ok so i have had this gun for like 6 years and i hate it when people say this gun sucks or it is no dependalble t\because that is sooo not true, dont beilieve any of these people that are ginving the bad reviews because its not the gun its them, its how you pump it, if you pump it to slow or the wrong way it WILL get jammed SOME of the time but thats true with most pump shotguns, i love this gun but i would get the one with the long barrel and chokes because even though this is a great gun its a great gun for the money, it doesnt even compare to benneli but if your someone who cant spend like 1000 dollars on a gun then this gun is excellent so all im saying is to buy this gun you will be amazed and yea sometimes it acts up but if you know how to use it it will never jam but i do ahve to admit that it is very heavy so to solve this problem i lifted weights a little for a few months and i discovered it ddnt matter the weight so i hope ive helped make a good decision but i highly reccomend this gun.

I bought a brand new synthetic 870 super mag 3 1/2inch around christmas time last year (2008). I am very pleased with this gun. After reading all the bad reviews I think I may be one of the lucky ones. Since I purchased it I've shot hundreds upon hundreds of shells of all different brands. I must mention I do keep my gun very clean and well lubricated. I always have a thin coat of Rem-oil applied to moving parts just like the owners manual says. The only issue I have with the gun is when I'm out shooting clays and the barrel gets really hot, the pump will lock up and I have a hard time cycling a new round. I usually just wait 30 seconds for it to cool down and it works fine. But like I said, this only happens when the barrel is really really hot (after 15 consecutive shots) so in a hunting scenario this has never happened to me. I know there are better shotguns out there but I picked up my 870 brand new for dirt cheap (around $200) and I am very happy with it so far. I out-shoot my buddy and his Browning BPS any day of the week.....but I'm sure that's just the shooter, not the gun.

Just bought my son a Remington 870 Express Youth Model, wish I hadn't. My son is 11 and what a heart breaking experience, he went through about 26 hours of hunter training class and he can't even go hunting. Took it out clay pigeon shooting before he got through with the class and shot off about 150 shells and seemed to do fine. Now it doesn't eject the shells and the slide is now jammed up (while cleaning it). Poor kid is so frustrated. I am really disappointed too, I thought Remington was a great brand.

I bought the 870 synthetic last week at a gun show. It was brand new and had heard good things from friends and family about Remingtons so I figured that it'd be a good buy. Took it out shooting for the weekend and after the second shot, couldn't cycle the next shell because the thing jammed on me. I took it apart and the shell was stuck so tightly in the barrel couldn't even pry it out. After awhile got a system down where it'd only take like 2 minutes to unjam the gun but this occured every other shot. Luckily we had 2 different types of ammo so we switched to the Federal shells. Worked great and for the most part my desire to throw the gun down and leave it in the middle of nowhere disapated. There were still cycling problems but they were minor. Wouldn't recommend buying it as there are a lot better quality guns out there in my opinion.

i bought a rem 870 3inch last year and i took it out on opening weekend for duck and it jammed and i was also told it was a new gun thing but it kept doing it for the next three weekends. also the bolt slides out while cleaning it for no reason, while pumping it withthe barrel off. i took it in to Gander Mountain for repair and it took 2 months to get it back and the bolt stills falls out but i havent shot the gun yet. this gun is not reliable at all i am never going to buy another 870 again.

I just bought a 870 Super Mag because I loved my 1952 870 Wingmaster so much. I just took my super mag out for the turtle dove season and shot five times, and had five jammed shells. I am not to impressed with the new super mag. I thought it would take the place of my old wingmaster. I have already called a dealer to send the new one in for repair. I guess the old one gets one more season if the repair is slow. Again love my old 870 Wingmaster, very disapointed in the new super mag. I hope they can fix it and it last as well as my old shotgun. I will try to return and let you all know how it works out.

