870 Express forend wobble...

[Benjammin]

I'm on the market for a new shotgun, I used to have an 870 Express 12 gauge and am thinking of sticking with the 870 platform for me next one. However with my old Express, the forend felt loose and had alot of side-to-side wiggle room. It never gave me any real issues, but aesthetically it displeased me. Then, on a recent visit to my dads, I used his 20 gauge Express, and it was alot sturdier feeling, and had a darker more robust looking matte finish (his is 9 or 10 years old) After spending time with his, I was more dissatisified with mine.

My question, is there any way to remedy this problem? Maybe with new parts, or a visit to a gunsmith? would I just be better off holding out for a gun that feels more to my liking (something older and used most likely) I'd appreciate any input. Part of me feels I'm being too picky, but another part feels that if I'm paying good money for something, I should be sure to get what I want

[JBall]

That's actually not a very common issue wih 870's. Mossberg is actually the one know for its "Forend rattle" but neither platform is effected by it. If you want a better fit and finish by a police model or a wingmaster. You won't be disappointed. Just realize when you by the express or "economic model" you have to expect less from the got and finish.

[ponycarman]

It might be that your forend needs to be tightened. I guess it could also be an issue with the action bars where they connect to the forend tube but I doubt it. I jave seen mossbergs rattle bad but never an 870. Both of mine and tight. The rattle was a reason I steered away from the mossberg at first. I believe it is because the action bars are riveted to the tube on a mossberg not solid like the 870.

[DaveC]

There has to be some play so that tolerances are not too tight... My Remington 870 Express currently has a plastic/polymer EOTech IFL installed. There is a bit of side-to-side play, but not much. I've also got an early 1980s S&W/Howa Japanese 3000 870-copy with old wood stock furniture. There is slightly less play, actually, in the forend. I'd recommend trying either to replace the unit with one you prefer, or simply try tightening the lock ring on it. Try to get a sense of where it rattles or whatever, and see if the part is worn, needs replacement, or some kind of adjustment. Good luck!

[Synchronizor]

As others have said, there's always going to be a little bit of fore-end play in a pump-action gun. The play on an 870 is there for a reason; if tolerances were tight enough that there was minimal play, the action would tend to bind up if the pump wasn't manipulated just right. My dad's old Ithaca 37 is an older gun with a single action bar, and while it has less movement in the fore-end, the action is also stiffer than my 870. It gets really stiff if I twist the fore-end slightly when working the pump. The 870 was designed to avoid this kind of thing.

The main source of play is going to be between the action bars and the slots where they enter the receiver. Like Ponycarman mentioned, the Mossberg fore-ends have more play than the 870's because their action bars and fore-end tube aren't a single, rigid piece like on the Remington (that's also a typical failure point for the Mossbergs). In terms of dimensions and materials, there's no difference between the receivers of different 870 grades, it's just finishing. My guess is that your dad's 20ga 870 felt tighter primarily because it's built on a smaller frame than the 12ga shotguns. The fore-end design may have contributed also; most of the Express Tactical 870s come with the police-style SpeedFeed fore-end, which is a great fore-end, but a super-tight fit was not a design priority with it. Your dad's gun may have had something less utilitarian.

Check the tightness of the fore-end tube nut, and the brazed joint where the action bars attach to the fore-end tube. As long as there's nothing wrong with them, fore-end play shouldn't be anything to worry about, it's just part of what makes the 870 such a great design.