My Favorite Guns: The Remington 870

I received my first gun when I was 3 years old. As areplacement with mass-production potential began.
small child, it seemed I was destined for a love ofRemington engineers realized they could save money
firearms. My grandfather always carried a Remingtonby incorporating currently produced items so they
870 Wingmaster in the now politically incorrect rifledbegan designing a pump shotgun which utilized parts
rack in the back window of the 68 ford pick-up. Itfrom the already produced 1187 autoloader. In 1949,
was always a thrill to go farming with grandpa and IRemington announced the discontinuance of the
spent as much time as I could riding along on theModel 31. Later that year, they announced the
machinery. One day, while Pap was talking with ourproduction of the 870.
fieldman, I figured out how to work the slide on theIn 1950, the first 870's began showing up in retail
870. It was unloaded but at the age of 3, I knewfacilities. Remington knew they had a good product
how it worked and took every advantage to workand wanted to capitalize on the economic boom of
the action. When Pappy returned to truck, histhe middle class in the post war years. Instead of
grandson was standing on the seat, grinning from eartentatively entering the market with one or two
to ear, and working the action of the 870 still in themodels, Remington launched 15 different variations of
rack. He looked at me laughing and said, "KR, (mythe 870 in 12, 16, and 20 gauges. The standard field
initials and family handle) that gun might as well begrade 870 AP was priced at $69.95. Remington
yours!"wanted to provide the gun for the entire spectrum
The Remington 870 is the undisputed champion ofof the hunting community so Deluxe, Tournament,
firearms sales world wide, moving over 9 millionand skeet grades were also introduced along with a
models and variations by the end of the 20thRiot Grade pistol designed to be sold to police and
century. At the end of WWII, Remington recognizedmilitary and compete against the Model 12 Trench
the world of industry was changing. Labor costsGun. Sales were explosive and Remington quickly
were increasing and automation was taking hold. Thebegan producing even more variations of the 870 to
Remington Model 31 pump action shotgun was onefeed market. In 1955, the Magnum versions with 3"
of the identified models as being too expensive tochambers were introduced and in 1959, the first rifled
continue production and development for a qualityslug gun was produced.