without adding all of the available parts.

Why paint it?

I am sure thousands have.  If it is just an old 870 and is running true the is nothing wrong with the concept.  However, since some of those old Wingmaster barrels sell for $250 as much as $285 new and would bring $150.00 or more easy on any of the auction sites and you can get an 18.5" factory parkerized new police barrel in I/C choke with bead sight from Remington for $101.00, well you see it is not the best idea.  Also, when you cut the barrel down you will have a straight pipe with no choke where the new police barrel has an I/C choke.  Also, opn the barrel you cut down you then have to put a sight on it which involves baising and the head messes up the finish so you end having to refinish the barrel you cut down

If the finish is good and not allowing any rust then no need to refinish the rest of it unless you are going after a certain look.

Anyone who parks or paints or cuts on a Wingmaster should be publicly flogged.

i saw on old, abused wingmaster yesterday........if i remember the tag was 250 and i didn't have the money on me so i didn't try to negotiate.   this was in bad shape cosmetically wood and metal.   seemed ok mechanically.

just wondered about the kiss principle if you could find one for about 150 or so in a pawn shop, cut the barrel and spray something like rattle can bed liner over the whole gun.   i bought a marlin m60 for $25 years ago, left behind the seat, battery acid had spilled on it.   cleaned it up and sprayed the whole firearm

Your plan would work.  If you understand at $150 is good starting point for an 870 project gun and are willing to replace some parts and spring for refinishing.  However  I share the anti painting any shotgun and my first act when I become President of the United States will be to sign an executive order making it illegal.  Understanding that an 870 police is simply a parkerized Wingmaster I have parkerized a whole bunch of them for clients who get the older ones for project guns and they are smart and should not be flogged.  Now if they paint any shotgun then yes.

And for anyone who knows me and thinks I am not qualified to be president screw you.  You don't have to be qualified or have any experience to be president of the United States and the last election proved that.  And I could accidentally do a better job then he is doing.  So vote J.D for President.  "A Remington in every gun safe"     "tip-a-canoe if your ex is in it let the bitch drown", "ask not what your country can do for you but ask why your country is doing this to you"  

I am J.D. McGuire and I approve this message.

I don't have any problem in cutting or painting an old Wingmaster barrel.



Now a old Winchester 97 barrel or even a Ithaca 37 barrel made in Ithaca NY I will not approve of since both of those are classics that are long out of production.

Painting a barrel doesn't make it tactical, it makes it smokey when it gets hot if you use cheap paint.

Adding a duckbill or breaching choke and a tritium front sight will make the barrel "TACTICAL"!

I had my wingmaster molycoated in "gun metal blue".

looks identical to the factory blue IMO.

YMMV

I have a 50's era 16 gauge that's going to get duracoated. The finish is in bad shape and it has some pitting. Something chewed part of the buttstock off too(which I cut off and then installed a limbsaver pad). It would still look bad even if it was polished up, reblued, and had new wood.

I would steer away from painting.  Certain finishes, like Duracoat over a parkerized base, can help protect the firearm as the duracoat bonds with/soaks into the parkerizing (as it was explained to me; IANAL, etc).  Paint, like a can of Wal-Mart's finest $1 paint, is not a viable long term solution.  Will it work to change color?  Sure.  But is it worth it to you to add another potential failure point into the weapon you plan to trust your life with?

Not on a wingmaster but an older Express Magnum with the flex tab upgrade I got at the pawnshop for $140 OTD.  I specifically wanted a vent rib 18" and the factory ones are somewhat rare so that's the route I took.  Used a pipe cutter to mark, angle grinder to cut, files and fine grit for finishing with cold blue.  Used a Tru-Glo stick on fiber optic piece and painted the whole thing sans furniture in flat black Krylon.  I've got under $300 into it including the Speed Feed IV-S, side saddle, Spector 3 point, Sage sling adapter up front, +2 ext., high-vis follower and a punsiher sticker on the side for good measure.  Still need a sling adapter for between the stock and reciever as I have found that would be the most comfortable way for me to mount the 3-point along with the plate inbetween the extension and barrel lug and hopefully have chokes installed.