Bought my 870 Super Max Gobbler online, had it shipped to a gunshop - drove to a safe location - took the gun out of the box = bang, bang, bang = a couple turkey targets and an old warehouse window, smooth as silk - mounted a Weaver rail and red dot sight and sighted it in at 40 yards = drove 10 rounds down the tube; perfect = can't say enough good things about the recoil with the Knoxx stock = sweet! No jams > been using brand name shells 3" and 3.5" Can't wait for turkey season this Nov in Western MD

The remington 870 is an nice solid steel work tool, but its not dependable! i purchase one about 3 years ago and it has let me down almost all the time in the field and trap shooting. the pumps locks up on me all the time. people said its still a new gun, but whats the excuse for my mossberg 500 which it has work like a charm since day one! others say its the shells but I've used every brand and still does the same. then once again my mossberg 500 works with all the brands of ammo. overall when its comes for having a good hunt or for fun in the trap field. I'll go with my mossberg. its a shame because its a nice looking gun with a lot of history on its name.

A great reliable gun I put over 10,000 rounds through it and never had a problem.

My 870 is a 89model 3" model the smothest most reliable gun I have shot or seen: but seems these bad reviews have a lot in common 3.5 mag 12ga erly 08 tells me, worn out reemer on that production line how bout we find some new purchesers to start writing reviews see if remingtion has fixed problem . early 3.5 function flawlesly

I bought my 870 magnum second hand last year and have put hundreds of shells through it. The only time I have ever had a problem was when I had bought cheap shells for shooting clays. After about 100 shells, when the gun had really heated up, I had a hard time chambering the shells. The moral of the story, don't buy cheap shells.

I was given a new Remington 870 Wingmaster 12 gauge 2 3/4 for my 16th birthday in 1976 by my father. Ater 30+ years and thousand(s) of rounds through it, I finally had to take it to a gunsmith early this spring for repairs. The repairs were minor and the cost was minimal. Should now be good for another 30 plus years. In my humble opinion, this "IS" and will always "BE" the best pump shotgun ever made.

i got a remington 870 2 years ago, its the best gun ive ever had. That says a lot. i can shoot all day long without a problem. its a worth while investment for anyone. if the gun doesnt work for you, it either encounterd a problem in shipping or you didnt take good care of it. I would not sell it ever.

I just bought an 870 express for my sons birthday. It jammed on the second shot. There happened to be 2 other people at the range with brand new 870's and they all were jamming. I called Remington and asked if they would upgrade the gun to a wingmaster because of the inconvienience, and they would for the full retail difference. I was told the repair on my gun could take up to 10 weeks. I am going to return the gun for a Browning.

I have an 870 supermag just purchased about a year ago and what a great gun. I have never had any problems with it, it always goes bang. If I had to pick one shotgun to never sell it would be this one, you can do everything with it.

I purchased a Remington 870 Express before Christmas. I found that I could not load a shell in the magazine. It is great if you want a single shot pump. I returned it and got it back 7 weeks later. The defect was still there. I returned it again with an empty shell in it, hoping they will find the problem and fix it this time. Their service is the worst I have ever seen. I was told it is on a high priority. It has been at that point for 2 weeks. I figure I will not see it again until April. I would say to anybody thinking of getting a Remington to think twice. Buy foreign, their customer service it better. Customer service has left this company and the company needs to follow. Dam shame for an American Icon. Oh, and never buy from Academy Sports either. That is where I got it and they are useless.

have had several 870`s over the years, great shotgun hands down!! I believe alot of the problems with people having jams is due to not cleaning the firearm and short shucking!!

