Value guide

What is my Remington worth?

Remington is in more Michigan gun cabinets than any other name, largely on the strength of two guns — the 870 shotgun and the 700 rifle — that were bought by the million to be used. Most are working guns worth working-gun money. The exceptions are worth knowing about, because several of them look completely ordinary.

No page can price your gun, and any page that offers to is guessing. What this one does is show you the things that decide the number, so you can look at what you have and know whether you are holding something ordinary or something worth a proper look.

Wingmaster or Express, and the same question for every model

Remington sold the same basic design at two very different levels for decades. The 870 Wingmaster was the properly finished version — polished blue, better wood, machined parts. The 870 Express, introduced later, was the same action built to a price. They look similar to somebody who does not handle them often and they are not worth similar money. The same split runs through the line, and it is the first thing to establish on any Remington.

The models that turn up, and what they mean

Model	Made	What it means for value
Model 870	1950–present	Ten million-plus made. Wingmaster examples in good original condition hold real money; Express guns are working shotguns.
Model 700	1962–present	The bolt rifle that defined the class. Early production, unusual chamberings and factory varmint or target configurations are the ones worth a proper look.
Model 1100	1963–present	A gas semi-auto that was everywhere. Ordinary field guns are ordinary; skeet and trap configurations and early production are better.
Model 11 / Model 11-48	1905–1960s	Older semi-autos, the Model 11 built on the Browning design. Frequently dismissed as scrap and occasionally not.
Nylon 66	1959–1989	A .22 with a synthetic stock that people routinely throw in the corner. Certain colors and configurations are genuinely sought after.
Model 8 / Model 81	1906–1950	Early semi-auto centerfire rifles. Uncommon enough now that condition matters a great deal.

What to check before anybody makes you an offer

Whether an 870 or 1100 is marked Wingmaster or Express — it is stamped on the barrel or receiver.
The barrel code, which dates Remington barrels and is often the quickest way to place the gun in time.
Whether the barrel is the original one for that gun. Remington shotgun barrels swap freely, and mismatched sets are common.
On a Model 700, the chambering: some are ordinary and some are scarce, and it makes a substantial difference.

And the two rules that apply to every gun on this page:do not clean it, and keep the box and papers. Removing original finish is permanent, and on the right gun the packaging is a real fraction of the total.

"The 870 is the most common shotgun ever made, so mine is worthless"

Common is not the same as worthless. A Wingmaster in genuine original condition with the right barrel is a gun people want, and there is a steady market for them. What is true is that condition does most of the work: a beaten Express and a clean Wingmaster are separated by a great deal more than the twenty years between them.

My 870 has a different barrel than the one it came with. Does that matter?

It usually does, and it is worth mentioning rather than hoping nobody notices. Original barrels matter more on Wingmasters and on anything unusual. A spare barrel is also worth money in its own right, so bring both if you have them.

Getting an actual number

Condition, originality and configuration decide it, and none of the three can be judged from a description. We appraise firearms, collections and estates across Michigan and the Great Lakes region, free and with no obligation — you get a written list with a value against each firearm and it is yours to keep whether you sell to us or not.

Other makers

Winchester, Colt, Smith & Wesson, Marlin, Browning, Ruger and military surplus rifles.