[Snakum]

I meant to ask you 870 pros about this and I keep foprgetting.

Sometimes while loading my 870 TALO I would load five rounds and when I went to load the sixth the just-loaded fifth shell seemed stuck TIGHT. Wouldn't budge an inch in the extended tube. I would extract all the shells and load again and then it'd go right in slicker'n $h!t.

Last night when loading the new 870 Tactical with the same +2 extension, I got to the sixth shell and sure enough ... the fifth shell would not move one centimeter up the tube. I shucked them all oput and reloaded perfectly. Six in the tube and one chambered.

I have disassembled and re-assembled the extensions, checked the springs, and when this fifth shell lock up occurs I have fiddled with the forearm and fiddled with the just loaded fifth shell (moving it up and down and side to side) to try and understand where and why this fifth shell was always the one locking up tight and then suddenly working fine after shucking them all out and starting again. It feels like the lip of the fifth shell is running right up against something very solid. Then it just goes away.

Any ideas what is going on here?

[rcmodel]

Probably a case rim, or follower edge, or spring coil getting stuck at the extension joint gap?

Might try beveling the inside edge of the extension and the outside edge of the follower a little so whatever can slip on past the joint?

You maybe could try it with the extension off and see what comes just to the joint at the five round point.

rc

[Snakum]

Might try beveling the inside edge of the extension and the outside edge of the follower a little so whatever can slip on past the joint?

That sounds like a plan. It's a very weird issue. It's the exact same shell position every time, and it locks up TIGHT. Then it goes away. Both guns now exhibiting it. I know it's binding somehow but I can't quite figure it out.

Thanks!

[rcmodel]

I say again:
You maybe could try it with the extension off and see what comes just to the joint at the five round point.

I ran into the same problem several years ago with two different 870's a friend had Wilson Combat/Scattergun Tech modify for him.

I fixed them both for him but all I remember for sure is it was the joint where the extension fit on the mag tube.

Just take the extension off and lay five shells and the follower in the position they would occupy inside the tube.
Whatever comes to the joint is the problem.
If it's the edge of the follower, bevel it.
If its a shell rim, bevel the edge of the extension.
Or just bevel them both and be done with it!

rc

[MAX100]

The spring can kink and get hung up on the indented ring for the mag clamp screw. It is what limits the factory tube extension to 6+1 capacity by stopping the follower from passing. Make sure when you install spring the end is going past the ring to the end of the tube extension.


Install the base first then screw the threaded tube on until it stops. Then install the mag clamp and don't over tighten the screw.


GC

[Snakum]

I have this same problem on both brand new 870s, and I've searched the web and found others experiencing it. Changing followers doesn't seem to help - one guy did this and no difference was noted. I'm sure it has to be the spring catching on the extension bolt indentation or the edge of the extension every 10 - 15 load ups. But it baffles me why more people aren't experiencing this issue. I have it on both BRAND NEW guns. So naturally, that leads me to think that in addition to the tendency for the spring to catch on an edge somewhere, I must also be doing something weird when assembling the weapons. You guys are probably correct and I am not assembling the barrel and ext tube in the best order, and I am over tightening everything. Tonight I'll re-assemble them both differently while not torquing down on them, after beveling all possible edges in the chain.

Thanks for the help.

[Fiv3r]

thanks for asking this question. I just noticed the same thing on my 870 with factory extension. I kept asking myself, "Am i going nuts? I could have SWORE I loaded this up with 6 shells before:rolleyes:"

[rhenriksen]

I've got the same problem with a new 870 Tac-II as well.

[Geno]

Empty the shotgun.

Check the plug that covers the spring. Mine arrived reversed, as in the plug's cavity was facing the shells. The plug's cavity should encase the spring end.

I removed the extension tube, removed the spring, removed and reversed the plug. NOW it works correctly.

What was happening was that the first shell was getting inserted inside of the plug. Then, as the spring compressed more and more, increased pressure expanded the plastic plug against the extension walls and it wouldn't budge.

Geno

[Snakum]

Figured it out last night, with all the advice provided. Problem solved. Thanks guys!

The fifth shell in sometimes causes the end of the first shell - and maybe a couple coils of the spring - to catch on the lip of the mag extension where it sits inside the retaining ring. The end of the extension tube is already chamfered to avoid this, however it is still a little bit too squared off and the lip of the tube is still too thick, thus the shell will catch a couple oif times every ten to fifteen load-ups. Removing the shells and reloading, the chances are that the shell/spring slides right on by and there's no problem. It'll drive ya' crazy.

So what I did was take 300 grit sand paper, followed by 500, and just round off the existing bevel on the end of the tube even more, and ensure the end of the tube is as thin as is practical for a very, very short distance - though I don't want to make it too thin too far up and compromise the strength. Just a tiny distance up the tube made thinner and the chamfer rounded off and smoothed. I'm sure over-tightening the barrel and tube wasn't helping, so I backed off those as well.

Worked like a charm. :)