Remington 870 Express 12 Gauge
Model: R25549
Remington 870 Express 12 Gauge
Model: R25549
Full Specifications
About This Firearm
The Remington 870 Express is a steel-receiver pump-action 12 gauge built for home defense. It has an MSRP of $540. Its receiver is milled from a solid billet of steel, which is where its 120.0 oz comes from and why it holds steadier and carries heavier than the aluminum-framed pumps it competes with.
This tactical configuration carries an 18.5-inch barrel, holds four rounds and runs 38.5 inches overall, with a bead at the muzzle and nothing at the rear. The safety is a cross-bolt button behind the trigger guard. Dual action bars keep the bolt square in the receiver as it cycles, which is where the 870's smooth stroke comes from. Nothing on the stock adjusts and the length of pull is fixed.
If you're cross-shopping, the Mossberg 500 holds six rounds at 108.0 oz, 12.0 oz lighter, and its top-tang safety works for either hand with nothing replaced. A Winchester SXP Defender has an MSRP of $390, $150 less, at 104.0 oz with a chrome-plated bore. Both of those run aluminum receivers, so the Remington's steel frame accounts for the extra weight.
Best For
Strengths & Limitations
- Remington hammer forges the 870 barrel, and the receiver has taken field, turkey, slug and trap barrels since the first Express models arrived in 1987.
- The Supercell pad Remington uses across the 870 line is shaped to cut felt recoil without adding length to the stock.
- This is the pump-action shotgun the U.S. armed forces and special operations have carried, which is where the armorer knowledge and the parts supply came from.
- Four rounds is the lowest capacity of the defensive pumps in this class, and reaching six means buying an extension tube.
- A bead front sight with no rear reference and a receiver that is not cut for an optic put a low ceiling on slug work.
- It is the heavy gun in the class, and that weight tells when the gun has to be worked one-handed.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Will other 870 barrels fit it?
Yes. Remington builds the 870 around barrel swapping, so waterfowl, upland, turkey and trap barrels all go on the same receiver.
How many shells does it hold with three-inch loads?
Three. Four is the figure for standard-length shells, and the chamber takes both.
What does Express mean?
It is Remington's working-grade trim level on the 870, and the first Express models arrived in 1987.
