Slide-action shotguns are revered in the trenches for their ruggedness perhaps more than any other quality. The Remington Model 870 is no exception; in fact, it has been a bastion of dependability for law enforcement and military operators, not to mention hunters, for almost 60 years. But thanks to modern technology, Remington has developed a way to make a pump gun even tougher. The company’s new 12-gauge Model 887 Nitro Mag uses a shell of polymer to ward off the elements and other things that can shorten a shotgun’s service life.
The 887’s trigger plate assembly includes the trigger guard, fire controls, carrier and both shell latches. Easy to reach, the slide release is located on the face of the trigger guard.  The 887’s integral barrel rib is formed from polymer during the overmolding process. Diagonal ridges that border panels of stippling are molded into the fore-end to provide purchase. |
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The entire receiver and barrel of the 887 are covered in a sheath of overmolded glass-filled nylon material Remington refers to as ArmorLokt. Of course, steel is present beneath the polymer. The relationship is beneficial to both materials, with the steel lending strength while the polymer protects it from corrosion, dents and other hazards.
The receiver starts in Remington’s Ilion, NY, factory as a stamped-and-welded steel frame. It is placed into a mold, which is then injected with the ArmorLokt polymer material. Perforations in the frame, along with the mold design, allow the ArmorLokt to completely encase both the exterior and interior steel surfaces and form the finished component.
Manufacturers have come up with a host of treatments to protect a gun’s metal surfaces, but overmolding the barrel with polymer is a unique concept. Remington first cold hammer-forges the 887’s barrel blank from 4140 steel, and then, in a process similar to the receiver construction, fuses the ArmorLokt to the blank’s exterior via injection-molding. The polymer envelops the blank in a .041-inch-thick shell, with the integral barrel rib and rectangular design impressions also being formed in the mold. A green HiViz LitePipe front bead and a red polymer mid-bead top the barrel rib.
Remington calls ArmorLokt impermeable and has test results to back it up. Company engineers subjected Model 887 barrels to salt-corrosion and submersion tests, cross-sectioning each test barrel after the trials to ensure the ArmorLokt had not leaked or separated from the steel. They also fired more than 10,000 rounds through a single 887 barrel, again testing for separation. In all the tests, ArmorLokt held up to the abuse, making the 887 an ideal shotgun for less-than-ideal conditions.
But there’s more going on here than just a plastic coating. For starters, the 887 utilizes a rotary breechbolt that locks up with dual recesses in the barrel extension, as opposed to the single-lugged locking block of the 870. A stout claw extractor, coupled with a blade-type ejector along the left receiver wall, expels empty hulls from the action port.
Like its 870 predecessor, the 887 utilizes twin action bars for bind-free operation. The dual-lugged rotary breechbolt, however, represents a major change in design. |
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Perhaps the best characteristic of the 887 in terms of user-friendliness is the design and location of the slide release. Instead of a little tab of metal located along the left side of the trigger guard like on the 870, the 887’s slide release is a large, triangular button conveniently nestled into the top half of the trigger guard’s face. It is much easier to reach with the index finger, especially when that finger is covered with a glove or numb from the cold or both.
The slide release and trigger guard are integral to the 887’s trigger plate assembly, which corrects another problem often associated with the 870. Molded from the same ArmorLokt polymer as the receiver and barrel, the trigger plate assembly houses the fire-control components, along with the carrier and both shell latches. Drifting out two cross pins frees the trigger plate assembly from the receiver with the shell latches intact. No more fumbling with loose shell latches like is prone to happen eventually if you tear down your 870 enough times. Disassembling the rest of the 887 is even easier, because it requires nary a tool.
Remington is offering two variations of the 887 this year: an all-black version and one covered in Advantage Max-4 HD camo. Both have a barrel length of 28 inches and a 31⁄2-inch chamber, along with a composite fore-end and buttstock ending in a SuperCell recoil pad. The barrel of each version is threaded to accept Rem Chokes.
Although these versions are decidedly geared toward hunters—and not intended to replace the 870—Remington has plans to offer the 887 with a shorter barrel. Lopping the barrel to 18 inches and extending the magazine tube (current magazine capacity is five 23⁄4-inch shells) would make the 887 well suited for tactical missions and home defense. Any fighting gun is subject to dings, scratches and other forms of abuse, and the 887’s ArmorLokt shell should keep it sound while it keeps you safe. Whether Remington decides to take advantage of the 887’s attributes in the tactical market remains to be seen.
The Model 887 Nitro Mag’s modern look should appeal to shooters who revel in high-tech design, but its price will attract the attention of almost anyone looking for a solid pump gun with a magnum chamber. Remington lists the 887 with an affordable suggested retail price of $399. That’s a value for any slide-action shotgun capable of digesting 31⁄2-inch shells, but it’s even better when you realize the 887’s construction will keep it running well into the future.
—Adam Heggenstaller
