I came out of the local friends of the NRA banquet with an 870 express super mag tucked under my arm. Looking quickly at the net shows some mixed reviews. Do you have any experience with one and what are your thoughts?

Well, hunted with my friend and shot a few rounds of trap but nothing more than that. His did function OK and I do like the fact it had a steel receiver over alloy. I did hear however that they are more prone to rust issues than the old Wingmaster 870's. Still for the money not bad if ya can do without the walnut and bluing of the Wingmaster.

Please post some pictures when you find the time...

Express 870s have a pretty bare-bones finish that's not quite as good as what you get on some higher-dollar models. It still works though, so long as you don't neglect it. Store it appropriately, keep the finish oiled, and take care of it promptly if it gets wet, and you should be fine. I have an 870 with the Express finish, and I take it out in the snow and rain without rust problems. And that's a very well-used Express with the finish worn down to bare metal in several areas.

If you start using this gun in really harsh conditions and want some more protection, you can always have it refinished in something better. The metal underneath is the same for all 870s.

Thanks for the replies. I've read some reports of fired hulls sticking with in chamber and extraction issues. Has anyone experienced those or are they just the one off things that get the attention?

Lots of shotguns have had extraction/ejection issues with the cheap steel based hulls. Usually rather easily cured by honing or burnishing the chamber.

Yeah, there are common issues with sticky extraction in new chambers. However, much of that is due to the fact that much of the inexpensive shotgun ammo these days uses really weak hulls with steel cups. Some cheap ammo is better than others (the cheap Federals & Remingtons seem to do much better than the cheap Winchesters or a lot of imports), but even the better budget-priced stuff has a chance of sticking once in a while before the chamber is broken in. Quality shells with real brass cups don't seem to have this issue, even in brand-new barrels.

Another thing with 870s is that the chambers have a coating of protective grease applied at the factory to prevent corrosion. This stuff, plus whatever dust it gathered during storage and shipping, obviously does not help extraction. The 870 owner's manual clearly instructs users to clean the barrel before assembling the gun for the first time, but not everyone reads the manual.

Also, this is something seen with all 870s, as well as other shotguns. It's not an Express-only thing. Bottom line, the ammo is an important functional element of any firearm. If you want the best performance and reliability for critical stuff like competition or defense, don't use the cheapest ammo you can find.