870 pumping/ejecting problem

Also the ammo was the cheap 100 pack winchester target loads that you get at walmart.

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Try the Remington or Federal bulk packs from Walmart. More than a few people have had strange issues with the Winchester bulk packs. (At the same time, lots and lots of people have zero issue at all).

Also, have you given it a good cleaning?

Depress the action release button AFTER FIRING, does it make a difference?

The Winchester cheap promo loads are known for their issues with many guns

I had this exact same problem in a Mossberg 500 and an H&R Pardner Pump with the Winchester Wal Mart bulk stuff. First and last time I will ever use it, Remington ammo from now on for me... The Winchesters were so bad it even failed to eject from an H&R Single Shot. That's bad!


Change ammo, problem solved. Not your gun at all. But clean it up anyway, those Winchesters shoot dirty!

If you remove the trigger group (with the saftey on), you can press the action release button and see how it moves the action release arm.

If you carefully take the safety off and with your thumb firmly holding the hammer down, release the hammer by pulling the trigger. If you managed to not let the hammer fly free, you can slowly raise your thumb to slowly release the hammer -- but some let it fly and probably no big deal if it did you no bodily harm. Anyway, now that the hammer is released, you can move it back and forth (partial cock and release). Observe that the hammer is moving the action release just as if you were using the action release button. NO DIFFERENCE. Maybe you already knew this.

Now, if your action sticks after you perform the test suggested by 243, some adjustment of the action release may be needed. The results of this test might even be affected by whether the gun is warm or cold, so try to duplicate the same conditions as before.

Again, with the trigger group removed, the gun should cycle freely and you can also see where the action release catches the left action bar to lock the action for firing. With that in mind, I've lightly stoned the upper tip of the release on my trigger group.

It ain't rocket science, but if you attempt something like this, the usual disclaimer applies --ie: the risk is all yours.

Wish we were closer. I have 3 extra trigger groups. One is brand new b/c it was a simple fix, but the owner had already been sent a replacement from Remington.

Also if I dry fire the gun with no rounds it cycles fine no problems. the ammo was the cheap 100 pack winchester target loads that you get at walmart

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“Well, there's your problem right there”!!

Buy some better ammo.

Your gun is fine.
Unless you break it trying to fix it, when there is nothing wrong with it.

rc

the ammo was the cheap 100 pack winchester target loads that you get at walmart

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That's your problem. Spend the extra couple bucks and get the Federal.

Perhaps polishing the chamber will be of benefit.

Regards,

Mark.

I had the same problem w/ the winchester ammo... I thought it was my 870 so i sold it for cheap...I regret it, it was a tatical model w/ extended mag tube...

It was only bird shot that gave problems...

Try switching ammo like the others said, if that dont work, then go ahead and polish the chamber and give her a good cleaning.

Good luck
Steve

If your 870 is an "Express" model manufactured in the last ten years the chamber will need some polishing. They don't bother to do any finish work at Remington these days and the chambers appear to be bored and reamed with a terrible finish. And buy better ammo. The cheap stuff isn't worth buying.

The cheap stuff isn't worth buying.

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The cheap WINCHESTER stuff - Universal and Super Speed - isn't worth buying. Both the Federal and Remington work just fine

+1 for federal bulk packs from Walmart. I've shot a couple thousand rounds over the past couple of years and have never had an issue.

Sebastian the Ibis said:

That's your problem. Spend the extra couple bucks and get the Federal.

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Yep. Ran a shotgun class a couple of weeks ago, and everyone running the cheap winchester bulk-packs was having this problem with 870s, 500s, and 590s. Ironically, the autos seemed to run it fine. Had an M4, 930, and 1100 (was the speshul "3gun 1100") out, and all of them digested that crap just fine. Seemed to be the pumps that wanted to choke on it. I saw probably a half dozen times where folks had to mortar their shotguns to get the action to unlock.

Make sure the your magazine cap is on tight

Cheap guns and cheap ammo, not the best choices.

A buddy of mine was having a similar problem, I stuck my finger in and felt the chamber area, rough as a corn cob. We took off the barrel got a 10 gauge (his was a 12 ga) brass shotgun brush put it on a short shotgun cleaning rod and chucked it in a drill with some hoppe's and reamed it out then cleaned it with lots of clean patches. Came out smooth as silk. Each time you shoot plastic shotgun shells a small amount of plastic gets burned to the chamber wall (worse with rough chambers) after a while it will become a problem, this will abrade it away without hurting the chamber

If your chamber is not smooth, either hone it or have Remington do it. They do know how because all the Sporting 1100s I have looked at are like a mirror. My 1100 cycles the cheap Winchesters fine, but it does rip about half the heads kicking them out.

I shoot around 400 rounds of winchester or estate ammo every month in a variety of shotguns. None of them have a problem. I have 3 guns of my own I shoot clay with plus when my shooting buddies get into a funk they like to swap shotguns. No problems.

I do have problems with the 870 express. About half the time when I pump one it ejects the empty but fails to load a live round. That is not just one gun that is all 870 express shotguns.

Read the #1 post here:
http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=434350&highlight=870
and the last #25 post in the same thread.

Same problem.
Same gun.
Same cause(s).

Biggest cause is the steel-base head of the
"...bargain Winchester "Super Target" 12ga 2-3/4 1-1/8oz #8s 100-pack. ('Silver' brass)"
It does not spring back away from the chamber walls after firing as does brass.

This is starting to sound like the pistol forum. Everyone blames their problems WWB. Shotguns do need to be cleaned with bore cleaner. After a couple hundred rounds you can see the plastic stuck to the barrel from end to end. I have been hanging around skeet ranges for 25 years. I have never heard of the need to polish a barrel on regular basis. If there was such a need every shop at a skeet range would have a cordless drill you can borrow/rent.

Probably the ammo. Only time I've had problems like this was when shooting some Hungarian manufactured game loads. Hung up my 870 and 37. I figured the brass was extra soft and the shell a bit on the higher pressure side and was seizing in the chamber. Changed ammo and the problems went away.

If the case is swelling that can be sorted out with a pair of calipers. Just measure the shell base and you know if it's the ammo. Since the rest of the world is not having problems with Winchester ammo I would say the barrel is dirty or something is broken. Larry (range owner) sells Winchester ammo by the case and no one is complaining. Not a bad deal either call by Tuesday, come Saturday he has a case of ammo waiting on you for $70. No dealing with Walmart or any headaches.