870 problems

[Bonbonjovi]

my thinking was whatever lock the bolt forward and unlocks after firing so you can pump it is messed up. but i dont even know where to look for that. is that what ur talkig about. it will extraqct fine once i break itopen. its getting it to release to i can kick out the old round. is that what ur talking baout

there is a slide release lever located just above the trigger guard on the left side..if you push that tab the slide should release easily, it also releases when the trigger is pulled, if it doesnt engage when the trigger is pulled then it is either bent or broken....place a snap cap or an empty hull with a spent primer in the chamber and pull the trigger, if it is working properly the slide release will unlock ...if not that is most likely your problem

[Whirlwind]

My wife had this same issue with her gun. She fixed the problem by getting rid of the gun and getting a different brand. From what I have seen and heard that they all have this issue after some time. Not sure if they all do but my wife and my buddies guns have all done this.

[Langston32]

my thinking was whatever lock the bolt forward and unlocks after firing so you can pump it is messed up. but i dont even know where to look for that. is that what ur talkig about. it will extraqct fine once i break itopen. its getting it to release to i can kick out the old round. is that what ur talking baout

does it function properly if you just dry fire it and keep cycling the action?

[texas_red_19]

870

[QUOTE=Bonbonjovi;4960190]there is a slide release lever located just above the trigger guard on the left side..if you push that tab the slide should release easily, it also releases when the trigger is pulled, if it doesnt engage when the trigger is pulled then it is either bent or broken....place a snap cap or an empty hull with a spent primer in the chamber and pull the trigger, if it is working properly the slide release will unlock ...if not that is most likely your problem[/QUO

ok. ill give that a shot tonight

[texas_red_19]

great

My wife had this same issue with her gun. She fixed the problem by getting rid of the gun and getting a different brand. From what I have seen and heard that they all have this issue after some time. Not sure if they all do but my wife and my buddies guns have all done this.

yeazh well im trying to find a trade for a auto 12 gauge or a benelli pump. but no one wants my rifle for it or the guys that do want it i got to them too late. lol

[texas_red_19]

yes

does it function properly if you just dry fire it and keep cycling the action?

yeah. but maybe its something to do with a shell being in there. i dont know. ill try the empty hull tonight and see what it does

[JMenendez]

check your locking lug (the big block that rocks in the bolt assembly) for burs. also check the notch in the barrel that it locks into.

[bowhuntingw]

Sounds like the brass is sticking in the chamber. Try taking some medium steel wool and wrapping it around a dowel rod, secure it and chuck the rod into a drill and hone out the barrel chamber slightly.

i think bonesplitter is on the right path. i had the same problem with my 870 a few years ago. i dropped some shells in the water duck hunting. in the heat of the moment, i simply wiped them off and kept feeding the gun as the ducks were really flying that morning. the next trip out, it was like i was shooting a singleshot. i had to slam it to eject the shell. taking the gun apart i found rust in the chamber, i assume from the wet shells i used. some 0000 steel wool on a dowel rod and a light coating of gun oil solved the problem. now i just make sure i lightly oil the chamber every so often.

[30-06]

It's likely the ammo, but the problem is compounded by the new chamber. The promo dove loads that everyone sells nowadays have steel case heads. These tend to stick in the chamber and are harder to eject after firing. Polishing the chamber should help, but it will also get better the more rounds you shoot through it. Try some good quality loads like Winchester AA with brass case heads to see if it makes a difference. Also, with a pump shotgun try holding a little pressure (pulling) on the forearm when you mount the gun and pull the trigger. The inertia from the recoil will then help shuck the shell out and it seems to cycle easier (to me) than firing the gun and then pumping the action.

[texas_red_19]

ok

It's likely the ammo, but the problem is compounded by the new chamber. The promo dove loads that everyone sells nowadays have steel case heads. These tend to stick in the chamber and are harder to eject after firing. Polishing the chamber should help, but it will also get better the more rounds you shoot through it. Try some good quality loads like Winchester AA with brass case heads to see if it makes a difference. Also, with a pump shotgun try holding a little pressure (pulling) on the forearm when you mount the gun and pull the trigger. The inertia from the recoil will then help shuck the shell out and it seems to cycle easier (to me) than firing the gun and then pumping the action.

so why did my old one start doing it. its well broke in

[BigD]

my 870 has the same problem and it has been back to remington twice and it still sticks....have not shot it in years and dont ever plan too, its just a paper weight to me...but i love my 1100

[30-06]

so why did my old one start doing it. its well broke in

I've also got a "new" 870 Express and a 1966 vintage 870 Wingmaster. They both have issues with the steel case head shells. The old Wingmaster not as much, but it will on occasion give problems ejecting this type shell. It works slick as a whistle with the Winchester AA's.

I always keep the chambers clean, so I know that's not the problem.

[Joegeer]

Back when I used to duck hunt alot mine would do it from time to time. What worked for me was I started taking a brake caliper hone(sp) and used to clean out the inside of the chamber. It was like something on the brass would melt to the inside of the chamber and make the shell stick. My 870 would not pull back but I had a Mossberg that would pull back and leave the shell hung up in there which was a real pain. The brake caliper hone may be hard to find these days because everything is disc brakes instead of drum brakes. But the hone has like three little feet on it that you can twist bigger or smaller to go from 20 to 12 gauge. It used to work for me any ways. heck I used to shoot so much I would just carry that hone with me in my hunting bag and do it in the field if I had any problems.

[berettadave]

Just for a test, go and buy a box of either Winchester AA skeet loads or Remington STS and try them(they actually have a brass base). I'll bet they won't stick. If not then the problem is probably from using cheaper shells that have a steel base(most are just brass plated). I have had this problem from time to time using Rio's, Kemen's and other cheaper hulls. Seems like when the steel base expand's on firing, it does not seem to spring back as well as the brass.

Just a thought

Dave

Polishing the first 3/4" to 1" of the chamber like mentioned above will usually help with this problem.

[Jerry Worley]

This is a very common problem. Me and a buddy bought new ones a couple of years ago and they both have the same problem. I will never buy another. I shot a Mossberg for over 25 years, no problem.

They had us take our 870's into one of their warranty stores in austin and all he could say was "your not supposed to shoot the cheap shells". What a joke. Mossberg will definitely be my next shotgun.