CHECK THIS BEFORE YOU BUY!
Make sure you tighten down the forend cap on the magazine tube. Next grab ahold of the barrel and see if it rotates from side to side. Check the play between the barrel and receiver.
I bought a brand new "Remington 1100 LT 20" Slugger smoothbore back in 1988. I had ordered it from a guy I knew while I was in the Air Force that had a FFL. It was a beautiful gun, the blueing and wood were impecable. I tried every slug imaginable in that thing and couldn't keep it on the same paper plate at 50 yards, seriously. I had others shoot it and it would shoot 12" groups at 50 yards at best. I cleaned it at the range to remove the leading factor.
I took the gun apart and really was going to figure this out. I immediately went to the barrel/receiver fit and noticed it was sloppy at best. The barrel would just drop right in without any effort. The next thing I checked was the ring on the barrel that slips over the magazine extension tube and it was also sloppy. With the gun assembled and magazine cap tight you could move the barrel side to side close to 1/4" and up and down slightly. :roll: The forend was also very sloppy.
To make a long sad story short. Remington has made some very good guns, but I also know of one lemon. Remington Customer Service at that time was the worst I have ever dealt with PERIOD. The gun went back to the factory a total of 4 times and the problem was never corrected. It had 3 different barrels and one magazine tube installed and the gun and it ended up worse than it was when the nightmare started.
I just didn't want to give up on the gun, it was just what I wanted but the shipping to the factory was getting very expensive, not to mention I never had the gun. The problem was the receiver opening for the barrel was machined out too large and was very sloppy. They told me that there was a change in their production process that year. I had told them that the receiver was the problem EVERY time I sent it back, but it fell on deaf ears.
The last time I got it back it was sloppier than ever. It was only one week away from season and I needed a gun, but it had to be more accurate than it was currently. I had given up on Remington and deceided to shim the barrel into the receiver. BINGO, with the shim it would shoot around 2" to 3" groups at 50 yards. Good enough for 50 yards and closer, but it bugged the heck out of me that shim was thick. The gun cycled and feed fine with the shim but I didnt like it. The first morning I shot my buck at 10 feet, I'm glad it wasn't any further. I sold the gun at a big loss before the next season and I do not miss it in the least.
Just wanted you to be aware, if it was made around 1988, it may too be a lemon. I do not personally own any Remington products to this day, but my son has an 870 that shoots unbelievable groups. He hasn't had to use Customer Service and the gun is 7 years old, so there are some good ones too.
Make sure it's tight and you will have a heck of a deal! This being a bird barrel may not be as big of a factor, but if you ever wanted to add a slug barrel, beware.
