[batex]

I picked up a well used Wingmaster with a 20 smooth bore barrel with rifle sights. While the barrel had decent blueing, the receiver exterior is well worn so I imagine its a fairly old model. The price was right at $140 out the door.

I've read some about the "flexi-tab" feature of new models in the context of Home Defense. Can someone please explain what the flexi-tab feature is, it's purpose and the disadvantage of the older guns without this feature.

Thanks much,

[JohnBT]

www.thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10347

"The Flex Tab Carrier allows the carrier to flex in the event that a shell would slip past the primary cartridge stop while loading the mag tube.

This shell would be pushed onto the top of the carrier and jammed between it and the closed bolt. This stuck shell will prevent you from pumping the action. This type of jam requires you to remove the magazine cap, remove the spring and push the shell back up into the tube to free the action. This type of jam can also be cleared removing the trigger assembly and dropping out the offending shell.

The Flex Tab on the carrier allows the carrier to flex enough to still allow you to pump the action and clear the jam.

Chuck"

[dfariswheel]

You can identify a gun with the Flex-Tab by looking at the shell lifter on the bottom of the receiver.
A gun with the Flex-Tab will have a "U" shaped cut in the bottom of the lifter.

There is a type of stoppage the 870 can have, in which the operator fails to insert a shell all the way in to the magazine.
If you fail to push a shell ALL the way in, it can be pushed back out into the receiver, jamming the gun.

With the shell in the receiver and the bolt forward, you can't operate the gun.
You either have to remove the trigger group and dump the round out, or in an emergency, bump the butt on the ground while you forcibly pull the pump handle back.

The Flex-Tab allows you to clear this type of stoppage by simply pulling the handle back with a little more force than normal.

The Flex-Tab is composed of the slotted shell lifter, and a different bolt.

Since this is a 100% operator induced stoppage, the real answer is to just practice with the gun until you no longer carelessly fail to load it properly.
However, the Flex-Tab is simply a means of allowing you to easily clear a stoppage if you do mess it up.

[PJR]

I have a recently acquired 20 gauge 870 that was made in the early 90's and it doesn't have the flextab while the 12 gauge 870 of a slightly later vintage has it.

Was the flextab installed in the subgauge guns?

[batex]

Thanks everyone for explaining the flex tab. I mistakenly searched for flexitab and did not find much so this now helps. So, the shell lifter is different and has the "tab" cut in it. Can someone confirm for me that a different bolt is required to make this modification to an older gun?

If I only need to replace the shell lifter, I might make the modification...Otherwise, I'll just practice and always make sure shells go all the way past the stops in the magazine.

Thanks,

[gak]

My buddy has a thumb shaped like a lightbulb. He can't easily push the shells into the mag so sometimes he has shells slide back out into a doublefeed. Pushing the slide release and racking the slide fixes the jam so far 100% of the time.

[owen]

Can anyone post a picture of the different styles? This is great info!

[JohnBT]

http://www.tacticalshotgun.ca/content_nonsub/shotguns/870_590_compare/870_lifter_follower_a.jpg

Lifter with cuts.

[Dave McCracken]

Different bolt needed,batex. When I first learned of the flextab, I had maybe 20 years of 870 use behind me and didn't know one could glitch up an 870. Good loading technique, by default more than planning permitted this.

IMO, flextabs are optional on privately owned weapons used by cogniscienti and absolutely mandatory on agency and departmental shotguns that may be operated by inadequately motivated and trained, marginal personnel.

[Fred Fuller]

As Dr. Dave said, a bolt with proper clearance cuts is needed in conjunction with the flextab lifter to make the system work as it should. IMO it's a nice-to-have item, but good habits make it not a necessity. For a few years once-upon-a-time the belt-and-suspenders types were cutting narrow slots part of the length of standard 870 lifters (leaving them solid front and back)so a key etc. could be used to force an errant shell back into the magazine if it slipped. I never slotted any of the lifters on my older guns and never had the need of a slot, because I never had the problem. I have demonstrated a flextab system at work for people, but have never needed it other than for deliberately induced malfunctions. If you load your 870 right it is unlikely you will need it either...

lpl/nc