The Remington 870 is one of the most popular and famous shotguns in the world. In the 1950s, Remington was trying to compete with the Winchester Model 12 and sought to create a new reliable and relatively inexpensive shotgun, and thus the 870 was born. Since the 1950s, Remington has launched several variations of the Remington 870 with 12, 16, 20, and 28 gauges. There are also several models that are produced for civilian, law enforcement and military sales.
So why is it so famous and popular? Well let’s start with the cost. A Remington 870 can be had brand new for $300 across the US. That’s right, $300 gets you A LOT OF BANG. Sure, you can also add a ton of accessories and modifications in the way of choke tube swaps, barrel changes, stock modifications and sights but your initial shotgun purchase can easily be had for $300 brand new.
But cheap has a history of meaning bad no? Not in this case. Remington designed the 870 with a hardened steel locking lug in the barrel. This makes the shotgun easily adaptable by being able to swap barrels instantly without any tools or much work at all. This is also beefs up the internals of the shotgun, making them more durable. The design is also extremely simple which makes it easy to maintain. I will tell you that maintenance is the key to gun reliability.
Ok so we have cost and reliability, is it user-friendly? It’s a pump action shotgun bud, how much easier do you want it?! There is a reason why the 870 is recommended as a first gun for new gun owners, especially younger ones. It’s an extremely easy gun to operate and be accurate with. You load it, point, and shot, and you can bet it’ll fire each time.
Does it make it the best shotgun ever? Absolutely.
