Design and Features
Target Market and Positioning
As the name suggests, the 887 Nitro Mag can chamber 3 ½″ magnum shells. In this way, it competes with the Mossberg 835 Ulti-Mag, which is designed specifically for firing 3 ½″ magnum shells. [6] The look of the 887 is also frequently compared to that of the Benelli Nova. [7] The Remington 887 brochure positioned the firearm in this market by comparing it to the Mossberg 835 and the Benelli Nova. [2]
Function and Remington Model 870 Comparison
The core design, specifically, the receiver and the barrel, is based upon that of the famous Remington 870, although the 887 employs a significantly redesigned action, with rotating bolt-head locking lugs in lieu of the single lifting lug used in the 870. These make up the steel "core" of the 887. [3] However, besides this, the 887 actually differs fairly significantly from the 870, and is not designed to replace the 870. [4]
The 887 offers several improvements over the 870's design, usually in the name of user-friendliness. The slide release, for example, is a large, triangular button located on the top half of the trigger guard's face which is easy to use, even with gloves on or with numb hands. This is in contrast to the 870, where the slide release is a small metal tab located to the left of the trigger guard. [4]
The 28" Nitro Mag barrel is threaded for the standard Remington Rem-Choke system. This enables the barrel to be choked in a variety of constrictions ranging from .727" cylinder choke to .682" extra-full. [8]
ArmorLokt Finish
The 887's most striking feature is the ArmorLokt finish. The entire receiver and barrel of the 887 is coated with a glass-filled nylon material which protects the steel interior of the gun. In this way, the steel provides the strength for the gun while the polymer protects the inner workings from the elements, including inclement weather and resulting corrosion. Manufacturers have come up with several ways to help protect a gun's metal surface, but overmolding the gun with a polymer is a unique concept. [4]
Remington claims that the ArmorLokt finish is impenetrable, and has several tests to help back up this claim. Company engineers subjected the 887 to salt-corrosion and submersion tests and checked for leaks and separation in the polymer, and none were found. [2] A second test was conducted, where over 10,000 rounds were discharged through a single 887 barrel, and the barrel's coating showed no signs of separation. Smaller tests have been conducted by reviewers which somewhat verify these results. [4]
Several key parts of the weapon are not treated with the ArmorLokt process. Noted on several sites are issues with the fore end tube assembly having rust directly from the factory.
The surface of the barrel, receiver, and synthetic fore-end has a tire-tread pattern to make a non-slip surface. It also gives the gun a unique look, which is often criticized. [5]
Integral Design Features
Externally, the molded polymeric coating enabled Remington to add desirable features at extremely low cost, such as a top rail, a front sight, sling swivel studs, and an extended fore end. In addition, the plastic may be easily drilled by the user to add additional sights and components. The plastic exterior also facilitated the addition of the large triangular action lock release button.
Internally, the rotating bolt, action assembly, and trigger assembly were all intended to be improvements on past technology, and the gun was designed for easier disassembly and cleaning.
Market reception for these efforts was mixed. Many parts were designed to be lightweight and thus easily bent by traditional gun cleaning and disassembly methods, and often allowed movement resulting in "rattle" which is often a criticism of inexpensive shotguns. As a result, many of these intended advances were perceived as a cheapening of the Remington brand. [9]
Recall
Remington Arms, at the time part of Cerberus Capital Management's Freedom Group [11] , did a voluntary recall on all Model 887 shotguns manufactured between Dec. 1, 2013 and Nov. 24, 2014 for safety reasons. Remington flagged these guns over a defect that might bind the firing pin to the forward position. If a round is chambered with the firing pin locked forward it's possible the shotgun may fire, resulting in an unintentional discharge or "slam fire".
Remington continued production of Model 887 shotguns as the issue wasn't inherent to the 887 design, stating that the problem was due to some flawed components that were put into production firearms. The company provided prepaid return boxes for owners of affected firearms. Returned guns were inspected and punch-marked on the bolt to indicate that the guns were returned, checked, repaired if necessary and test-fired to ensure they were functioning properly. Subsequent production models carried the punch mark. [12]
Recall information is no longer published by Remington Arms; last recorded on the Internet Archive in May 2022. [13]
Reception, Discontinuation, Legacy
Introduced in 2009, the 887 gained immediate interest among Remington enthusiasts eager to have a "Big Green" alternative to the Mossberg 835 or the Benelli Nova. The waterproof design, large plastic lock release button, extended fore end and ergonomic handling, "hi viz" front sight, integral rail, and cushy integral recoil pad were well received. [14]
Some of the design advancements were not well received. Lightweight parts such as the ejection port cover would move irregularly, and the action would bind if the fore end wasn't fully and firmly positioned from end to end, a condition called "short-shucking" by firearms enthusiasts. Breakdown and servicing, designed to be theoretically easier, was so effectively designed that many owners had parts flying out of the gun. Some found reassembly to be troublesome; most notorious are the action bars which must be fed into narrow plastic slots. Owners accustomed to prying parts in and out of traditional designs would easily bend the ends of the latch bars, and the gun would then fail to cycle.
Within a few months of its 2009 introduction, the 887 was the subject of growing frustration and suspicion on Remington discussion groups and chat boards. [15]
A blog opinion post by noted firearm author and reviewer Randy Wakeman, titled "The Clunker of 2009 Award Goes To..." was a tough blow to public perception. Wakeman stated that the 887 "is the worst shotgun I've tested in a decade," and went on to relate experiences including low patterning, as well as the troublesome load failures, sticky slides, rattling and short shucking. Remington's response was that people had received pre-production models. [16] Other critics mentioned the appearance of the "ArmorLokt" finish, stating that the design was similar to a truck tire tread. [17]
Discontinuation
Many of the problems seemed to lessen after a year, word among enthusiasts was that Remington's first production run had been disastrous but the bugs were resolved by 2011. [18] Troubles resumed in 2014 when owners started to report unintended firing and slam-firing, resulting in a voluntary recall. Remington discontinued the 887 less than a year later, giving it a lifespan of 2009-2015. There are no published production numbers. [19]
Legacy & Future Collectability
New 887s lingered on discount racks and big box outlets for a few years [20] , a result of sluggish sales, overproduction, or both. Despite the negative publicity during its brief production run, the gun continues to trade in used markets, auction sites, and local shops and is likely to do so for the foreseeable future.
As the life cycle of the 887 and owner experience continues, the shared knowledge base and understanding of the gun's operation and maintenance has expanded. This, and the growing number of online how-to videos combine to enable owners to properly clean and maintain the 887 Nitro Mag. Collectability is growing among enthusiasts who perceive the Remington 887 to be versatile, serviceable, and affordable. [21]
A shotgun is a long-barreled firearm designed to shoot a straight-walled cartridge known as a shotshell, which discharges numerous small spherical projectiles called shot, or a single solid projectile called a slug. Shotguns are most commonly used as smoothbore firearms, meaning that their gun barrels have no rifling on the inner wall, but rifled barrels for shooting sabot slugs are also available.
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