870 Action Bars Locked-up Tight!

[Taurus44]

I took apart one of my 870s to put a new stock and forend on it (which went fine), but when I was reassembling it all, something weird happened. I started the action bars back into the receiver, put the bolt assembly back in place and started to slide the bars the rest of the way in and they locked-up tight... "Locked-up" as in "won't budge". They won't slide in or out. I can't budge them at all. The bolt face is just sticking out of the receiver.

I've had these guns apart a million times and this is the first time this has ever happened. Is there anything (short of beating on it with a hammer) that I can do? Should I take it to a gunsmith?

 

[ArmedBear]

Are the little tabs you push with your fingers to release the action bars when removing the bolt stuck somehow?

 

[Taurus44]

It was locked-up in the tabs (I guess I didn't push them out far enough). Nothing that a few good whacks with a rubber mallet couldn't fix. I just hate beating on stuff if I don't have to.

 

[Fred Fuller]

So did you get it loose already? Is it fixed?

Removing the bolt assembly/action bar assy, it's only necessary to depress the left shell stop. Reinstalling it, you have to press both in the proper sequence- right shell stop first, then left shell stop after sliding the assy rearward a fraction of an inch. After that it should go all the way in. It shouldn't require force at all, much less blows with a hammer, to get it in or out. But it can get stuck if something gets in the wrong place or the sequence is wrong. It's a "feel" sort of thing, practice makes perfect.

lpl/nc

 

[ArmedBear]

Nothing that a few good whacks with a rubber mallet couldn't fix.

Gotta love the 870. That's why I think they're such great "first guns", field guns, and HD guns. They're hard to destroy.

 

[Taurus44]

Yes. I fixed it with a rubber mallet. I guess I've spent too much time with my Mossbergs lately, because I pushed in the shell stops in the wrong order. That's what locked it up.