A decent overview of which models and features were available when can be found here. Other things that help separate 1978 from 1996 are screw-in chokes (introduced in 1986), Express models (1987), and nickel-plated finishes (1992). If your 870 is a 12ga, and you're trying to figure out whether it was made in 1978 or 1996 (which are on opposite sides of the '80s), your shell carrier will give you a strong clue. For example, in the mid-1980s, Remington implemented some minor design updates to the action on 12ga 870s, including a 'U'-shaped cut-out in the shell carrier that prevented a certain type of malfunction from binding the gun's action. In addition to what TuJays said, the barrel date stamps usually take long enough to repeat that you can get a pretty solid idea of which potential date applies to your gun based on its features. Jaydaddy1 wrote:How can I tell if I have a 78 or 96? O - Jul W - Aug D - Sep E - Oct R - Nov X - Dec Then look on the left side of the barrel near the receiver and look for a two letter date code stamp and follow this chart with the first letter being the month and the second being the year the barrel was made ī - Jan L - Feb A - Mar C - Apr K - May P - Jun

LW MAGNUM (ALSO INCLUDES M/1100 “LT”)ġ963 TO APPROX. “LIGHT WEIGHT” (“LW”) (ALSO INCLUDES M/1100 “LT”) Model 870 LETTER SUFFIX (DESIGNATES GAUGE) Cary wrote:How do I find out the date of manufacture for my 870 Express using the serial number? Is there a key for deciphering the serial number to figure this out? Thanks for your help.Ĭall Remington and give them the serial number, they will tell you when it was born, however keep in mind they due make errors.īack up what they tell you with this information ġ950 TO APPROX 1968: NO SERIAL NUMBER PREFIXġ968 TO PRESENT: LETTERS USED (IN SEQUENCE)

Remington 870 age by serial number