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  #1  
Old 09-09-2019, 6:33 AM
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Default Remington 870 Wingmaster Question

Hello. I need some help identifying the year that my Rem. 870 Wingmaster was produced. The trigger guard is metal and certain parts of the shotgun have faded into a nice purple colored patina. The gun store said that it sat, unfired in a closet for the last few decades and they thought it might be a 70’s era shotgun.
Serial number: V183***V
Here are a few pics:



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Last edited by AO3; 09-18-2019 at 2:39 PM..
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  #2  
Old 09-09-2019, 11:37 AM
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Hope this helps.

https://www.rem870.com/gun-manufactu...number-lookup/
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  #3  
Old 09-09-2019, 1:44 PM
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Google remington to get their phone number and give them the receiver serial number and they can tell you.
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Old 09-09-2019, 4:07 PM
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Looks to be in nice condition. Wonder if a police special or if its been pieced together? Most Wingmasters Ive seen were an upgrade over the field grade with highly polished bluing and fancier wood.
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  #5  
Old 09-09-2019, 4:41 PM
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Looks like a 870 Police from early 1980's, they were Wingmasters but without the fancy wood and had an 18" improved cylinder barrel.
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Last edited by Californio; 09-09-2019 at 4:44 PM..
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  #6  
Old 09-09-2019, 4:46 PM
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It is a great looking shotgun. You can't buy one as good as that anyone. Just take it out and shoot it.

I do not know how the barrel with do with steel shot.
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  #7  
Old 09-09-2019, 5:09 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hamajun View Post
Thanks!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hairball View Post
+1

That is what I did with mine. My father purchased the shotgun new in 1954 and we always thought that was the year. I called Remington only to find out it was made in 1951. My father has since passed and it sits in my safe waiting for my demise only to show up at some estate sale and be sold for 40 bucks...
I’m going to have to give that a try. Going to the source makes sense to me.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Californio View Post
Looks like a 870 Police from early 1980's, they were Wingmasters but without the fancy wood and had an 18" improved cylinder barrel.
This one actually says “Wingmaster” on the left side of the receiver. Did the Police models say “Police” on them?

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Originally Posted by slamfire1 View Post
It is a great looking shotgun. You can't buy one as good as that anyone. Just take it out and shoot it.

I do not know how the barrel with do with steel shot.
I’m taking it out this upcoming weekend. Just got a 4x4 so I’ll be hitting the desert dirt and finding me a nice canyon on BLM to shoot.
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  #8  
Old 09-09-2019, 5:09 PM
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Default stole from Remington owner forum

PostPosted: Thu Jan 03, 2013 6:43 pm
Cary wrote:
How do I find out the date of manufacture for my 870 Express using the serial number? Is there a key for deciphering the serial number to figure this out? Thanks for your help.
Cary


Call Remington and give them the serial number, they will tell you when it was born, however keep in mind they due make errors.

Back up what they tell you with this information;
DECODING REMINGTON SERIAL NUMBERS
Model 870 LETTER PREFIX
1950 TO APPROX 1968: NO SERIAL NUMBER PREFIX
1968 TO PRESENT: LETTERS USED (IN SEQUENCE)
S-68, T-74, V-78, W-84, X-90, A-91, B-94, C-97, D-01, AB-05

Model 870 LETTER SUFFIX (DESIGNATES GAUGE)
V 12 GA. (2 3/4”)
M 12 GA. MAGNUM (3”)
A 12 GA. “SUPER” MAGNUM (3 ½”)
W 16 GA. ( 2 ¾” )
X 20 GA. “HEAVY FRAME” (DISCONTINUED)
N 20 GA. “HEAVY FRAME MAGNUM” (DISCONTINUED)
K 20 GA. “LIGHT WEIGHT” (“LW”) (ALSO INCLUDES M/1100 “LT”)
U 20 GA. LW MAGNUM (ALSO INCLUDES M/1100 “LT”)
J 28 GA.
H .410 BORE (2 ½” OR 3”)

Model 1100 LETTER PREFIX
1963 TO APPROX. 1968: NO SERIAL NUMBER PREFIX
1968 TO PRESENT: LETTERS USED (IN SEQUENCE)
L-68, M-74, N-78, P-85, R-90

Model 1100 LETTER SUFFIX
SAME STRUCTURE AS THE Model 870

Model 1187 LETTER PREFIX
1987 TO PRESENT: “PC” 12 GA., 1999 “TL“ 20 GA.,
2000 “SM” SUPER MAG.

