Why the Remington 870 Is Still the Greatest Pump Shotgun (and Why It’s Hard to Find New Models in Stock)  

The iconic 870 is stuck in transition as manufacturing moves from Ilion, New York, to a new plant in Georgia. Here’s why we hope to see new 870s on shelves again soon

By Phil Bourjaily – Outdoor Life

A friend summed up the Remington 870 perfectly, once as we argued about which was the greatest shotgun ever made. The 870 was the greatest, he said, because it was the best possible gun that the most possible people could afford. He wasn’t wrong. The 870 is a gun for the masses. It stands as an example of mass-produced, affordable excellence, and it has for 75 years.

There are literally millions of 870s still on the job. With more than 11,000,000 made and (hopefully) counting, Remington’s famous pump has been used to hunt anything you can hunt with a shotgun. It has won countless clay target events. It has served in war, in law enforcement, and as a home-defense shotgun.

Designed to be made with methods developed for rushing arms to the troops during WWII, the 870 was a great, inexpensive gun ——not a cheap one. Its introduction in 1950 marked a new era of firearms manufacture. CLICK HERE TO READ FULL STORY