870 Actions

Status
Not open for further replies.
Thank you for all the replies. I figured it was mostly marketing and different stamps. I love the 870. I now have two, a 20" tactical pistol grip, I've had for about 2 years now and a bare bones 20" with wood grips that I just got today.

I do have a problem with the new one however. After buying it my finacee was shooting it and had a shell get stuck in the barrel after firing. Sure that the round was actually fired I set to gettin it out. After a lot of cussing and breaking a knife point (duh - wrong tool for the job) I wound up breaking it down and pushing a wood dowel through the barrel to puch out the spent shell.

After reassembling I put 8 more rounds through it with 0 problems.

What would cause this?

I'm thinking cheap ammo (Estate) and possibly cheap barrel (Target Sports Tactical). Maybe polishing the chamber and using better ammo would prevent this from happening in the future?
 
The bottom line on the 870

Many don't like steel based shells. Sometimes polishing the chamber helps. Many times it does not. Shooting brass based shells fixes the problem. Brass shells cost more.
 
After 1500 rounds or so, it's almost as smooth as my venerable 12 bore Wingmasters.
Click to expand...
I respectfully submit that there is a quicker and cheaper path to way to "smooth" than 100 boxes of shells. Understand the mechanism, identify where friction can be reduced, and reduce it. Works on old/new and Express/Wingmaster. First step, is to straighen the action bars -- even on a new 870. The caveat is, if not done right, it will make matters worse -- and I've straightened out some of those, too.
 
btg3....

Like all my 870s, this one has had.....

The action bars straightened. They've also has the shiny spots polished with Crocksticks, the flashing left from stamping removed meticulously and the corners radiused slightly.

The WMs here date from 1950, 1955, and two from 1973. All have been treated similarly, but the WMs round counts are higher.

They shuck like Butter, the Express will also.
 
Shooting brass based shells fixes the problem
Click to expand...
Out of curiosity, I took a magnet to the base of a variety of shells, most were magnetic, so I googled and found this...

Most of the economically priced shotgun ammunition made today has a mild steel base plated to look like solid brass. Ammunition with this steel base does not eject as well as that which has the all brass base. I think the reason for this is the steel base does not contract or shrink back to its original dimensions nearly as much as does the brass base after firing. To determine what the base is made of, just put a magnet against the base of the shotgun hull. An all brass base will not be attracted to the magnet. The Peters Blue and Green Magic cases, Remington STS and most of the Winchester AA cases have the all brass base.

SHOOTING THE "COWBOY" DOUBLE SHOTGUN
by Deadly Redly
From The Cowboy Chronicle, June 1990, The Single Action Shooters Society Newsletter
Click to expand...

Of course that was 25 years ago regarding ejection from a SxS coach gun. Even so, it now seems that all-steel without a brass wash is even more economical to produce.

Perhaps lighter loads with steel bases give less trouble? I reload them with 7/8 oz of shot, 1200 fps, 7100psi and they run great in an 18-1/2 Mossy barrel on my 870. Or perhaps it's the barrel, or... ???
 
Last edited:
The steel thing is hit and miss. I have some of my polished 870s that work pretty good with the Wally World Federal ammo. However, my Wingmaster and one of my 870s with chambers that have been recut by a gunsmith do not work with steel.

They all have been polished. Brass shells work fine in all.


P.S. The president of Remington should be fired for letting guns out of the factory like this. My Benelli eats any shell you give it.
 
If the steel shells are sticking in the chamber, I'd try giving them a swipe of car wax around the dase.

After all paper shells were waxed paper and that wax left a very slight coating in the chamber when fired.
 
Hmmm... Did any paper shells have a steel base or were they all brass or at least brass-wash over steel?
 
Paper shells usually had a brass base.

But the wax from the paper coated the chamber. Thats why paper shells have that "unique smell" to them when fired. It's a mix of the burning powder and wax from the paper shell.
 
For reloading paper shells that got stepped on, I recall re-conditioning them in a hot tube press to melt the wax.

...anyway, my question was a rhetorical attempt to dismiss wax as the reason paper shells didn't stick. But as you say, "try giving them a swipe of car wax" and prove me wrong.
 
Thats why paper shells have that "unique smell"

Last paper shells I had were two boxes I received as a college graduation present in 1974 from a gentleman in the community I went hunting with sometimes. Plastic had pretty well taken over by then, but he knew I would appreciate the paper and made a special effort to get them for me. I still have some of those hulls.

I don't know of anything that can transport me back through time faster than the smell of a freshly fired paper shotgun shell...
 
