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. Cary Call Remington and give them the serial number, they will tell you when it was born, however keep in mind they due make errors. Back up what they tell you with this information; DECODING REMINGTON SERIAL NUMBERS Model 870 LETTER PREFIX 1950 TO APPROX 1968: NO SERIAL NUMBER PREFIX 1968 TO PRESENT: LETTERS USED (IN SEQUENCE) S-68, T-74, V-78, W-84, X-90, A-91, B-94, C-97, D-01, AB-05 Model 870 LETTER SUFFIX (DESIGNATES GAUGE) V 12 GA. (2 3/4”) M 12 GA.

MAGNUM (3”) A 12 GA. “SUPER” MAGNUM (3 ½”) W 16 GA. ( 2 ¾” ) X 20 GA. “HEAVY FRAME” (DISCONTINUED) N 20 GA. “HEAVY FRAME MAGNUM” (DISCONTINUED) K 20 GA. “LIGHT WEIGHT” (“LW”) (ALSO INCLUDES M/1100 “LT”) U 20 GA.

LW MAGNUM (ALSO INCLUDES M/1100 “LT”) J 28 GA. H.410 BORE (2 ½” OR 3”) Model 1100 LETTER PREFIX 1963 TO APPROX. 1968: NO SERIAL NUMBER PREFIX 1968 TO PRESENT: LETTERS USED (IN SEQUENCE) L-68, M-74, N-78, P-85, R-90 Model 1100 LETTER SUFFIX SAME STRUCTURE AS THE Model 870 Model 1187 LETTER PREFIX 1987 TO PRESENT: “PC” 12 GA., 1999 “TL“ 20 GA., 2000 “SM” SUPER MAG. Jaydaddy1 wrote:How can I tell if I have a 78 or 96? What is the barrel code and the serial # letter prefix? I am assuming your second letter in the barrel code is 'Q' based on what you say above 1978 or 1996.

Remington never (*) used serial numbers to identify the date of. If you will call or email us the serial number and model number we can determine the. Serial Numbers on Remington Firearms. If you are looking for more information about your particular Remington firearms, then the serial number. Model of Remington.

If it is a 1978 then the prefix letter in the serial number on the receiver will most likely be 'V'. If it is a 1996 then the prefix letter in the serial number on the receiver will most likely be 'B' or possible 'C' Please always keep in mind that if you bought your gun used or second hand it may have had the barrels swapped and this can cause much confusion.example is a 1996 barrel will fit just fine on a 1978 receiver or vice versa!!!!!

Jaydaddy1 wrote:How can I tell if I have a 78 or 96? Solidworks Testversion Chip. Steps Of Patch Budding. 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. 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. 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. Other things that help separate 1978 from 1996 are screw-in chokes (introduced in 1986), Express models (1987), and nickel-plated finishes (1992).

A decent overview of which models and features were available when can be found. Keep in mind that barrels can be changed, guns can be refinished, and old parts can be replaced with new ones, so these things won't always reflect a specific date with 100% surety. However, if you can identify several features that line up with one of your date possibilities, you should be able to identify the correct one fairly confidently. If you want to be absolutely sure, call or email Remington and have them look up your gun's serial number.