I bought a 870 Express combo about 24 years ago. The wood was cheap and I found a crack the length of the forearm after it dried out from a wet deer hunting season. I got a Remington synthetic replacement set from Cabelas and had no more problems. I've had mine in some nasty invironments and the "parkerized" finish has had no problems. Wipe it down with a oil rag after cleaning and it looks brand new.