Remington 870 Help

[Shoots4Fun]

Ok INGO, I have an 870 which I bought used. If runs just fine dry, no hiccups at all.

But when I run it with shells (any type really) sometimes it hangs up and will not let you pump the shell out. Basically binds up, and after a few times trying to run the pump it will usually break free and eject the spent shell. I cannot find a pattern of when/why it breaks free, but I need it to run reliably. I have a few I use for home defense, and I'll like to be able to depend on it. It seems to reload the next shell with no problems every time.

Any suggestions or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

 

[VERT]

Polish the chamber and avoid cheap Winchester shells
install a Volquartsen non-mim extractor
go ahead and drop In a heavy duty Dog carrier spring
Replace the magazine spring and follower

 

[chezuki]

Yep. My 870 didn't like cheapo aluminum shells either. Polishing the chamber helped, but I still had to stick to brass shells for 100% reliability.

 

[sugarcreekbrass]

A buddy of mine had issues in his 870 express when using Federal skeet loads.

 

[Tryin']

Open the action and make sure the ejector is not chipped. It should have a little ramp coming from where the slot in the barrel rides around the ejector housing. A chip in this location is very common and will cause the rim of the cartridge to hang up upon ejection. There will be no issue feeding the shells in this condition.

I am on my phone, so no pictures, but you can google 870 ejector chip picture and get a good idea of what I am referencing. If not, PM me and we can work through it.

 

[Lees]

I used to have this problem when I was pulling back really hard on the pump part (whatever you call that part - I mean the part you grip with your forward hand). I was also a little delicate with the pump. My husband didn't have any problem with it, though, so I knew it was something that I was doing. When I switched to pushing forward instead of pulling back (with the forward hand, which since I'm left-handed is my right hand), and also to being more forceful with the pump, I've had no problems since. I've been using the cheapo white box Winchester shells all along. The cheapo shells don't help, but I'm sure it was my pull-back-death-grip on the pump part that was causing the problem in my case. Now I pull back with my trigger hand (in my case my left hand) and push/grip with my forward hand, and that works fine. And pump it like a boss.

 

[TheDude]

Call Remington, they will send you a non-MIM extractor.

 

[seedubs1]

The 870 extracts from one side. That causes a moment on the shell. If there are any machining errors on the opposite side of the extractor in the area on the barrel where the lip of the shell sits, it'll force that shell into the machining error. The harder you pull, the more wedged in the shell gets. I'd check that area first. If there's machining errors, you can either try to polish it out or send the barrel back to Remington and tell them you want a proper barrel. If there's no machining errors in that area, VERT covers the rest pretty well in post #2.

 

[aspiringsnd]

In years past, a number of shotshell manufacturers (Federal, 'cheap' winchester loads, Optima, others...) were putting high brass on their hulls. The brass expands in the chamber causing the spent shell to stick.

Look at shells with a lower brass -- chances are this will help considerably.

 

[seedubs1]

With a properly designed chamber that is properly manufactured, shell expansion shouldn't result in a locked up action. This is the result of Remington cheapening their product, not shells expanding a little more due to brass expansion. Again, it's locking up due to a defect of some sort. A properly manufactured 870 should run anything you throw in it. Don't take your eye off the ball. Find and fix the root cause, not the symptom of that root cause.

In years past, a number of shotshell manufacturers (Federal, 'cheap' winchester loads, Optima, others...) were putting high brass on their hulls. The brass expands in the chamber causing the spent shell to stick. Look at shells with a lower brass -- chances are this will help considerably.

 

[Hookeye]

I never heard high vs low brass being a problem, reportedly it was the cheap low brass stuff that wasn't brass (steel).

 

[chezuki]

I never heard high vs low brass being a problem, reportedly it was the cheap low brass stuff that wasn't brass (steel).

This is the problem I had. Any of the low-brass where the metal was silver instead of brass colored. Some are steel and some are aluminum.

 

[calcot7]

Call Remington, they will send you a non-MIM extractor.

Just make sure that you tell them that you have already polished the chamber.

 

[BE Mike]

I'm curious, which style 870 do you have? Is it chambered for 3" shells? Is it an Express model? I have an old 2 3/4" chambered 870, I bought used (an old police gun). It is of high quality and I don't have any issues with anything I run in it.

 

[VERT]

Mike the new 3" express models sometimes exhibit extraction problems. Polishing the chamber and replacing the extractor is cheap and easy insurance. As I mentioned while the gun is apart installing a heavier dog carrier spring and new magazine spring and follower is also a good idea. A Wilson mag spring and follower is only $12, not the best but cheap. Extractor $10-$15 and the dog carrier spring a couple bucks. So $30ish and a little elbow grease with 800 grit sandpaper, maybe a Dremel.

 

[BE Mike]

Mike the new 3" express models sometimes exhibit extraction problems. Polishing the chamber and replacing the extractor is cheap and easy insurance. As I mentioned while the gun is apart installing a heavier dog carrier spring and new magazine spring and follower is also a good idea. A Wilson mag spring and follower is only $12, not the best but cheap. Extractor $10-$15 and the dog carrier spring a couple bucks. So $30ish and a little elbow grease with 800 grit sandpaper, maybe a Dremel.

Remington's quality sure has taken a dive, when you have to do this to a new gun, and not a new design; they've been making 870's for decades.

 

[VERT]

Remington's quality sure has taken a dive, when you have to do this to a new gun, and not a new design; they've been making 870's for decades.

Mass manufactured firearm. Not the only brand with hit or miss quality. Smith revolvers are not what they once were either.

 

[rugertoter]

I know mine does not like "low brass".

 

[BE Mike]

Mass manufactured firearm. Not the only brand with hit or miss quality. Smith revolvers are not what they once were either.

Yes, you are right. Quality has taken a back seat to bottom line for some of the old established gun companies.

 

[bertnkristi]

Use plastic remover in the chamber and clean really well get any excess lube out. Chamber should be dry of lube. You may have damaged your extractor from it getting stuck and forcing it open.