There is a difference on the inside. Can I name the part? No.

I have seen many Wingmasters. All shot very well. Never any issues.

I have been around a few Expresses. I recall 2 that locked up tight as a tick with a live shell in them! Don't know what they ever did with them. could not even fire it to resolve the safety issue.

In general, the Express just is rougher all around. You get what you pay for.
 
You got to wonder. If a Express was just as well built and just as reliable as a Police or WM, why would LE Departments spend the extra on the WM or Police models?

They wouldn't.
 
why would LE Departments spend the extra...?
Click to expand...
No incentive to do otherwise. If they fail to spend their budget, then their budget gets reduced.
 
Gun Geezer, you would be amazed! I get calls all the time in September from government agencies wanting to buy lists of "stuff" because they have to spend their funding before October. If they don't spend their money, they lose it AND they get less money next year.

Basic principle of human nature - when people spend money that is not theirs, they tend to care less about spending it wisely.
 
Hi folks,

I am about 5' 4" and while I don't have any problems with short stroking my 870 super magnum on birds or high clay I the long reach to the forend is awkward.

I have some short stroking problems on rabbits, low clays, or competition/HD practice using a shorter LOP and am 18" barrel.

the shorter LOP and training have helped, but the reach to the forend is still awkward. A Magpul forend would help but Magpul and most aftermarket forends (Magpul, Speedfeed etc.) will not allow the super magnum to cycle with out cutting them shorter or some dremel tool work

The supper magnum requires a longer pump stroke and different forend tube assemblies, forends, mag tubes, bolts, etc to accommodate the longer 3 1/2 shells.

I would like to know if I can use a non super magnum forend tube assembly and forend with a super magnum carrier and bolt to allow a shorter reach to the forend and a shorter pump stroke.

I don't have any non super magnum parts to see what what parts are interchangeable or simply modifiable to fit a super magnum.

If it will work I will put a Magpul forend on for HD/Competition and keep my super magnum wood forend for 3 1/2" for geese.

Some part number are below for reference. Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks


Remington Forend Tube Assembly 870 12 Gauge Super Magnum #: F102327

Remington Slide Block 870 Police, Super Magnum 12 Gauge #: F401024

Remington Action Bar Lock 870 12 Gauge Super Mag #: F99700

Remington Forend Tube Assembly New-Style 870 12 Gauge #: F102324

Remington Slide Block Remington 870 12, 12 Gauge Magnum #: F401023

Remington Action Bar Lock 870 12 Gauge Remington #: F18849
 
Owned around a dozen Express and Wingmasters through the years and have NEVER had a feeding or ejection problem. And, the actions are smooth whether they were Express or Wingmaster. Sometimes I am amazed at how many problems people have with great guns designed perfectly. Maybe I am just weird.
 
AI&P Tactical said:
They are the same. There is nothing inside to polish. Anyone who says there is does not know the weapon and anyone charging money saying they do this is a thief. So before anyone says there is something to polish you should be ready to name the part and explain how and why it is polished. Since you can't, I don't expect anyone to come back with such false information.

There is only one 870 and the differ only by finish furniture and a couple small parts. The internal parts difference in the EXpress is only $6 less then the Police and Wingmaster. That is for the MIM extractor.
Click to expand...
Well now, I don't know about that.

My Wingmaster has an aluminum trigger group. The Expresses I have seen have a polymer/whatever non-metalic trigger groups.

The Expresses are not nearly as smooth out of the box as a Wingmaster. Not sure what the internal difference is, but there absolutley is something. You have to know that with the price difference between a Wingmaster and Express, there has to be some major differences.
 
oldguy870 said:
Gun Geezer, you would be amazed! I get calls all the time in September from government agencies wanting to buy lists of "stuff" because they have to spend their funding before October. If they don't spend their money, they lose it AND they get less money next year.

Basic principle of human nature - when people spend money that is not theirs, they tend to care less about spending it wisely.
Click to expand...
Can't argue with that. "Agencies" tend to spend.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

L
  • Locked
Remington Lineup?
Replies
9
Views
805
Fred Fuller
F
H
  • Locked
"870 Magnum" Details (not again...)
Replies
18
Views
2K
Regolith
R
H
  • Locked
870 barrel
Replies
4
Views
533
hms365
H
V
  • Locked
A few Rem 870 questions. Help deciding
Replies
13
Views
880
batex
B
W
  • Locked
Remington Wingmaster worth the extra dough?
2
Replies
45
Views
3K
WoodchuckAssassin
W
Back
Top