[Red Label]

Besides my Red Label I am probably the biggest 870 fan there is, next to Dave of course. This however is almost too sad to be true.
My boss is a huge gun freak but has absolutely no mechanical or gunsmithing abilities at all. He just bought a new 870 express and when he went to put it together he could not get the slide to move without a huge amount of force. I told him to let me have it and I would get it working. I just figured that he had messed up something and I would get it working in no time.
Well after about 20 minutes I realized that he had not messed up and that the slide was just too tight on the mag tube. I had to take a brake cylinder hone to the inside of the forearm so that it would slide nicely on the mag tube.:( What the heck is up with that?:cuss:

Steve

[Erick Gelhaus]

That's interesting or bizarre. Not quite sure which. I'm almost thinking that should have gone back to Remington, rather than being fixed in the field.

Several questions are running through my mind, but it sounds like you found a fic.

[Dave McCracken]

HHmm, did you check to see if there was rust inside? That happens.

I suggest reading the floater on Breaking in New Pumpguns and following the advice. Also...

Wear marks on the mag tube showing that it's rubbing on one side indicate the tube's bent a trifle. If this is minor I'd just leave it alone, otherwise a smith can bend it straight. Note than all mag tubes will show rub marks after much use.

Uae a straightedge to ensure that the action bars are straight and parallel. This is overlooked by many newer 870 owners who then complain they do not make them like they used to. While that is correct, many older 870s have already had their bars straightened. Check this occasionally, some shooters torque the forearm when pumping fast and this may cause the bars to splay out.

Before reassembly, lube lightly the inside of the action bar tube and the outside of the mag tube. After reassembly, close the action and place ONE drop of lube at the junction of the action bar and receoiver. Work the action a few times.

HTH....

[Badger Arms]

From your description, I'd gather that the tube was bent or out-of-round in some way. The tube is unlikely to be too large as the manufacturing of that part is pretty precise. The forearm tube can also be bent. I'd still send the gun back to Remington.

[Red Label]

:o OK, there is a bit of a twist to this story now. The gun had a camo stock on it and I thought my boss bought it that way. Come to find out he bought the stock and forearm separate and had installed it himself. Remember what I said about not being mechanically inclined? I guess he must have tweeked the slide tube a bit or something. After I got it fixed he admitted to the error. At first I thought he had bent something on the inside trying to jam the forarm in.