I recently went shooting with some buddies who had just purchased two 870 expresses. They also had the cheap aluminum shells and they jammed about every 3rd or 4th shot. Another buddy with an older 870 had the same problem with those shells. After reading reviews I purchased the Browning BPS and I was shooting brass. We exchanged shells to see if that would help and to see if mine would jam with the aluminum. The BPS did not jam, and with the brass shells, the 870's never had another problem. From what I saw in the field, I believe a lot of the problem is with the shell being fired from the 870 and not the actual gun. I am very impressed with my browning, although the pump release is a little awkward for right handed shooters. Very smooth action and I would definitely recommend it. Hope it helps.

i just bought an 870 express supermag...WHAT a dissapointment! The very first shot jammed! Then after stripping it down to removing the spent shell, dry cycling the pump action with and without ammo, the second shot jammed. so again, I had to remove the barrel, push out the spent shell, reload and on take three-- the same result. Switched to Federal high brass ammo...again...jammed tight and would not release. So...in about 30 minutes i got 4 rounds off. STELLAR huh? i am in the process of returning it to Remington and after reading some other reviews i am dreading the outcome. i wanted a relable shotgun with a great reputation and i thought that a remington was the way to go...be warned...this could happen to you!! Stay away from the 870 express Supermag!

Looks like I'm not the only one...

I got a new 870 Super Mag in October for duck season. It failed to eject and jammed up - badly. I took it back to the store and they sent it to Remington for repair. 10 weeks later, duck season is almost over and I get my gun back.

Guess what happens when I shoot it?

It jams - badly. Fortunately, the store has agreed to give me an exchange. That's why I'm here...trying to decide which gun to get. Definitely not another 870. Too bad Remington made a bunch of crappy guns. They're spoiling the reputation of a well respected gun.

You can hammer nails in with it.

I just bought a 870 supermag used from a friend and I shot it this weekend and it jammed everytime I pulled the trigger.  The gun is in brand new condition as my freind only shot it a dozen times and upgraded to a 10 gauge automatic.  I was shooting Federal, Kent and Blackcloud 3" and 3 1/2" shells and they all jammed.  Could this ammo be the problem?

Youngblood's remarks hit it right on the head. That noise that you're hearing from quail and dove is laughter when they see your 870. Purchased the gun new two days after Thanksgiving of 2008 because my springfield 67B fails to feed/locked closed, fails to eject with any/all types of ammo. SO DOES THE 870 RIGHT OUT OF THE BOX! Good luck getting that second or third shot off. Keep your sling shot handy.

870 express I have shot 10,000 rounds through this gun and no jam, or any problem. the most reliable gun I own. and I own many!

I own two 12ga 870 Wingmasters. One that belonged to my father and bought new in the early to mid 80s, the other bought by me about 1995. My father lightly used his for deer hunting with out any problems. Since I have had it, I use it for quail hunting and skeet. I have used my fathers’ gun much more than he had but it looks as it did when new and without fail. My wingmaster bought new in 95’ has seen much more use and abuse than my fathers. I use this gun for every thing but mostly for deer, turkey, and dove hunting.  As my all purpose, this gun has seen thousands of shells and has been knocked and thrown all around  the truck. It looks rough but shoots great and has never let me down. I  am sure that there has been a jam at some point but not worth remembering.  I own and have used many other brands of shotguns but the 870 wingmaster is by far my favorite. My worst experience has been with a 20ga Mossberg 500 that jammed every other time. As for the 870 express I do not own one but have used them and have family and friends that do own them without any complaints. I Highly recommend the 870.

I bought an 870 magnum on black friday. I own a mossberg 500A which
works great, but wanted to upgrade. The 870 magnum started to jam
when I tested it with different length shells. Basically the problem
starts with the loading of the shells. The alignment of the guide is
off as the shell is loaded in and it then gets nicked by the tube
which has a real sharp edge. I put a bevel on it which made it work
much better, but still no where near as good as the old (cheap) mossberg. I returned the 870 for store credit two hours later. Told
them wife thru a fit for buying another gun I didn't need. Hope this
helps.
Rsmol@aol.com

I have a Wingmaster and acquired it from a relative probably around the late 70s. Fired it off and on throughout the years...EXCELLENT RIFLE! My rifle has a serial number. Does it mean anything? Could it be broken down? Unlike cars, their serial numbers can be broken down to year manufactured to paint color etc.

