When I started duck hunting in the Pac NW salt/brackish in 91 it was time to stop using my Grandfather's 4 digit serial number Auto-5 and I bought one of the first years of the coated/camo 870s. Great decision.
It's been a stalwart companion that often got broken down at the end of the day and dropped in the tub to clean the salt off then blow dried and oiled. Shot my first perfect rounds of skeet with it as well as a truckload of ducks and geese plus a couple off blacktails on Whidbey Island (no rifle area). While not elegant, it is as fine a simple, reliable firearm that has ever built.
