Remington Model 870

A pump-action shotgun introduced in 1950, widely used by civilians, law enforcement, and military.

The Remington Model 870 is a pump-action shotgun manufactured by Remington Arms Company, LLC. It was introduced in 1950 and became one of their most popular firearms, widely used by the public for shooting sports, hunting, and self-defense, as well as by law enforcement and military organizations worldwide.

Quick Facts

In service

1950–present

Designer

L.Ray Crittendon
Phillip Haskell
Ellis Hailston
G.E. Pinckney

Length

26.3 in (66.8 cm) to 50.5 in / 1.28 m

Action

Pump-action

Origin

United States

Used by

See Users

Wars

Vietnam War
Rhodesian Bush War
Lebanese Civil War
War in Afghanistan
Iraq War

Designed

1950

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.

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.