DO NOT DOUBT THE REPORTS. THE MOST RECENT 870 IS JUNK. I BOUGHT ONE TO SHOOT CLAYS AND IT WILL NOT EJECT A SPENT SHELL. I USED 4 DIFFERENT BRANDS OF SHELLS, HIGH BRASS ETC. THEY ALL JAM. YOU CAN NOT PULL IT OUT WITH YOUR FINGER IT IS IN SO TIGHT. THE RANGE WE SHOOT AT IS LARGE AND I HAVE NOW SEEN 5 870 EXP. PURCHASED IN THE LAST 4 WEEKS. EVERYONE HAS THE SAME SET OF PROBLEMS. SHELLS SWOLEN UP IN UNDER-BORED BARELL,SPENT SHELLS WILL NOT EJECT AND/OR ACTION LOCKED CLOSED.THIS IS NOT DUE TO TWIGS AND ALL OTHER SMART ALEC CRAP IN THESE REVIEWS. MY NEW 870 IS AT REM FOR REPAIR. I WAS TOLD WHEN I CALLED ABOUT TURN AROUND TIME THE TECH ADMITTED THEY HAVE TURNED OUT MISCALIBRATED BARRELS ON 10,000 SERIAL NUMBERS OF SHOTGUNS FROM 870 TO 1100 TO 1187 MOSTLY PRODUCED SINCE SPRING OF 07. SAVE THE SNEID REMARKS PUNKS. SOME OF YOU CAN BARELY READ AND WRITE I MIGHT ADD.

I own 6 870's with ages from about 50 years old to brand new with a couple of them being supermags and the only time I ever had a shell jam in any of them was when using certain types of shells. I've never had a problem with the guns themselves. The same shells that jammed the 870 also jammed my Mossberg 500's and 835's as well as my Winchester, Beretta, and Browning. Some shells can either be slightly incorrectly sized or deform upon firing causing it either jam the receiver or fail to eject all together.

i own a 870 from the pre-ban days. the gun was used for years by a local police department. what i would like to see is people on here who just bought the gun. im looking for a starter gun for my son but i dont want to buy a gun that is going to jam. he started off with mine but i would like to have one of his own. all help is appreciated guys. thanks

I purchased the 870 Supermag last year during the middle of duck season. It jammed often. I figured I just need to get more comfortable with it. Now it is already the second week of duck season, I have gone out twice and I am still having the same problem. Can anyone help me? Any advice out there? I am not made of money so I don't think I can pick up a another shotgun before the end of duck season.

I owned a Winchester 1300 Defender (not for duck hunting), and it never once jammed on me. In fact, the recoil assisted the cycling of the pump action which made for quicker follow-up shots because it pushed the pump rearward. To complete the cycle all you had to do is push the pump forward and you were ready to pull the trigger.

I have 3 870s. The Super Magnum did not work well with Sellier&Bellot ammo, any other brand: no problem - no jamming - just point and shoot! I am happy with the 870 - simple - working - easy cleaning!

Great gun. Many people say it jams on here...it's the ammo, not the gun. Is a .22 a piece of junk because the bulk ammo I run through it jams and has duds? No, it's the ammo. I've had shells jam in the chamber of numerous shotguns. It's the ammo, not the gun. Of 6 people I hunt with none of us has ever had a problem with our 870's...pump get stuck every once in a while? Yeah, but we trace it to the shells we're all using. Once those shells are gone SURPRISINGLY no more problems. Don't blame the gun because the shell swells.

bought 1st 870 WM new in 71 and have put thousands of rounds through it without the 1st bit of trouble, 2nd bought in 86, no problems but less than 2 boxes through it...

Just bought an Super Mag 870 and jammed right out of the box shooting dove loads. Took it back and was told that you have to shoot Hi Brass or the gun will jam?? Hoping to get my money back so I can get a Mossberg...

