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Remington 870 Wingmaster 200th Anniversary Limited Edition Pump Shotgun  Remington has, understandably, gone all out celebrating their 200th anniversary and this 200th Anniversary Limited Edition 870 Wingmaster is one of the exclusive models for 2016. The production run is limited to only 2016 guns in a special serial number series. The 870 200th Limited Edition is a 12 gauge with a 26 inch barrel. It weighs 7.5 pounds on the nose, with a trigger that breaks at about five pounds. The 870 200th Limited Edition comes well presented and fully assembled, except for the magazine limiter, in a box that is elaborately printed on the inside. A gunsock protects the gun, which is surrounded by generous padding. This 870 is simply stunning, with American style engraving and gold-filled accents on both sides of the receiver. The butt stock and pump handle are beautiful, high grade walnut that Remington calls their C Grade, decorated with classic Fleur de Lis checkering. The checkering is more extensive than you may at first notice, for there is a Fleur de Lis on the top of the butt stock where it meets the back of the receiver. The butt terminates in a black, ventilated recoil pad. Most repeating shotguns today have gone away from steel receivers. This is unfortunate on a couple of levels, for engraving really pops-out crisply when applied to steel. The barrel has a gold ring near the muzzle, the trigger is gold plated and the 200th Anniversary grip cap has a sculpted 24-karat gold inlay. This limited production model has a 2016 MSRP of $1499. As with all Remington firearms manufactured in 2016 onward, the 870 Limited Edition comes with a lifetime written warranty. Specifications
The Remington 870, introduced in 1951, has become the most popular shotgun in history. By April of 2008, 10 million had been produced and by now, something over 11,000,000 have been sold. When Remington wants to, they can make beautiful shotguns and with this model they obviously wanted to. Remington was one of the last of the major manufacturers to add screw-chokes to their shotguns. The Remchoke system was added to the 870 12 gauge (and the 1100 12 gauge) relatively recently, in 1986. One of the benefits of not being first on the block with choke tubes is that you do not have to offer eighteen different types of threads and lengths to get it right. It has always been irritating when the same model gun is introduced with yet another choke tube style, making the drawer full of choke tubes you already have worthless. The 870 Wingmaster 200th Limited uses the same Remchoke system that has been in service for thirty years. The 870 Wingmaster Limited comes with the common set of three choke tubes, but like the Remington V3 autoloader, the Full choke tube is made from a more expensive alloy and is suitable for both steel and lead. It is marked that way, right on the tube. Premium walnut for firearms does not come cheap. For those who enjoy and appreciate fine walnut, you can spend more than the price of this entire gun for just a finished wood set. For example, there is invariably a bit of sticker shock for the fellow who is looking at a $2500 O/U, but wants nicely figured wood, so he checks out the EELL version of the same gun. He is jolted to discover the price is now $7500. When you can buy five 200th Anniversary Wingmasters for that and have cash left over, it is food for thought. I am glad to see that this specific model comes with a 26 inch barrel. Generally, 26 inch barreled repeaters are better balanced and handle faster than repeaters with longer barrels. As I am writing this shortly before Father's Day, I cannot help but comment on what my Dad's reaction would have been to the out of box experience. It would have been a puff on the cigar, followed by, "Oh, wow." (Dad reserved "hubba-hubba" for some of non-firearm things he appreciated.) The next question would have been, "Are you going to shoot it?" Of course, the answer has always been, "You had better believe it; that's what they are for." |