Its popular
Sales of the 870 have been steady. They reached two million guns by 1973 (ten times the number of Model 31 shotguns it replaced). As of 1983, the 870 held the record for best-selling shotgun in history with three million sold.
[5] By 1996, spurred by sales of the basic "Express" models, which were added as a lower-cost alternative to the original Wingmaster line, sales topped seven million guns. On April 13, 2009, the ten millionth Model 870 was produced
April 13th is my birthday. The 10 millionth 870 was sold on that day.
If it's good enough for the US military it's good enough for me.
M870 Shotgun
THe M870 is a pump-action, 12-gauge shotgun in use throughout the US military. It is the military version of the Remington 870 shotgun and comes in a wide range of configurations of different barrel lengths, stocks and manufacturing materials.
M870 shotguns have been used by US Special Operations Forces (SOF) for decades. M870s have been by SEAL boarding teams. Division Recon Marines took them with them when they spearheaded the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
When SOF teams fight in urban environments, shotguns, such as the M870, are ideal when used for close quarters battle (CQB).
Counter-terrorism teams such as Delta Force assaulters use the M870 as a breaching shotgun. In this configuration, the M870, typically with a 10 inch barrel and with stock removed, is loaded with special breaching rounds which are used to shoot away door hinges and locks.
I wanted a piece of history that is bad ass.
Plus Remington vs Ithaca
Two classics collide in the championship of our Sweet 16 of whitetail shotguns. The Remington 870, America's shotgun, meets the Ithaca Deerslayer. The 870, deservedly the number one seed in its division, has probably shot more deer than any other shotgun in the tournament. The Deerslayer, on the other hand, is one of the first dedicated slug guns, and still one of the best.
Both guns blew out the competition in the Final Four. The 870 trounced the Mossberg 500 and the Ithaca beat Browning's A-Bolt by two to one margins. You'd have to call the Remington the favorite here, a product of the Big Green Machine that has built more than 10,000,000 870s since 1950.
Meanwhile the plucky Ithaca is an underdog that has faced adversity over the years. It has survived bankruptcies and plant closings and here it is, hoping to cut down the nets.