I plan to be in the woods often once I retire to northern Michigan and have been studying shotguns for awhile trying to figure out what I want for hunting up there and decided a pump 20 gauge would serve well for birds and rabbits. I discovered Remington made a nice English-stocked Light Weight Special Field Model 870 between about 1984 to 1995 and decided one of these would be perfect. These guns have mag tubes and forends that are about 2" shorter than standard and, from what I've read, are built on 28 gauge-sized receivers. The other day, a buddy on a local forum pointed me to a local gun store that happened to have one on consignment. I visited yesterday and was pleased to find out it was used but in very good shape and featured the 23" Rem Choke barrel that was available for only the last two years of production (this one dates to Feb. 1995, a late example), whereas the earlier guns had 21" barrels, with fixed chokes for the first few years. Considering the condition and desirable longer barrel, I bought it. I paid $450 out the door, which I think is pretty good considering they're averaging around $600 used, when they can be found.
Spent today going over the gun in detail, cleaning it and familiarizing myself with it and I remain very pleased. It looks to have been shot very little, if at all, the only wear being a few slight rubs on the wood and a couple pin point dings on the receiver that any long gun handled a bit will pick up. I put it on the postal scale and it weighs 6 lbs. 1 oz. empty. Figuring only a few more ounces loaded (2+1), it's a real lightweight and should be a pleasure to take afield. At 44" total length, it shoulders and swings like a dream and the straight stock shouldn't be punishing at all with the 20 bore. I look forward to patterning it and bagging some birds.
Spent today going over the gun in detail, cleaning it and familiarizing myself with it and I remain very pleased. It looks to have been shot very little, if at all, the only wear being a few slight rubs on the wood and a couple pin point dings on the receiver that any long gun handled a bit will pick up. I put it on the postal scale and it weighs 6 lbs. 1 oz. empty. Figuring only a few more ounces loaded (2+1), it's a real lightweight and should be a pleasure to take afield. At 44" total length, it shoulders and swings like a dream and the straight stock shouldn't be punishing at all with the 20 bore. I look forward to patterning it and bagging some birds.
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