My first Shotgun! 1951 Wingmaster

[Dirty_D]

I bought a 1951 Remington 870 Wingmaster today. It's chambered for 12 gauge and 2 3/4". My questions are:

Can I put a barrel chambered for 3" shells on it? I know that it won't shoot 3" shells after that, but it's just easier to find 3" barrels than 2 3/4". I'm looking for HD (18-18.5") and rifled barrels

It came with a "PolyChoke" on it. Are these any good? I originally planned on just trying to find a Rem-Choke barrel and getting regular chokes like everyone else. I feel like if PolyChokes were any good, I would see a lot more of them. I plan on mostly skeet shooting with it and maybe hunting at some point.

Will the current magazine extension tubes fit on it with no modifications?

Thanks, can't wait to go to the range this weekend!

[Arloe]

Keep the barrel with the Polychoke. Very cool and very symbolic of the mid-20th century heyday of shotgunning. If there is a choke marking on the left side of the barrel at the breech (chamber) end, then your Polychoke is an aftermarket job, which is fine because so many were put on and gunsmiths (and Polychoke themselves) generally knew how to do it well. If it hasn't shot off by now, you're good. If there is no choke marking there, then you have a factory Polychoke, which were very neat because Remington would sort of integrate it into the end of the barrel and it looked very smooth. Polychoke's advertising mantra was "9 guns in 1!". The death knell for Polychokes, Cutts Compensators, and other muzzle choke devices (e.g., Herter's VariChoke) was the internal choke tube systems, first pioneered by Winchester about 1960. Now, choke tubes are a science--ask Jess Briley or Scott Carlson. Just as internal choke tubes brought the end of external choke muzzle devices, those same devices slowly phased out shotshells that were made to spread out patterns when shot through modified and full chokes (Winchester's were "Brush" loads, Western Cartridge's were "Thicket" loads, Remington (and UMC) were "Scatter" loads, Peter's were "Spreader" loads, U.S. Cartridge's were "Bush" loads, and I think Sears's were "Open" loads). Those scatter-type loads began about 1905 and there were several patents for them (Winchester and Western ultimately used the Winan's patent which was a cruciform insert into the shot charge, and Remington-UMC (and later Peters) used three cards placed horizontally in the shot charge to spread it). The last ones extant were mid-1960s in plastic with topwads. But the scatter loads were headed to oblivion the day Polychokes and Cutts Comps appeared. I actually collect the spreader loads. I have had many shotguns with the external muzzle devices and they work fine.

One other great thing about the external muzzle devices, especially the Cutts Compensator and the Polychoke, is that it gives you just the right amount of extra weight at the muzzle which helps keep the gun swinging. Plus, the blurry bulge at the muzzle end aids immeasurably in subconsciously tracking where your barrel is (you are supposed to be watching the TARGET and not the front sight). Those two things alone make your Polychoke a good thing to have. I have a Model 31 Remington pump 20 gauge with an aftermarket Cutts Compensator (total length of bbl. is 26") that was made in 1942, and I have blasted innumerable birds with it, both clay and feathered. I shot it at trap just a few weeks ago and had a 22 and a 23 from the 16-yard line. External muzzle devices work fine, aid in the swing, and help with barrel control.

Of the external muzzle devices, the Polychokes and Cutts Compensators were the most popular. Polychokes have even been recently (about ten years ago)resurrected as the "Polychoke II" in which they have constructed the Polychoke (exactly the same as the old days, both regular and with the "cage" that acts as a muzzle brake) with a screw-in choke tube that fits many different guns (very neat because they are removable so there is no alteration to the gun and you don't have to have them professionally installed). So if people are using them now instead of choke tubes, what does that tell you? Keep the barrel with the Polychoke, which is very nostalgic-cool and they work very well. Just make sure you clean out the gunk by unscrewing the outer sleeve all the way off and spraying out the metal fingers underneath (then just screw the sleeve back on). Let us know whether your barrel has a choke marking by the breech end--if it doesn't, you have a factory installed Polychoke from the get go.

Like I said, I wouldn't spend money on a new barrel. I would just shoot your very vintage 870 just the way you found it.

I have attached an ad for your gun from its year of production.

[Synchronizor]

I bought a 1951 Remington 870 Wingmaster today. It's chambered for 12 gauge and 2 3/4". My questions are:

Can I put a barrel chambered for 3" shells on it? I know that it won't shoot 3" shells after that, but it's just easier to find 3" barrels than 2 3/4". I'm looking for HD (18-18.5") and rifled barrels

Yes, you can install a barrel with a 3" or 3.5" chamber on your gun. You can even shoot 3" shells with one of those barrels installed, the action in your gun is exactly the same as a magnum 870, and 3" shells run at the same pressures as 2.75" shells. The only issue is that once they're fired and unfolded, the longer 3" shells won't eject properly without a magnum ejector and ejector spring installed.

Will the current magazine extension tubes fit on it with no modifications?

Yes, this was long before Remington came up with the new-style spring retainers that use dimpled magazine tubes. I have heard that some older 870s may have used a slightly different thread pitch on the magazine tube, but even if that's the case, it should be close enough to work.

[Arloe]

DO NOT SHOOT 3" SHELLS IN A 2.75" CHAMBER. Pressures may be the same, but the pressures are increased when the hull can't open all the way. ALWAYS FOLLOW MANUFACTURER'S INSTRUCTIONS.

[Synchronizor]

I'm talking about shooting 3" shells in a 2.75" 870 receiver with a 3"- or 3.5"-chambered barrel installed. No safety issues with that.

[Dirty_D]

I'm talking about shooting 3" shells in a 2.75" 870 receiver with a 3"- or 3.5"-chambered barrel installed. No safety issues with that.

I appreciate the advice, but I don't plan on shooting 3" shells out of it. 2.75" only.

[Synchronizor]

Yeah, that's what I'd recommend. 2.75" shells will do just about everything in the right hands, especially with the good short magnums on the market. I just wanted to point out that 3" shells are usable in a pinch or an emergency if you have a 3+" chamber, though you'll probably have to pull each one out by hand after firing.

[shootall]

Check the Remington site or call them . What I have seen is with 12 a guns if the ser. # prefix is- V the receiver is 2-3/4 only , M is 2-3/4 and 3 inch and A is 2-2/4 , 3 and 3-1/2 inch. But then I have seen 2-3/4 barrels have the chamber extended for 3 inch shells.