3-1/2" only suitable for the mag receiver. Other than that, I am not aware of any fit differences. By the way, I have seen quite a number of older model barrels for sale and very reasonable. …. Be Safe !!! __________________ 'Fundamental truths' are easy to recognize because they are verified daily through simple observation and thus, require no testing.

July 21, 2019, 09:01 AM	#5
Virginian Senior Member Join Date: February 11, 2012 Location: Williamsburg, Va. Posts: 1,458	A 3-1/2" barrel will fit and work, but the ejector in your gun will likely limit you to 2-3/4" shells to function properly. An O ring will work quite well to secure the magazine cap. Last I checked they still have Light Contour 870 barrels. They are BLUED. An Express SuperMag barrel will be a lot heavier than a standard. I have not seen any barrel channel issues on an 870 because of barrel weight. 1100s and/or 11-87s yes, but not on 870s. __________________ What could have happened... did. I do not trust Remington's dating service accuracy. If they were Match.com, you could end up with Nancy Pelosi.

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July 21, 2019, 10:42 AM	#6
KnightofCydonia Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2009 Posts: 219	Thank you Virginian, exactly the info I needed. WIll look for a regular 3" express barrel.