Remington Model 870

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Lore & Background

The Remington 870 was the fourth major design in a series of Remington pump shotguns. It was produced in 1950 to achieve better sales than the earlier Model 31, which struggled due to expensive machined parts. The 870 was a commercial success, with two million sold by 1973, three million by 1983, seven million by 1996, and ten million by April 13, 2009.

In Their Own Story

The rain-slicked streets of Empire Bay glistened under the flickering neon signs. Across the alley, two cops shouted orders, their flashlights cutting through the darkness. Vito pumped the shotgun, the click echoing like a promise. He stepped out, fired once, and the nearest officer crumpled. The second cop dove for cover, but Vito was already advancing, the shotgun's barrel steady. In the close quarters of the alley, there was no room for error—only the thunder of the 12-gauge.

Reader's Guide

The 870 features a bottom-loading, side-ejecting receiver and a tubular magazine under the barrel. It has dual action bars, an internal hammer, and a bolt that locks into an extension in the barrel. The gun comes with a plug for migratory bird hunting that reduces magazine capacity to two rounds. The original models offered fixed chokes; in 1986, Remington introduced the 'Rem Choke' system of screw-in chokes. A design flaw existed for over 30 years where a shell could fail to engage the magazine latch, potentially tying up the gun; this was resolved with the 'Flexi Tab' carrier, identifiable by a U-shaped cut-out on the carrier.

Did You Know?

• The Remington 870 was introduced in 1950.
• By 1973, Remington had sold two million Model 870 shotguns.
• The ten millionth Model 870 was produced on April 13, 2009.
• The 870's fire control group design was first used in the automatic 11–48.
• Chinese company Norinco has made unlicensed copies of the Remington 870.