Hunting Washington Forum

Equipment & Gear => Guns and Ammo => Topic started by: trophyhunt on December 06, 2015, 06:40:19 PM

Title: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: trophyhunt on December 06, 2015, 06:40:19 PM: My brother needs to borrow my shot gun it's an 870 12 gauge. He's going on a guided goose and duck hunt, I've never hunted goose or duck so I'm not sure what shells to tell him to buy??? I think I have the stock modified choke, you guys have any info I could give him??
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: bowNarrow on December 06, 2015, 06:42:30 PM: It should say on the side of the receiver or barrel what shells it will take
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: bobcat on December 06, 2015, 06:44:05 PM: Does it say 3" Magnum on both the receiver and the barrel? I'd use 3" shells if it will handle them. Steel would be okay in a 3" shell but if he has to use 2 3/4 inch shells then he may want to use one of the more expensive alternatives.
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: wadu1 on December 06, 2015, 06:44:25 PM: It should say on the left side of the barrel, for length of shell. Remington did at one time used an M in the SN for mag receivers.
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: trophyhunt on December 06, 2015, 06:48:34 PM: Thanks, It says, use 2 3/4" shells or 3" shells in magnum receivers, use only 2 3/4" in all others. I'm not sure if mine is a magnum rec. or not?
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: lokidog on December 06, 2015, 06:50:07 PM: Like mentioned, check the barrel. The choke will have nothing to do with it.

I did accidentally shoot 3" out of my old Wingmaster 870 2 3/4" chamber. Luckily, the only problem I noticed was that when they were slowly shucked out as empties, they would stick in the ejection port since they were too long. When I racked quickly, they would come out. I would not recommend this however, as they could potentially act like an obstruction if the shell does not open completely in the chamber.

Quote from: bobcat on December 06, 2015, 06:44:05 PM
Does it say 3" Magnum on both the receiver and the barrel? I'd use 3" shells if it will handle them. Steel would be okay in a 3" shell but if he has to use 2 3/4 inch shells then he may want to use one of the more expensive alternatives.

Sorry but this is silly. Thousands (millions maybe?) of ducks and geese have dropped to 2 3/4 inch shells before 3's even existed.

Quote from: trophyhunt on December 06, 2015, 06:48:34 PM
Thanks, It says, use 2 3/4" shells or 3" shells in magnum receivers, use only 2 3/4" in all others. I'm not sure if mine is a magnum rec. or not?

Measure the length of the port compared to the length of a fired 3" shell (about 3 3/8"). If the port is larger, it is probably the magnum.
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: trophyhunt on December 06, 2015, 06:51:14 PM: The last letter of my serial number is a M
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: lokidog on December 06, 2015, 06:52:38 PM: Just measured my 2 3/4" shells (they knocked down 6 ducks last week), they are actually just over 2 1/2" long, so if your port is 3 1/8, you are probably fine.
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: trophyhunt on December 06, 2015, 06:54:28 PM: What is and how do you measure the port
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: bobcat on December 06, 2015, 06:57:59 PM: You really shouldn't have to measure anything. Your barrel and receiver should both be stamped with what length shell they will accept.

The length of a shotgun shell is supposed to be after being fired. So a 3 inch shell should be 3 inches long after being fired.
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: trophyhunt on December 06, 2015, 07:08:01 PM: This is what it says, but I'm not sure bobcat if it's a magnum receiver
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: bobcat on December 06, 2015, 07:11:34 PM: Okay, so what does it say on the receiver?
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: trophyhunt on December 06, 2015, 07:12:19 PM: Also, what shells should I tell him to buy, I figure two different kinds for duck and goose? Steel only?
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: lokidog on December 06, 2015, 07:14:26 PM: If it has an 'M', it is probably magnum, especially if you bought them together.

The port is the oval opening where the empties fly out from.

Decoying 4's ducks, 1's geese

More pass shooting 3's duck BB's geese is what I use, though we dropped a lot of geesae with 2 3/4" 2's when I was a kid.
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: trophyhunt on December 06, 2015, 07:19:03 PM: The M in the ser numb is at the end, the receiver only says this.
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: Bob33 on December 06, 2015, 07:20:33 PM: Quote from: trophyhunt on December 06, 2015, 07:12:19 PM
Also, what shells should I tell him to buy, I figure two different kinds for duck and goose? Steel only?
You can't shoot lead for waterfowl. Don't even take any with you.

