870 Wingmaster Problem

[George Foster]

I have owned 870 Wingmasters since 1967 and at the present time own two skeet models from the 70's and 80's. I also have a LW 20ga 870 that I got new last year and have put about 200 shells through it. I went to use it for hunting about three weeks ago and noticed it had a spot by the receiver ring where the bluing was worn off and also if you looked there was a streak along the barrell. These problems were both on the left side of the barrell. I had the same problem with another identical 870 that I bought in 2005. Remington attempted to fix the problem with that one three times and then they shipped this new one to me. When I called Remington about this one the CS rep told me he hadn't heard of any problems with this model doing this but rest assured Remington would take care of the problem for me. Well I received the gun back yesterday and nothing had been done to it. The letter with the gun said it was a normal wear situation. I have never seen this problem with other 870's and I was wondering if anyone else has had this problem. I will probably fix the bluing and then sell the gun as this isn't acceptable to me.
_________________

[Graybeard]

Oh well. If it's what I'm picturing in my head most every 870 I've owned or know of developed it with enough use. It's not an exhibtion work of art it's a working gun why are you so bothered by it? 

[George Foster]

Graybeard,

There are two reasons it bothers me.  One is I have had seven I believe no nine 870 Wingmasters since 1967 and this has never occurred before.  I have used my two skeet models since 1974 and 1983 and I couldn't begin to tell you the amount of shells that have been through and neither barrel is marked up like the new gun with 200 shells through it.  I have used those two guns to shoot skeet and to hunt with.  Now I personally believe for the retail price of $773 and I paid about $250 less than that you shouldn't have this type of problem this early in the game.  What upsets me the most is the fact that Remington told me they would take care of it and then did nothing to fix it at all.  This isn't the Remington I have known over the years.  As I said I will probably fix it the best I can myself and then sell it, I will just use my two older ones and not buy anymore from Remington.

[Graybeard]

OK I think I misread your OP. You are saying the barrel not mag tube is what's being worn? Gotcha now. As I said IF I UNDERSTOOD and clearly I didn't understand what you were talking about. No the barrels on mine are not that way just the mag tubes which for whatever reason is how I read what you said. We don't always read what's really there but at times what's in our head instead.

[George Foster]

Graybeard,

Yes it is the barrel that is having the bluing rubbed off, that isn't normal to me even though Remington wants to tell me it is.  Yes I expect the magazine tube to be worn and both my others are.  I left the supervisor of CS at Remington a voice mail on Thursday asking him to call me but he hasn't.  I am going to try calling him again Monday because I want to find out from him if he feels it is normal to have the bluing rubbed off the barrel.  I feel if they consider that normal then their quality standards have really went down hill.

[S.B.]

Help me understand your problem, please? You own a pump action shotgun and have bluing wear from the slide being worked and want Remington to make it stop wearing bluing from the barrel? Maybe pictures would help me understand better?
Steve

[George Foster]

S.B.,

It is quite simple the bluing is being worn off the barrel and it shouldn't be, it is wearing a spot right off and leaving a streak along the side of the barrel.  There is no way if everything is manufactured and installed correctly the forend should contact the side of the barrel.

As an update I spoke to a Supervisor of repairs yesterday and he is shipping me a new forend assembly and barrel for the gun.  He agreed that it wasn't normal wear.  He felt the action arm on the forend could be bent.  I am going to have my gunsmith open up the original forend with the original barrel to see if that will solve the problem.  My gunsmith said he has seen the problem with the newer 870's and it sometimes is they haven't milled the forend wood correctly and also sometimes the forend has been assembled so it is crooked.  If it doesn't solve the problem I will put the new forend and barrel on the gun and then sell it.

[Graybeard]

I tend to agree with that. Either the metal is bent or the wood wasn't relieved enough if there is contact and if the bluing is wearing on the barrel (now that I'm reading what you wrote rather than what I thought you wrote)  I can't imagine anything else that would do it.

[George Foster]

Graybeard,

I agree fully and I think Remington should have tried to fix it for me.  But they are trying to do right by me and I have the upmost faith in my gunsmith to fix the problem for me so I am willing to pay him to do so.

[S.B.]

It's hard to envision without pictures. Remington is shipping you replacement parts(that you think aren't right) and your paying a local gunsmith to alter the original parts, sounds to me like you don't trust Remington?

[SHOOTALL]

what is he doing ? i have some with the wear marks and some with out . my oldest ( to me ) i  got new 25 years ago it has wear marks , its been to the bottom of several beaver ponds while still in my hand ( buddy said he looked and all was left was my hat floating ) , it has been shot 1000's of times ( stock cracked in a dove field ) . The action is so loose /smooth you can pull the triger while holding gun muzzle up anf it opens all the way point it down and it closes . When hunting over the years it has been shot and had the action worked in some odd positions so the side stress could have caused the rub. IDK . some of the others were used and some show wear others don't . All seem to function as they should .
BTW , GEORGE FOSTER was my great grandfathers name .

[George Foster]

S.B.,

Prehaps if you had or now read my original post you would see that when I sent it to Remington for a warranty repair they didn't do anything to it.  The supervisor is the one who said he was going to send the parts as HE felt the parts were possibly causing the problem, I didn't ask for them.  Yes I don't trust the person in Ilion who looked at my shotgun and said it was normal wear.  I would much rather pay my gunsmith whom I trust to fix the problem at this time.  As far as trusting Remington I have been using their guns for over 40 years and I own quite few now.  Over the years when I have needed service or parts, etc they have been very good and I trust them to generally give the consumer a good product.  I will say I don't feel they have the experienced craftsmen at Ilion that they had years back.  I live about two hrs away from Ilion and have been to the factory there a few times.  It use to be if you had a problem with one of their products all you did was take it right there and they signed it in and fixed it properly and shipped it back to you.

[George Foster]

SHOOTALL,

My Great, Great Grandfathers name was also George Foster along with my Fathers.  My Great Grandfathers name was John Foster.

[SHOOTALL]

you live anywhere near Hanover CO. va. ?
If you don't mind my asking ?

[George Foster]

No I don't.

[SHOOTALL]

I had ask because George Foster ( my g-grandad ) is listed on the statue of those who served from Hanover Co. in the war of Northern aggression .