LETTER SUFFIX
NO LETTER SUFFIX ON THIS MODEL

Then look on the left side of the barrel near the receiver and look for a two letter date code stamp and follow this chart with the first letter being the month and the second being the year the barrel was made;
Month
B - Jan L - Feb A - Mar C - Apr K - May P - Jun
O - Jul W - Aug D - Sep E - Oct R - Nov X - Dec

Year
M - 1921 N - 1922 P - 1923 R - 1924 S - 1925
T - 1926 U - 1927 W - 1928 X - 1929 Y - 1930
Z - 1931 A - 1932 B - 1933 C - 1934 D - 1935
E - 1936 F - 1937 G - 1938 H - 1939 J - 1940
K - 1941 L - 1942 MM - 1943 NN - 1944 PP - 1945
RR - 1946 SS - 1947 TT - 1948 UU - 1949 WW - 1950
XX - 1951 YY - 1952 ZZ - 1953 A - 1954 B - 1955
C - 1956 D - 1957 E - 1958 F - 1959 G - 1960
H - 1961 J - 1962 K - 1963 L - 1964 M - 1965
N - 1966 P - 1967 R - 1968 S - 1969 T - 1970
U - 1971 W - 1972 X - 1973 Y - 1974 Z - 1975
I - 1976 O - 1977 Q - 1978 V - 1979 A - 1980
B - 1981 C - 1982 D - 1983 E - 1984 F - 1985
G - 1986 H - 1987 I - 1988 J - 1989 K - 1990
L - 1991 M - 1992 N - 1993 O - 1994 P - 1995
Q - 1996 R - 1997 S - 1998 T - 1999 (*) U - 2000 (*)
V - 2001 (*) W - 2002 X - 2003 Y - 2004 Z - 2005
A - 2006 B - 2007 C - 2008 D - 2009 E - 2010
F - 2011 G - 2012 H - 2013
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Old 09-09-2019, 7:46 PM
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"This one actually says “Wingmaster” on the left side of the receiver. Did the Police models say “Police” on them?"

No, just Wingmaster and a nice blue finish.
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  #10  
Old 09-09-2019, 10:59 PM
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Pictures of the barrel markings have been taken. Am I mistaken of do the marking indicate that the shotgun was produced in January 1978?


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  #11  
Old 09-09-2019, 11:22 PM
XVIga_Rob XVIga_Rob is offline
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Looks like the gun was made in 78’, and the barrel made in March 2001.
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  #12  
Old 09-10-2019, 1:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by XVIga_Rob View Post
Looks like the gun was made in 78’, and the barrel made in March 2001.
I must be missing something. How did you conclude that the barrel was made in 2001?
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Last edited by AO3; 09-10-2019 at 2:16 PM..
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  #13  
Old 09-10-2019, 2:13 PM
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If you look at the tables provided the letter code precedes the month or year.

The barrel code of AV means (per the table) the barrel was made in March, 1979
A - Mar
V appears in the table twice.
V - 1979
V - 2001 (*)

It looks like the receiver was made in 1978.
DECODING REMINGTON SERIAL NUMBERS
Model 870 LETTER PREFIX
V-78

At least, that's how I interpret it.
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  #14  
Old 09-10-2019, 5:20 PM
XVIga_Rob XVIga_Rob is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BOBGBA View Post
If you look at the tables provided the letter code precedes the month or year.

The barrel code of AV means (per the table) the barrel was made in March, 1979
A - Mar
V appears in the table twice.
V - 1979
V - 2001 (*)

It looks like the receiver was made in 1978.
DECODING REMINGTON SERIAL NUMBERS
Model 870 LETTER PREFIX
V-78

At least, that's how I interpret it.
I did not see that. Sorry.
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  #15  
Old 09-12-2019, 12:34 PM
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I just spoke with a rep from Remington who told me the serial number dates the firearm to March 1979. He even ID’d the shotgun as an 870 Wingmaster Police w/ 18.5” improved cylinder barrel.

It appears that this shotgun is very much all original.
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WTB: https://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/...6#post27313406

Last edited by AO3; 09-12-2019 at 12:43 PM..
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  #16  
Old 09-12-2019, 12:41 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AO3 View Post
I just spoke with a rep from Remington who told me the serial number dates the firearm to 1953. Now I’m really confused haha
What numbers did you provide remington?
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  #17  
Old 09-12-2019, 12:42 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BOBGBA View Post
What numbers did you provide remington?
Had to edit my previous post because Remington called back and gave me accurate information. Apparently the first rep I spoke with made a mistake.
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