Do you perform scheduled part changes on your 870?

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Macchina

Macchina

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My Remington 870 (12ga Super Magnum) was my very first gun purchase ever, I got it more than half of my lifetime ago and though I've bought many extra rifles and handguns since: that 870 has been all I've ever needed as far as shotguns go! The outside finish is worn in and has quite the patina and the finish is completely worn off the wood but the thing just keeps on shooting.

Each year I detail strip it and really clean it and all I've ever replaced is the plastic follower with an aluminum one. I've fired thousands of rounds through this gun (many 2-3/4 target loads but also 3" and 3.5" high power slugs, buckshot, and turkey loads) and would like to get an idea if the parts that I might want to think about replacing. The gun rings great but I'd like to prevent any problems in the field.

So, do you recommend any part replacements and after how many rounds?

IMG_20150425_183242641_zps9ddc85d2.jpg
 
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Had mine for 42 years, never replaced a single part, just added an extra barrel for turkey.
 
I haven't replaced anything. In my opinion if you go to replacing parts on a well broken in - but not rusty or abused - gun, you increase the odds of replacing a good part with a defective one.
 
Many years ago I bought one of those five shot 5-shot HD Express clunkers. Fried kilos of heavy loads w/o problems. Haven't replaced a thing on it. These are kinda like Winchester 12 in they can be fired virtually forever with little maintenance or part replacement.
 
What they said.

If it ain't broke?
Don't fix it!

A new part is as likely to fail as a well proven old part.

I would check the ejector rivets and make sure everything is still solidly in place.
Other then that?

Clean, shoot, clean again.
Just as you have been doing.

rc
 
The best replacement parts would just be another used 870 to have just in case something breaks and you have a backup while you are waiting for a part. Can probably find another used 870 for $250 if you are a patient shopper.
 
To date I have yet to experience a single part failure of any sort with my old or new 870's. I take very good care of them though, I always break them down after each session or hunt, and thoroughly clean, and lube where needed.

One of my Son's has a few also, and if anyone could break one or wear it out, it would be him. He abuses them horribly. The only time they get cleaned, is when they pass through my hands. But despite the abuse, they still function flawlessly once the dried mud and dirt literally gets worked out of the actions.

GS
 
The armory at my work has a rack full of well beaten 870's. We have never fixed something before it broke. I have been around 20+ years. Most of the guns were there before me. I can't recall any major breakages.
 
Colt - In my opinion your Armorer should be fired. Duty weapons should be gone through on a routine bases and the Remington LE Armorers Check list done on each weapon. Any parts that are not 100% duty capable should be replaced. So either fire the guy or refuse to use any 870 coming from that Armory. Waiting till something breaks to replace a worn part is scary. This is also a main reason that Officers should have personally owned duty weapons if their Department allows it.

The purpose of that inspection is to find issues then repair or replace the parts before they break. Having a weapon malfunction due to a $5 part because your Department doesn't fix something before it breaks is very dangerous and shows a lack of concern for the safety of the Officers.

To answer the OP. Replacing parts on a schedule is not necessary but know when to replace a part based on an inspection of that assembly or part is. For Example: The firing pin retractor spring will function for awhile even when broken in two and may not fail for many rounds after the break. It then fails and you are getting occasional failures to fire. Most owners of 870's only know this spring is broken when they start having that issues. When cleaning your gun this is a part your should check and if you see it is broken then replace it. Do not wait for it to fail like many are suggesting here. There are others of course and a good resource to have is the book "The Remington Shotgun" A shop Manual, by Jerry Kuhnhausen. I think Brownells still carries it. It has excellent check sheets for these guns, preventive maintenance, the basic tools you need and shows repairs you may be able to do yourself.
 
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My first duck gun was an 870 Express. The only trouble it ever gave was the finish would rust if you looked at it mean. That was easy enough to deal with, considering the duck hunting hours it got. My sister still has that shotgun and it still has given no problems. I agree that parts should be replaced only when they break - parts worn in together won't work quite the same with a new part. In some cases, the newer part could introduce new areas of wear as it may not completely mesh as well as the original part.

If it ain't broke and all that.
 
IF you use it a lot, a new mag spring might be needed after a while, possibly an extractor - but that would be about it unless you drag it down a gravel road behind your truck.
 
There's absolutely no need to change parts if they're not broken. No need to detail strip it annually either. Except that it's fun.
"...your armorer should be fired..." Nonsense. Highly unlikely to be the weapons tech's decision for starters. And changing parts for no reason costs money. Spending money for no reason would be cause for dismissal. Fixing busted stuff when it breaks is not.
In any case, what police departments do is not the same as what the rest of the world does. Very few cops ever touch or fire their issue firearms regularly. Very few cops ever saw a real firearm before getting hired either.
 
After 40 years and a couple hundred thousand shells at trap plus some duck, pheasant and deer hunting, I had to replace the receiver on my TB trap gun when it developed a two inch long crack behind the ejection port (plus a host of small ones around the port). Some have said "check drill it" but that is for more adventurous souls than I.
Other than that, one trigger part and one firing pin. Not too bad.
I pirated a like new receiver and put all the old TB parts on and am still shooting away. Nearing 250K rounds now. Not piling up as fast now as it is about a two flats/month when before it was about a flat a week.
 
I've had one of my 870's for 55 years . Never broken a part . It still works perfectly , every thing is polished in to each other . The only parts I'm personally aware of failing were due to shade tree gunsmithing , although I'm sure their have been failures somewhere . [murphy's law] So in conclusion I concurr , if it ain't broke .
 
When I go to either of the trap clubs I take, in my range bag, a spare firing pin, a spare trigger group, a firing pin spring and a drift punch and small brass hammer. Can't think that anything else on old TB will need attention.
Clean it, oil it lightly, shoot it. Repeat.
 
AI&P Tactical said:
Colt - In my opinion your Armorer should be fired. Duty weapons should be gone through on a routine bases and the Remington LE Armorers Check list done on each weapon. Any parts that are not 100% duty capable should be replaced. So either fire the guy or refuse to use any 870 coming from that Armory. Waiting till something breaks to replace a worn part is scary. This is also a main reason that Officers should have personally owned duty weapons if their Department allows it.

The purpose of that inspection is to find issues then repair or replace the parts before they break. Having a weapon malfunction due to a $5 part because your Department doesn't fix something before it breaks is very dangerous and shows a lack of concern for the safety of the Officers.

To answer the OP. Replacing parts on a schedule is not necessary but know when to replace a part based on an inspection of that assembly or part is. For Example: The firing pin retractor spring will function for awhile even when broken in two and may not fail for many rounds after the break. It then fails and you are getting occasional failures to fire. Most owners of 870's only know this spring is broken when they start having that issues. When cleaning your gun this is a part your should check and if you see it is broken then replace it. Do not wait for it to fail like many are suggesting here. There are others of course and a good resource to have is the book "The Remington Shotgun" A shop Manual, by Jerry Kuhnhausen. I think Brownells still carries it. It has excellent check sheets for these guns, preventive maintenance, the basic tools you need and shows repairs you may be able to do yourself.
Click to expand...
+1. Parts replacement is rarely needed on 870s, but that doesn't relieve one of the duty of inspecting for it. The only parts I've ever replaced on any of the 870s I've owned over the years have been for performance or a specific need.

One thing I have found with 870s, (as well as 1100's, 11-87's 11-48's, and 11-58's) is the feed latches should be watched; they have a tendency to come loose. None of mine ever have, but I've restaked a lot of them over the years for others.

+1 on any of the Kuhnhausen books. Invaluable resources.
 
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