I have to admit, I am very disappointed in this gun after today. I purchased a new one, went out today and 4 rounds into it, it jammed hard so as not to eject a spent shell. had to break it down, figured maybe its a new gun thing, ended up breaking it down over a dozen times trying to shoot 50 clay pigeons....did I just end up with a lemon?
870 express
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I doubt if it needed a cleaning as it was "just out of the box" new and assembled by my dealer, it actually looks like some tooling marks inside are not letting it eject the shell each time, I did drop it back off at the same shop, the neat part is the gun shop dealer is on our trap team, he was there. He is not impressed by the guns actions either. I may end up just getting a Mossburg instead
Leaky Waders
Member
Sir Aardvark
Member
Did you at least lubricate it first before using it?
I make it a point to completely clean and lubricated my new firearms before using them just to get all of the junk out of them that they pick up at the factory.
I find that most new guns are pretty filthy right out of the box and that they come kinda "dry" from the factory - S&W revolvers especially!
I'm not sure what the issue is with your new express, but, hopefully a good shot of Breakfree might be what it needs.
Please keep us posted on what the problem turns out to be.
I make it a point to completely clean and lubricated my new firearms before using them just to get all of the junk out of them that they pick up at the factory.
I find that most new guns are pretty filthy right out of the box and that they come kinda "dry" from the factory - S&W revolvers especially!
I'm not sure what the issue is with your new express, but, hopefully a good shot of Breakfree might be what it needs.
Please keep us posted on what the problem turns out to be.
so i take it you basically took it brand new to the range, without cleaning it at all, and are surprised you had issues? you didn't even do a basic, minimal cleaning (else you wouldn't have posted your doubt about needing such a cleaning)? you do know that most (all?) new guns require a good cleaning, right?
i don't think i've ever taken a new gun (just like your "just out of the box new") to shoot without a good first cleaning. don't most (again, all?) manuals tell you to do just that?
MAX100
Member
Some 870s have rough and tight chambers and have problems with some shells sticking in the chamber. I don't know why Remington doesn't address this problem. If your gun has this problem and if the chamber isn't too bad you can correct the problem yourself by polishing the chamber.
GC
GC
^
Which is why it should be cleaned before firing. There is a good chance the chamber area is gummed up with oil or grease used in manufacturing or shipping. He does not say what type of ammo he was using but I have read reports of the cheaper Winchester ammo causing this problem in 870's in the past.
Which is why it should be cleaned before firing. There is a good chance the chamber area is gummed up with oil or grease used in manufacturing or shipping. He does not say what type of ammo he was using but I have read reports of the cheaper Winchester ammo causing this problem in 870's in the past.
chas08
Member
It sounds like a good chamber polishing and thorough cleaning is in order. Since steel has replaced the "brass" heads on shotshells it has magnified the need of smooth chambers immensly because of it's lack of shrinkage after firing. Brass would expand and retract enough for this to not be much of a problem. Any imperfection in the chamber, and a steel head are going to lock up. This is not conjecture on my part but rather the opinion of a respected gunsmith I deal with from time to time. He also said he sees it in the lower end Remington 870's the most. Maybe it's time for 'Big Green" to get their Q/C dept on the ball.
I spent probably a good hour cleaning it before we put anything through it, yes it was rather filthy. More so than I expected. It appears that the hammer, instead of being smooth, had a very sharp edge that would get caught up. it would always cycle fine unless you fired the weapon, when it jammed the shell was always stuck in the end of the barrel, enough so that I had to you a cleaning rod to pop it out. It did not take much effort, but it is rather annoying. This is a replacement 870 for one that I had for 20 years that some punk decided he wanted more than me. I hope I find that kid....
chas08
Member
Polish the chamber by wrapping some steel wool around a bore brush and spinning it with a drill motor, preferably cordless. Use lots of lubricant (WD-40 works good) keep the brush moving in and out without letting it set in one place too long until the desired smoothness is achieved. It's practically impossible to oversize the bore of the chamber enough to matter with this method. In worse cases a small brake cylinder hone purchased at the local auto parts can be used. But this must be done more carefully as it can remove more metal faster. The rough hammer, while not good, shouldnt be having much effect on a failure to extract problem unless the bolt cant re-cock it on the backstroke. There's not much to get in the way of the hammer and it wouldn't make the spent shell tight in the chamber. Good luck and let us know what fixes it. Also try different brands of ammo if you haven't already, even before you do the polishing.
Fred Fuller
Moderator Emeritus
Were you shooting Winchester bulk pack ammo, perhaps? It's notorious for causing that sort of problem...
lpl
lpl
Handgunner
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Make sure you wipe it down weekly. Mine starts to rust at even a hint of humidity. My 870 is my first, only and last remington product.
Handgunner ya wanna know why it does that your parkerizing is dry as a bone and needs to be properly taken care of. I see so many people who say I'll never own an 870 again because it rusts but they don't ever treat their parkerizing properly.
Omaha-BeenGlockin
Member
Spray some Remoil on the finish and really work it in---no rust then.
chas08
Member
The newer ones aren't parkerized. They are bead blasted and blued. A liberal soaking of Rem-Oil and let air dry will go a long way toward stopping the rust bug.
mljdeckard
Member
I don't even know how to jam an 870 express. I say call the factory.
inSight-NEO
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Mossberg anyone?