Bought a Remington 870 new last week... jammed on the 3rd shot! Took it apart... jammed again on the 3rd shot! Now its back with Remington for repair or whatever... waste of money. Had a Benelli Nova for 2 years... never jammed once. Bought it at Lebaron's in Ottawa... worst customer service ever... don't buy from Lebaron's!!!

Be very careful when ur buying 870 , coz they have lots of defected 870s in the market . problems like: pump jamming, shell ejection, empty shell stuck in the chamber, recoil.

I have 4 870's. they are the best i have ever owned. I would highly recomend this gun.

I'd heard nothing but wonders about this "870 express super magnum." Six rounds after I bought my first the gun jammed solid. I took it apart in the field, prt it back together, then 4 rounds after that, jammed solid again. I took the gun back and exchanged for an identical gun. My new gun half jamms every 20 rounds or so. Enough that I have to put the stock on my hip and force the chamber open. I'm over 700 rounds into this gun and still waiting for america's "problemless workhorse shotgun," to break in. I love every thing else about the gun, that's why I'm scratching my head thinking what am I doing wrong. Would love any suggestions.

I've owned an early model 870 express magnum for roughly 10 years (probably closer to 8) and its had amazing reliability and performed flawlessly for as long as I've owned it. However its unsettling to hear that the recent models have been less than satisfactory.

 I own both a Remingotn 870 and a Mossberg 500 and I've got to tell you threr are some ipmortant considerations that you have to look at especially if your left handed like me. The 870 in my opinion is definitly a better built gun. Their also much easier to field strip then a 500 but both the mossberg 500 and browning bps have a tang saftey and thats much easier to use when turkey hunting for us south paws. The 500 is also lighter then the 870. Just some things to consider when purchasing a new shotgun.

It mainly depends on the model that you are using. I have an 870 Marine Mag and it is a real nice gun. It lived up to my expectations of a quality shooting 12 Gauge. The reason I rated it a 4 and not a 5 is because of the fact that along with a long-lasting, well shooting gun, it's nice to have a more various option when choosing a gun. Most 870's are built the same although they are different model 870' they are exactly built a like. If there was a 4.5 it would receive it but there's not. I have yet to find a perfect 5.0

The Remington 870 is extremely simple in design. The solid steel receiver is practically unbreakable. Overall, this gun was designed to be a workhorse. Highly recommended.

A fabulous gun! I have two, and I am looking for a 20 gauge youth model for my son. I shoot trap and pheasants with mine. I dropped one in a bog once, pulled it out, cleaned it and it was fine. 

I am purchasing a third 870, this one specially suited for deer hunting.

My 870 express super magnum camo, which I bought this year at wal-mart, fell out of a boat and into a creek about 5 feet deep when I was duck hunting last winter. I couldn't come out until 2 days later when I found a big enough magnet and I fished it out of the muck at the bottom. I spent about an hour cleaning everything and getting rust off but it shot without a problem afterwords. 500 rounds later it still works great and hasn't jammed one time. How's that for reliable

Remington has really screwed up with the new max gobbler with Knoxx stock. I own a gun business and bought one of these to try out. DO NOT BUY THIS GUN. Consider yourselves warned. It absolutely does not work as a turkey gun. The recoil system almost broke my jaw and busted the lip of my partner who shot it as well. Sent the gun back immediately.

I have a wingmaster. it is the BEST gun in the world!  I use for trap. Highly recomended

I have several 870's in different gauges, but my favorite is a old clunker I bought in a gas station. I took the butt-plate off and there was a hunting license from the early 1950's with its federal duck stamp. I bought a 20 inch barrel for it, and it is really a handy gun to carry in your vehicle. It is indestructible.

THE BEST ALROUND SHOTGUN EVER MADE ...you can use it for just about any type of shooting  that tickles your fancy and it is so affordable

Still the king after all these years. The shotgun by which all others are judged.