Who hasn’t owned a Remington Model 870 at some point? And, of those who haven’t, how many don’t have some experience with one? After all, according to some authorities, there have been more 870s produced than any other shotgun. If Winchester made the slide action the quintessential “American shotgun,” with its Model 1897 and Model 12, then Remington cinched the deal in 1950 when it made the 870 into “everyman’s classic shotgun.” The big difference is in the “everyman’s” designation.
Nobody will argue that the Model 12 wasn’t slicker. It’s also a little better finished and more graceful, but “everyman” couldn’t necessarily afford one and when the 870 came out in 1950, it effectively ushered the Model 12 into history. The 870 filled the niche where everyone who wanted a repeater and couldn’t afford a semi-auto or a Model 12 was standing.
And none of the above diminishes the 870. It has plenty of good points of its own. They just aren’t quite the same as those of the Model 12. The reason for the success of the 870 was that even though it wasn’t as “nice” as a Model 12, it was still attractive. It was still a repeater, totally reliable and tough as nails to boot. And it was a good bit less expensive to buy. The result was that they sold like hotcakes.
From the beginning, there was a version to suit every need. To tell the truth, the standard 12 gauge, fixed-choke version was so versatile that there was damn little that it wouldn’t do. If you got one with an IC or modified choke, like I did, you could handle just about anything. It wouldn’t be ideal for bobwhites. It wouldn’t be ideal for Canadas, either, but you wouldn’t be afraid to use it for either. My first one had a fixed modified choke (long before screw-in chokes became available) and I used it for both with pretty good results!
It might surprise a few of the readers of this column who know of my lifelong predilection for side-by-sides, but I’ve owned a bunch of 870s in my time. In addition to that first 12-gauge, I also owned a 20-gauge with a 26-inch barrel and IC choke that I used to slay a “truckload” of quail. I also had a 28-inch magnum 12-gauge that I used for duck and geese, as well as a “riot gun” that guarded my bedroom for a bunch of years. I also had a custom-built 12-gauge with a super-full choked 20-inch barrel that I used for turkeys.
I was carrying the customized turkey gun one foggy spring morning when I happened to hear a bird double-gobble in answer to the cluck of my old “Lynch box.” I was a little surprised, because it was mid-morning and I hadn’t heard a thing up till then. I was leaning against a huge water oak that grew right on the edge of the big swamp, so I propped the little 870 against the tree and let out a short series of yelps that were instantly met with another double-gobble. I picked up the little pump and waited, but the swamp was silent. After a few minutes, I propped the 870 again and stroked a series of yelps. The answering double-gobble nearly blew my hat off and I instinctively grabbed the 870 and brought it to shoulder just as a pair of big-ole gobblers burst into sight, running as fast as they could in their side-to-side rocking gait. They were so close that I could see their beards swinging from side to side as they ran.
The bigger of the two folded instantly when I centered his head with the magnum load of copper No. 6. Of course, instinct took over as I shucked the shell and simultaneously chambered the load of 2s that I always carried for back-up work as the other gobbler took flight angling to my right and climbing fast. When the 2s struck home, the second gobbler folded like a quail and the swamp was struck silent except for the sound of the shot echoing down the river-bottom, bouncing from side to side as it faded into the distance.
Despite all the exposure, I’ve never been really adept with the slide-action. I think you have to be a lot better coordinated than I am to really show off what a pump can do. Fortunately, lots of folks are. I once had a quail hunting buddy who was addicted to his 870. When a covey rose, he could make it rattle like castanets. Somewhere around middle age, I converted to using side-bys almost exclusively and let what little pump-action talent I had slip away.
About 30 years ago, I was at a “Big Money” live-pigeon shoot out west when a young fellow in his 20s showed up to give the sport a try for the very first time. He had heard about the event from a friend and wangled an invitation, but the only gun he owned was the 870 that he used for everything. As it happened, he drew the slot right before me to shoot, and it fell to me to “coach him up” a little bit on how the thing was conducted. I could have saved the effort!
If there was ever a sport where a fast, accurate second shot is required, it’s box-birds, and I really didn’t have much faith in the boy’s ability to cope with the “need for speed.” After all, we were the only competitors who weren’t using over/unders. We certainly drew attention, too, him with his 870 and me with my old Parker side-by! Truth is, neither of us won that day, but we were only one bird “out of the money.” And we both had the same score! To this day, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody shuck a slide-action faster!
Years ago, when my own son decided he was ready to give up his “single barrel” for a repeater, I bought him a 12-gauge 870. For all the same reasons that made it into “everyman’s classic.” It simply does the job! It’s fast, reliable, tough and it won’t break the bank to get one! To this day, it’s his only shotgun. He’s a lot older now and can afford to shoot anything that he wants. When I recently asked him when he thought he’d buy another shotgun, he gave me a puzzled look and responded, “What for?”
That’s the 870 for you! And that’s why there are more of them than any other shotgun in the world!