Dating My 870

[Donny1]

After looking online I found the information on dating an 870 very cryptic.

If someone knowledgeable about this platform would please help me out I would greatly appreciate it. This is what I can tell you.

The barrel, as close as I can figure because the stamp is weak is PY which translates to:

Your firearm was manufactured on June in one of these years: 2031, 2004, 1974, 1930.

It has a 28" Vent Ribbed Barrel with a removable choke and bead sight, plastic trigger group, marked "Remington 870 Express Magnum" on the receiver and the serial number starts with D7687... and ends with M.


If someone knowledgeable about this platform would please help me out I would greatly appreciate it. I think I could rule out 1930 and 2031 but I'm not sure when they started using the plastic trigger group and I am also curious if they are the way it came or if the barrel has been changed.

Also I would like an opinion, based on what you can tell me about the quality of this generation compared to others. I got this gun years ago for $100, a bit rough, broken stock with some surface rust but I figured I couldn't go wrong.

Thanks!

[ysr_racer]

Dating My 870

Maybe start with dinner and a movie?

[SVTPete83]

Lol

-SVTPete

[JagerDog]

Maybe start with dinner and a movie?

I've never dated a shotgun...but I have been called a son-of-a-gun.

[Donny1]

Well I guess I asked for that, lol.

[pennstater]

Best I could find was Sept, 1997. But, I sure as hell ain't 100% on that.
Maybe call Remington, they'll know.

[coq]

Maybe start with dinner and a movie?

I say skip the dating altogether and just put a few loads down her.

[Cpetersen]

I say skip the dating altogether and just put a few loads down her.

But what if it chokes?

[Huntsprig]

Your firearm was manufactured on June in one of these years: 2031, 2004, 1974, 1930.

It has a 28" Vent Ribbed Barrel with a removable choke and bead sight, plastic trigger group, marked "Remington 870 Express Magnum" on the receiver and the serial number starts with D7687... and ends with M.

When steel shot became law for waterfowl I was looking at new shotguns and the removable Remchoke was brand new at the time.
They were all fixed chokes before that.
That was about 1986 or 1987.

Also, if I remember correctly the Express version of the 870 was introduced about the same time.

Like you said it's not 1930 or 2031 and I can definitely say it's not a 1974 gun, so it must be a 2004.

[Donny1]

When steel shot became law for waterfowl I was looking at new shotguns and the removable Remchoke was brand new at the time.
They were all fixed chokes before that.
That was about 1986 or 1987.

Also, if I remember correctly the Express version of the 870 was introduced about the same time.

Like you said it's not 1930 or 2031 and I can definitely say it's not a 1974 gun, so it must be a 2004.

Cool, thanks.

I wonder when they went to the plastic trigger?