While there was no budget Express line in the early years, Remington was not shy about offering premium Wingmasters with all the fixin’s. The first 15 models introduced covered the gamut of use cases with models for tournament, trap, skeet, field and even police use. Remington 870 Shotgun Models and Variants Millions begat more millions and by 2009, the 10 million shotgun milestone had been left in the dust. In 1978, the number hit three million and grew to four million by 1984. Just seven years later, in October 1973, Remington hit the two million sold mark, and things really started to move. This date coincided nicely with the 150th anniversary of Eliphalet’s first work on the forge. But 20% of a million was nothing for the 870 line.īy 1966, the company had sold one million 870 shotguns. When young Eliphalet Remington started making a better flintlock barrel in his father’s forge way back in 1816, I’ll bet he would never have dreamed of selling one thousand guns much less 200,000. Its predecessor, the Model 31, sold somewhere in the neighborhood of 200,000 units. The Remington 870 Shotgun ability to swap out 870 Shotgun barrels is yet another reason that the 870 has undergone minimal design change in the past 65 years. The locking bolt and barrel extension have also been a notable contributor to the durability of the 870 since day one. The double bars prevent ill effect from less than perfect linear operation of the mechanism. Double action bars provide not only strength and longevity but allow vigorous and bind-free operation of the pump action. In fact, the primary features that make the Remington 870 distinctive go all the way back to the very first 1950 models. In fact, the 870 Wingmaster was designed to replace another rugged Remington pump shotgun, the Model 31. The concept of pump shotguns certainly wasn’t a new thing. Pricing at the time started at $69.95 and went to the whopping level of $678.55 for a Premier Grade Trap Model.

The Model 870R Riot Grade was among those first 15 models. Also, right off the bat, was the understanding by the company that the 870 would be more than simply a bird gun. Heck, the company launched 15 different models right off the bat in various combinations of 12, 16 and 20 gauges during the first year. The number of variations of the Remington 870 over the years is probably uncountable. I’m putting my money on the collectors, so we’ll go with 1950. On the other hand, a different place on the Remington website and various gun publications claim the 870 came out in 1951. So do the various Remington 870 collectors organizations, and you know how persnickety they are. The official history of Remington claims the 870 was introduced in January 1950. While we’re on the topic of introduction dates, there’s a bit of uncertainty there. I know that because back in 2009, they made a big deal out of producing the 10 millionth one. Since introduction in January 1950, Remington has sold some number bigger than 10 million of 870 shotguns.

Remington 870 wingmaster serial age