870 Gurus.... Need Some Help.

[556A2]

I picked up a 1983 vintage Wingmaster Police Trade-In for cheap today. While I'm not new to the 870 by any means, I do have a couple of questions:

1. Since this was made back in the early 80s, it doesn't have the flex-tab carrier. Do I absolutely need a new bolt in addition to the carrier, or will the carrier by itself suffice?

2. The outside of this 870 has been rode hard, even though it locks up tight. What is a good way to touch up the finish on the Wingmaster's glossy bluing? There are just a couple of spots where there is practically no finish.

 

[Capstick1]

If it was my shotgun I think I'd ship it off to Wilson Combat and let them to a full restoration on it. If you go to their website you can see what options they have available for it. As far as the finish goes you have a couple of choices. You can either have it reblued or you can get one of these baked on teflon finishes put on it. That 870 may look a little beat up on the outside but there's still probably plenty of life left in the old girl. I may sound a little biased but 870's have more than proven themselves in a few wars over the years including Viet nam. This shotgun was first released around the early1950's and continues to be maintained in the military arms inventories. There's never been much talk of replacing them. I think I heard someone once say that 870's don't wear out. They just get handled to death.

 

[556A2]

FWIW, I don't want to refinish this 870.

There are just a few spots with no finish at all I just want to touch up.

 

[Bix]

Several threads discussing the flexitabs indicate that a new bolt is required.

See the last couple posts from our sagacious mods here:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=231583&highlight=flexitab+bolt

Comparison pic of the relevant bolts in post #10 here:

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=442292&highlight=flexitab+bolt

 

[Fred Fuller]

The Flexitab upgrade kit from Remington (last I knew) came with a new bolt/slide and a new lifter. But ask yourself if you really really need one. If your shell latches are holding as they should, the action bars aren't worn out or mis-timed and you are serious about getting rounds all the way into the magazine tube before you let them go, you shouldn't ever need what a Flexitab does. The dead serious pre-Flexitab old timers used to just mill a narrow slot most of the length of the lifter to allow for getting a key etc. in the slot behind the errant shell and clearing it off the lifter back into the magazine

A good cold blue like Brownell's Oxphoblue should do OK for a touch-up.

Congrats on bringing home a Cinderella...

lpl

 

[556A2]

Well I don't think I could in good conscience pay $80 for the Flex-Tab kit when I have less than $200 in this 870. Plus I never had any issues in the field hunting with my old Wingmaster.

I'll check into the Oxphoblue. I don't mind character marks/scuffs/scratches, but there is just too much character on the right side of the receiver where it sat in the cruiser lock.

 

[ilmonster]

Third the Oxphoblue. I bought a worn 870 police around a year ago, and used it to touch up the blued finish, and although it does not look like new, it looks pretty nice. Thankfully, the inside was not so worn and I don't mind that it does not have the flexitab.

 

[farscott]

Once you get the bluing touched up, you might consider some wax to help protect the metal. I have been using Renaissance Wax on my 870 Classic Trap because the bluing is worn away on the top of the receiver where the gun contacts the stand. It helps with finger prints from handling as well as providing corrosion resistance. The wax is also nice on rainy days as it keeps the water from the metal.

You could also use carnauba wax, but I happen to have the Renaissance Wax.

 

[556A2]

Problem

I'll keep this in the same thread because I ran into a issue today with the 870.

I loaded up the magazine to run some shells through the action. Half of the shells would not pop out the magazine tube. The lip of the carrier would catch near the bottom of the shell's rim so the shell could not pop out of the magazine tube.

Could this be an issue with the carrier dog spring?

farscott, a couple of old-timer duck hunters told me about using carnuba wax. This 870 is going to be a social shotgun, so I'll probably just skip using the wax because its not anywhere near pristine condition.

 

[Zero Knives]

Could be worn action bars. I wish I could tell you how to check; I found this out by swapping part by part between shotguns. Good news is you can find them pretty cheap. Look on Gunbroker for 870 stock sets and you'll see the occasional set show up complete with the action still on the fore end. Depending on the vintage, the slide may be different but that can be easily remedied with a dremel...

 

[556A2]

Since a picture is worth 1,000 words:




There was/is some movement of the forend, and I tightened up the action bar nut. It still was able to perform the jam a couple of times though.

 

[Zero Knives]

Yep, looks real similar to what mine was doing. I could get mine to pop if I shucked like a sonuvabitch.

Odd thing is, when I looked at the malfunctioning action bars, there wasn't much wear. The finish was gone but it didn't look much different from the new part. Do you have another 870? I wouldn't know how else to check.

 

[AcceptableUserName]

send it off to Wilson why>? So they can take him for every last cent on stuff he could do himself with the proper know how?


good idea on not restoring it. it already has more character than any wilson mall ninja gun ever could hope for.

 

[Murphys Law]

Just a thought. Check the shell stops that are in the reciever. They may be a little rusty or gunked up on such an old gun. Squirt a little penetrating oil in there if they appear sticky. The stops hold the shells in the magazine tube. You should be able to see them just inside the reciever between the magazine tube and the receiver. It looks like the shellis getting past the stops and jamming against the carrier.

 

[556A2]

I think I figured out the problem, and I'm still kicking myself for nothing thinking about it sooner.

The magazine spring seems to be the culprit with possibly a weak carrier dog return spring. The spring is a cut down +2 extension spring, and it felt pretty week. I took out the magazine spring retainer, dropped in a dummy shell to create more spring tension, put the magazine cap back on, and tested it again.

I couldn't replicate the jam again. So I have a Wolff XP Magazine Spring, and a new carrier dog return sping on the way, plus some Oxphoblue Creme coming in as well.

 

[Murphys Law]

Good for you Bullet. I love 870's. They are so rebuildable. Kind of like the 1911's of the shotgun world.