need help

[timriley0927]

some body given me a shotgun...it looks like a remington 870 but has no trigger assembly..the side of the shot said sportsman mag 12 pump...my question is will a remington 870 express trigger assembly fit on this shot gun

[Synchronizor]

The Sportsman 12 Pump was a short-lived budget version of the 870 that Remington marketed for a few years in the mid-80s. It was basically a fore-runner for the 870 Express line; same gun, but with some corner-cutting on the cosmetics and accessories to meet a lower price point.

As far as I understand, they were mechanically identical to the 870s being produced at the time and had fully-interchangeable parts, so you should be able to drop in a standard 12ga 870 Magnum trigger plate assembly. You can order these new from Remington, or look online if you want to save some money. It also wouldn't be a bad idea to check out a couple other parts in the gun and see if it could use a full flex-tab upgrade.

If you'd like some assistance selecting the correct trigger plate assembly or upgrading other parts, just ask.

[timriley0927]

is the mag trigger assembly different then the express non mag ones. i was hoping to buy a police trigger for my tac 870 remington that i am buliding and use that old one in the sportman mag .

[Synchronizor]

The only differences between 12ga Magnum and 2.75"-only 870s are the ejector, ejector spring, and chamber; none of which are part of the trigger plate assembly. Super Magnum trigger plate assemblies are special, but that doesn't really come into play here.

Also, just a note, it's commonly believed that the newer polymer trigger plates are tougher than the old powder-cast aluminum trigger plates. I've never seen any direct testing that confirms this, but powder-cast aluminum is certainly not known for its ability to take impacts, and testing on similar 10/22 trigger guards supports the theory. Also, the polymer trigger plates are nice because they're black through and through, while the aluminum is silver underneath the finish, and shows any dings or scratches very clearly.

[timriley0927]

I like the poilce one cause the better springs. Where can I buy it at

[Vitaly]

You can get it on Brownells: http://tinyurl.com/lvk2kko

Here are two posts about springs in trigger group:

Remington 870 Carrier Latch Spring Upgrade

Remington 870 Sear Springs (Light Pull, Standard, Police (Heavy))

[Synchronizor]

It's worth pointing out that the Police springs aren't higher-quality, inherently more reliable, or universally better than the springs used in other 870s; they're just different. They cater to the specific demands and priorities of LE & military applications, but there are obviously some negative trade-offs too, such as a heavy trigger pull and stiffer cycling. So they shouldn't be viewed as the best choices for all situations.

However, one advantage the Police-style compressed aluminum trigger plate assemblies have over the aluminum ones is that you can get them with the hole for the safety's spring & detent ball reversed, giving you a left-handed safety that is compatible with all the aftermarket 870 safety switches on the market. These assemblies are marked with some variation of "RHEJ LHS" (Right-Hand-EJecting, Left-Hand-Safety).

[timriley0927]

It's worth pointing out that the Police springs aren't higher-quality, inherently more reliable, or universally better than the springs used in other 870s; they're just different. They cater to the specific demands and priorities of LE & military applications, but there are obviously some negative trade-offs too, such as a heavy trigger pull and stiffer cycling. So they shouldn't be viewed as the best choices for all situations.

However, one advantage the Police-style compressed aluminum trigger plate assemblies have over the aluminum ones is that you can get them with the hole for the safety's spring & detent ball reversed, giving you a left-handed safety that is compatible with all the aftermarket 870 safety switches on the market. These assemblies are marked with some variation of "RHEJ LHS" (Right-Hand-EJecting, Left-Hand-Safety).

what trigger should be viewed as the best

[shootall]

you can always replace springs with after market from makers like wolff . I have both police and Wingmaster triggers along with express. Plastic and alum. The Wingmaster is nice and to be honest the other get good with use. I always tell people if you want a trigger job shoot the gun a lot first.

[Synchronizor]

what trigger should be viewed as the best

If I needed a whole new trigger plate assembly, I would go with the Marine Magnum assembly (the one without the locking safety, obviously). These assemblies use a synthetic trigger plate, and have special internal parts that are finished to be more corrosion-resistant, including a few external parts like the trigger, safety switch, and shell carrier. This makes them silver-colored rather than the more common black (or gold, for the trigger), so you'll have to decide if that would look good or bad to you.

As far as function though, all 870 triggers are essentially the same. There is a competition trap version of the hammer that is slightly lighter, supposedly for less lock-time, but I seriously doubt that would make any noticeable difference. If you prefer lighter or heavier springs somewhere, you can drop those into any trigger plate assembly.