Steel is the most common, and least expensive lead substitute. There are better substitutes but they are more costly, and you may not need them.

The primary difference to consider between ammunition for ducks and geese is shot size. Generally speaking, larger shot sizes are used for geese since they're larger. However, it depends on the distances you plan to be shooting at. If you are shooting steel, shot sizes for ducks between #2 and #4 are probably the best. For geese you'll probably want BB or a bit larger.

There are two other variables: (1) the amount of shot, measured in ounces, and (2) the velocity. They work in opposite: everything being more shot means less velocity. Right now it seems that velocity is more desirable than shot but that's personal preference. Don't get too hung up on this.
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: trophyhunt on December 06, 2015, 07:27:10 PM: The port is 3" if that matters, does anyone have a magnum that doesn't look like my pics?
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: bobcat on December 06, 2015, 07:33:52 PM: I just went out and pulled mine out of the safe. Mine is identical to yours. Serial number ends with an m and the port measures exactly 3 inches. I'm pretty sure the receiver should be stamped 3 inch magnum if it was made for 3 inch shells. Like lokidog, I have fired a few 3 inch shells in mine, and just as he said, they tend to get stuck when ejecting through the port. I would recommend using only 2 3/4 inch shells and use something better than steel shot. For ducks 2 3/4 inch steel loads are fine but for geese you need something better, in my opinion.
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: Bob33 on December 06, 2015, 07:35:46 PM: What matters is the chamber size. At the front of the chamber is a tapered forcing cone. When the shell is fired, the crimp opens. If the crimp hits the forcing cone, it can damage the barrel.

A chamber designed to shoot 3" shells will have a long enough chamber such that the the crimp can freely open without pushing about the forcing cone.

If you do shoot a 3" shell in a chamber designed for 2 3/4" it probably won't explode but more likely would damage the gun.

It's really very simple - if you're not sure, don't shoot 3" shells. You can kill plenty of ducks and geese with 2 3/4" ammunition.
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: emac on December 06, 2015, 07:38:00 PM: My picture won't post for some reason but mine says magnum right after express on both mine

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: bobcat on December 06, 2015, 07:38:02 PM: The stupid thing is the barrel is made for 3 inch shells, but the receiver is not. So it's safe to shoot the 3 inch shells, they just don't eject reliably. And when I say this I'm only referring to the Remington 870 Express.
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: muzzlebuck on December 06, 2015, 07:41:06 PM: Express = 2 3/4"
Express Magnum = 2 3/4" & 3"
Express Super Magnum = 2 3/4" 3" & 3 1/2"
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: Bob33 on December 06, 2015, 07:42:49 PM: https://support.remington.com/02_PUMP_ACTION_MODEL_870%E2%84%A2/If_I_have_a_Model_870_barrel_that_is_marked_for_3-inch_shells,_can_I_use_this_barrel_in_my_Model_870%3F

"All barrels are clearly marked with chamber information located about half way down on the left-hand side, "side opposite ejection port". Receivers are marked with letters at the end of the serial number that determine ejection size. "
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: trophyhunt on December 06, 2015, 07:45:06 PM: Thanks guys, I knew I would get the answers I needed! On the Remington web site it says you have a magnum receiver if the last letter in the serial number is an M. Mine does.
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: scudmaster on December 06, 2015, 07:46:05 PM: The challenge is that the 2 3/4 receiver with a 3" barrel will chamber #' shells and eject them...until they are fired. The shell measurement is the opened hull, not the crimped hull. The receiver will say what shells it capable of accepting. Unless the gun is a wingmaster made before 1987, it is likely a 3" gun. All Express are 3"
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: scudmaster on December 06, 2015, 07:47:28 PM: I really like the Hevi Metal...mid line in the price and better than steel.
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: bobcat on December 06, 2015, 07:53:13 PM: That's good to see the official answer to the question from Remington. But still, I won't shoot 3 inch shells in mine because they sometimes get jammed up in the ejection port.
Title: Re: Can u put 3" magnums in an 870 pump?
Post by: trophyhunt on December 06, 2015, 07:58:30 PM: Quote from: bobcat on December 06, 2015, 07:53:13 PM
That's good to see the official answer to the question from Remington. But still, I won't shoot 3 inch shells in mine because they sometimes get jammed up in the ejection port.
yes it's nice to see the website reaffirm everything! Thanks very much again