[TESCH]

Can someone tell me how the hell to put this 870 back together. My first shotgun was a 870 Express but for some reason I am having trouble getting this back together after its first cleaning. I get the two arms of the forend aligned and push in the right inside lever and here is where I get stuck. There does not seem like there is anything stopping the action from sliding in but it just gets stuck. :banghead: Any suggestions? Thanks

[waterhouse]

You know there is also a left side lever, correct? About .25" after the right side lever you need to push the left side lever in. If that doesn't work let us know and either I or someone else can talk you through it step by step.

Also, try not to get too frustrated. It might be hard now, but once you have done it a couple times you'll be able to do it in your sleep. :D

Welcome to the forum and also to scatterguns. You'll likely enjoy both.

[evbutler462]

Go to "Shotgun World" forum and post this under Gunsmithing. You will get all the help you need complete with photos, if necessary.

[wdlsguy]

It *is* a bit tricky. There are step by step directions on page 14 of the manual (see below).

http://www.remington.com/pdfs/om/om_870.pdf

[TESCH]

The left side lever was the problem. Thanks a lot.

[Lee Lapin]

Yep. You only have to depress the right shell stop to get the bolt/bolt slide/action bars out, but you have to push both- in the right sequence, left then right- to get everything back in. Glad you got it sorted out-

lpl/nc (bet you won't have that particular problem again though)

[Mr Kablammo]

Dude, I am sympathetic! The first firearm that I bought was an 870 in 20 ga. Pschologically, it was a big threshold. The salesman showed me how to disassembe, re-assemble, etc. After doing the first round of trap I took the 870 apart for cleaning. I futzed around for hours, HOURS, trying to get that bolt assembly back in, before taking up the humility of going back and having the salesman put it back together. Sometimes you just gotta ask...

Tangentially, some years and more experience later, I was using snap caps to check on the function of the magazine tube of a Benelli Legacy. Naturally, the plastic rim broke and the snap cap got stuck in the tube. The magazine cap was locked tight, TIGHT. WTH?! Knives, screwdrivers, nothing could pry out that damn snap cap. Finally, after a few days of thought, I got a chop stick and poked the snap cap all the way into the mag tube. I released the chop stick and flew across the room. The snap cap was propelled into a position where I could extract it.

[TESCH]

Yeah, guns are machines with very small tolerances. And I'm a person with very little tolerance.