Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Remington 870 special purpose

Theres a Remington 870 special purpose 12 gauge in a local shop. I remember them coming out in the mid to late 80s . I tried doing some research online only to get conflicting answers. Were they on a dull finish Wingmaster receiver or are they like the cheaper Express models. I don't need it but its in good condition and i can pick it up for around $200 out the door . Ive got about a dozen 870s in different configurations and gauges but not that one . Thanks in advance for any reply BTW its a 30" screw in choke

I think the conflicting answers are because there were multiple variations of the Special Purpose, dependent on what it’s purpose was. This is based entirely on my 5 minutes of googling it. Seems there were several metal variations (parkerized, bead blast, chrome lined), as well as everything from dull finished hand checkered walnut to standard issue synthetic stocks. Seems like each gun marked Special Field would be an entity of its own.

The Special Purpose field guns preceded the Express by a couple of years. They were basically a Wingmaster with an oil finished hardwood stock and a dull finish that was different than that of the Express. After the Express was introduced, the Special Purpose stock was changed to an oil finished walnut stock.

As I recall, the SP's demise was its resemblance to the Express but at a much higher cost. Few saw an advantage to spending more for a gun that would be facing severe conditions. For $200 it does not sound like a bad price if in good condition. I've paid considerably more for a gun that I was collecting but did not have.

Ok thanks for the replies. I'll probably go ahead and pick it up

https://www.remingtonsociety.org/collecting-870-shotguns/

Look at 85 and 89.

Thank you, I'll have to save that . Lot of good info there

I have a special purpose synthetic that's a dull finish but not as rough a finish as an Express. Although I've had the trigger assemblies out & compared to other 870's & cannot see a difference, the SP sees to be smoother than my Express models, maybe just the finish.

$200 for one? I have 5 870's, but would trip trying to get to a $200 SP.

Mine is one of my "keep come hell or high water" guns. Few qualify for that.

Also 91. I have a 870 SP Synthetic. Having owned an Express at one time, I can say that the SP is a much nicer gun and a great deal at $200.

Ok thanks for all the replies. Most of you sound like me, tough to beat a good 870.

Yes, for $200 OTD I think it is a real good deal!

Which 870 offering featured a shorter rifled slug barrel and iron sights for deer hunting....may have been a two barrel set.

They made a couple, ive got one from the early 90s Wingmaster receiver rifled slug barrel.

I have one of the originals made the 1st year or 2. Mine is parkerized with a dull finish walnut stock and real checkering and a 26" barrel threaded for tubes. The originals didn't cost any less than a Wingmaster. They made several versions, mine was the waterfowl gun. They made a turkey and deer hunting gun with an appropriate barrel on them. After a couple of years they changed to cheap wood with Remingtons nasty stamped checkering and matte blue finish on the metal. Some with synthetic stocks. They still "called" them "Special Purpose", but they are nothing but an Express, which they eventually changed the name to.

Original SP were just hardwood. It was later that they went to walnut.

Seems you're right. The 1st ones I recall seeing were walnut, and only for a year or 2 before going to back to hardwood. I don't recall ever seeing a SP with hardwood before walnut. I had one of the early 11-87 SP's and still have the 870. Both with walnut and real checkering. At any rate those are my favorite Remington shotguns.

What is the 870 with the strait stock?? I thought that was the special!

Upland

........... Before fully rifled slug guns became common I bought a new 870 "Special Purpose Deer" model in 1987. Had a smoothbore slug barrel with rifle sights,( not threaded for choke tubes), a dull parkerized-like finish, and has "Remington 870 Magnum" on the left side of the receiver and " Special Purpose Deer" on the right side. Still got it but it now has a fully rifled barrel and has been drilled & tapped for optics. Even back in the old "smoothbore / Foster style slug" era it was a great shooter.

Special Field was straight English style stock and a shorter barrel, I thought 23" but what I am seeing is it was 21".

IIRC the 870 Special Field also had a shorter 2 or maybe 3 round magazine tube. It helped with the proportions and didn't make the barrel look so short. The barrels would not interchange with other 870's. They also made an 1100 Special Field. And while I'm not 100% certain I think they had to retain the same mag tube to work with the gas system on the 1100.