Kalrog wrote:I would say that your friend got a dud. The only difference between the express and the wingmaster is supposed to be the finish. I haven't ever felt the need to buy a wingmaster to test it out though as my express has worked 100%mr surveyor wrote:I have a young friend that recently bought an 870 Express, and has had nothing but extraction problems.... it just ain't the same as the good old faithful 870 wingmaster it would seem.
The internal workings of the 870 express are the same as the
Wingmaster, but no doubt rougher.
You can tell the difference when working the action of each quite easily. It will get better with time/use, or you can disassemble and polish them yourself.
If you really want to feel a "difference" take a Wingmaster pre-1980's and compare it to either of the current offerings.
870's of yesteryear had a good bit of polish and hand fitting from the factory, delightful shotguns. Nothing like what is offered today.
I'm kind of an 870 fan, so I give the nod to it (even the express model) over the other brand.