# New Barrell for old Remingtom 870?



## Taxcider (Feb 21, 2008)

I just picked up a old Remington 870 pump shotgun for $100.
It was purchased in 1980. I would like to replace the barrell so
it could take 3" shells, plus magnum if possable. Can I just replace 
the barrell? Plus, does anyone know a a place I could get the barrell
for a good price?

Tia 
Taxcider


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## cwoparson (Aug 23, 2007)

Just replacing the barrel won't allow you to shoot 3" shells unless the gun is already marked as having a 3" action. If it is marked as 2&3/4" shells then that is what you are stuck with. I guess a person could hand feed a 3" shell into a 3" barrel on a 2&3/4 action but you won't be able to eject it. Don't take my word on hand feeding because that is a guess on my part. Truth is unless you just want a little heavier payload you don't gain that much with 3". Most of my guns marked as 3"magnum very seldom see anything but 2&3/4 inch.


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## 8x56mn (Mar 14, 2007)

Cycling 3" would not be a prolem, 3-1/2" would not eject or feed.


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## Taxcider (Feb 21, 2008)

The receiver say's "Remington Wingmaster"
It's the barrell that say's 2 3\4in shells.

Tia
Taxcider


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## 8x56mn (Mar 14, 2007)

Just put some shells in the magazine and cycle them through gun. The 870 is very forgiving, the ejection port will allow the spent shell to eject. Try it man, what do you have to loose. As I said you can't eject 3-1'2" sheels as they will get caught on the ejection port.


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## southdakbearfan (Oct 11, 2004)

Remington definately made both 2 3/4" and 3" recievers. A stop at a local gun shop should be able to tell you what you have. I would venture that if the existing barrel is 2 3/4", that you have a 2 3/4" reciever.

Cabelas has the hastings 28" wadlock with choke tubes on sale for $200 in bargain cave. It didn't say if it was 3" or not.


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## cwoparson (Aug 23, 2007)

8x56mn said:


> Just put some shells in the magazine and cycle them through gun. The 870 is very forgiving, the ejection port will allow the spent shell to eject. Try it man, what do you have to loose. As I said you can't eject 3-1'2" sheels as they will get caught on the ejection port.


That won't tell you anything. Of course it will eject 3" shells because that is the length of a fired 2&3/4 " shell. A fired 3" shell will be longer, slightly over 3&1/4". You've got a 2&3/4" gun. Stay with what it was designed for. Seems I recall that all 2&3/4" receivers had a serial number that ended with A "V".


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## 8x56mn (Mar 14, 2007)

Your information is flawed. As I said try it, don't assume it won't work. I have done this with many 870's. Look do you have a spent 3" shell? If you don't want to fire the gun then just insert the spent case into the 2-3/4"barrel, close the action and then rack the slide and see if it ejects, that will answer your question. These actions are built with a lot of tolerance for many different manufactures. I have opened up 2-3/4 chamber barrels to 3 inch and shoot them in what you call 2-3/4" recievers with no problem. Or you can just listen to a lot of baseless assumptions. :roll:


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## cwoparson (Aug 23, 2007)

Well you go right ahead and continue with your kitchen table gun smithing. Me, I'll trust those that make the guns to know what they are talking about. When they are picking pieces of that action out of your forehead just remember what got them there. There is nothing baseless about following the instructions from the manufacture of the gun. I'm not the one calling them a 2-3/4 inch chamber, the manufacture does.

Taxcider, what I did get wrong was the length of the fired shells. the 2-3/4" is after the shell is fired. Nevertheless stay with what your gun is designed to do and stay away from those that tell you it is alright to disregard what the manufacture tells you not to do. That is a recipe for disaster.

This is from the Remington web site.

" NOTE: Model 870 Extra Barrels with 3" chambers will fit Super Magnum, Magnum, and 2-3/4" receivers. These barrels will handle both 2-3/4" and 3" shells when used on *Magnum receivers*. Use only 2-3/4" shells when these barrels are used on 2-3/4" receivers." Enough said.


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## 8x56mn (Mar 14, 2007)

Kitchen Table, now that's funny, been a gunsmith going ni on 35 years. Sure that's what the manufactur tells you I wouildn't expect anything else what with all the liability cases out there. Look the reciever has nothing to do with the shot shell other than transporting it to the chamber you moron. Do what you want, why do I bother trying to give free advice to someone who knows it all. I'm done with you people.


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## southdakbearfan (Oct 11, 2004)

What would be the point of making a 2 3/4 in action, if it wasn't cheaper for the company. If its cheaper, then more than likely, it probably isn't as strong.

Keep to whatever it was designed for.


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## rasmusse (Oct 24, 2006)

I always thought that if the receiver on an 870 said "Magnum" it could handle 3" shells. If not, it was for 2 3/4 inch shells.

Still, at $100 that is a great price for an 870 even if it is 2 3/4.


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## southdakbearfan (Oct 11, 2004)

rasmusse said:


> I always thought that if the receiver on an 870 said "Magnum" it could handle 3" shells. If not, it was for 2 3/4 inch shells.
> 
> Still, at $100 that is a great price for an 870 even if it is 2 3/4.


I believe you are correct in that if the reciever says magnum, it will shoot 3 in shells, couldn't say if it was always that way or not.


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## solitude (Oct 21, 2008)

You can easily visit ebay.com for online shopping. In this site you can easily check prices of different stores and than you can easily contact with most liked store.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

If I recall my 870, purchased new in about "82", says magnum on the receiver. Even as such the last time I used it with steel It did not want to eject fired 3" federal shells without them hanging up. Rem & Win would eject perfect but Feds just gave me fits. Maybe just my gun. Either way barrels are not that hard to com by. Check your local stores for "takeoff " barrels. Especially if you are in slug gun country.


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