Seriously though, upon my first outing with my new Mossberg 590 I experienced a double feed and a few misfeeds. Needless to say I was quite upset and ready to dismiss the 590 as crapola. But, when I tore it down, I discovered that the mag tube spring was all bent to h*ll. Plus, I noticed the elevator needed a bit of polishing. So, I replaced the spring (per various recommendations given to me) and polished the elevator a bit and things have improved so far.
Keep in mind, this gun you have is man made and thus, prone to malfunction. Through trial and error (as frustrating as this can be) you will discover the cause for your various issues. After that, its entirely up to you as to whether or not you consider it worth fixing. Personally, in addition to my previously mentioned "fixes," I have spent several hundred dollars upgrading my standard 590 to 590A1 status. Sure, I lost a bit of ground, financially speaking, but felt that the weapon was inherently worth the trouble vs trying to sell it.
You need to keep in mind that the 870 Express, along with guns such as the Mossberg 500/590, are "budget" weapons vs the likes of the Remington 870 Police models or 590 A1 models. Hence, QC will probably be somewhat lacking and unfortunately, make the buyer responsible for dealing with any missing and/or lack of details. So, dont write off the gun just yet.
This means nothing as far as Im concerned. Being "assembled by your dealer" could mean anything. If he just attached the barrel, this could hardly be construed as a noteworthy assembly. Plus, most new weapons contain all sorts of junk, both externally and internally. I would not make any assumptions, but rather would break down the weapon (as far as you feel comfortable with) and thoroughly clean/lube it. After that, see what you end up with and go from there. Just be sure that, when cleaning the mag tube or any part contained within, that you leave it clean and dry...no lube necessarily needed. With all other parts, get them as clean as you can but do not over apply the lube, particularly when dealing with the trigger assembly mechanism.
Seriously though, upon my first outing with my new Mossberg 590 I experienced a double feed and a few misfeeds. Needless to say I was quite upset and ready to dismiss the 590 as crapola. But, when I tore it down, I discovered that the mag tube spring was all bent to h*ll. Plus, I noticed the elevator needed a bit of polishing. So, I replaced the spring (per various recommendations given to me) and polished the elevator a bit and things have improved so far.
Keep in mind, this gun you have is man made and thus, prone to malfunction. Through trial and error (as frustrating as this can be) you will discover the cause for your various issues. After that, its entirely up to you as to whether or not you consider it worth fixing. Personally, in addition to my previously mentioned "fixes," I have spent several hundred dollars upgrading my standard 590 to 590A1 status. Sure, I lost a bit of ground, financially speaking, but felt that the weapon was inherently worth the trouble vs trying to sell it.
You need to keep in mind that the 870 Express, along with guns such as the Mossberg 500/590, are "budget" weapons vs the likes of the Remington 870 Police models or 590 A1 models. Hence, QC will probably be somewhat lacking and unfortunately, make the buyer responsible for dealing with any missing and/or lack of details. So, dont write off the gun just yet.
This means nothing as far as Im concerned. Being "assembled by your dealer" could mean anything. If he just attached the barrel, this could hardly be construed as a noteworthy assembly. Plus, most new weapons contain all sorts of junk, both externally and internally. I would not make any assumptions, but rather would break down the weapon (as far as you feel comfortable with) and thoroughly clean/lube it. After that, see what you end up with and go from there. Just be sure that, when cleaning the mag tube or any part contained within, that you leave it clean and dry...no lube necessarily needed. With all other parts, get them as clean as you can but do not over apply the lube, particularly when dealing with the trigger assembly mechanism.
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agreed -- when i got my 870, i was very concerned about the "rusting" ... just touching the barrel turned your hand a nice rust color. but a thorough cleaning plus soaking and rub-down of the exterior with CLP and that problem has never returned, and this is in the relatively high humidity of houston. all ya gotta do is take care of it with the least of reasonable efforts, and you should be good to go.
hometheaterman
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Have the chamber polished on it. Or do it yourself. There was a link on another forum of how to do it. I had one for a couple years and couldn't figure out what the deal with it was. Mine only did it on 2 3/4 shells and not on Federals. Well, I only shot buckshot in 3" or 3 1/2" so not sure how it would do with regular shot in those. I took mine back to the gun shop it came from and they couldn't find anything wrong with it. I finally found online that it's that the chamber isn't perfectly smooth so when you shoot it the shell swells up and it wont let the pump come back to eject it.
I never had mine do that again after I had the chamber of the barrel polished. Then again I only shot a box of Winchester shells through it. Those did it ever 3 shots or so before though. It had jamming issues with 3" and 3 1/2" buckshot too but it was just random stuff like stove piping or not catching the old shell to put it out. Random stuff.
I'd try polishing the chamber or have a shop do it though as this is a very common problem with these guns apparently. I don't think Remington has very good quality control. If they did these things would not leave the factory like this. IMO it's crazy to have to have a brand new gun worked on even if it's something as small as having the chamber polished.
I know a lot of guys love these guns but these are what made me not like Remington very much.
I never had mine do that again after I had the chamber of the barrel polished. Then again I only shot a box of Winchester shells through it. Those did it ever 3 shots or so before though. It had jamming issues with 3" and 3 1/2" buckshot too but it was just random stuff like stove piping or not catching the old shell to put it out. Random stuff.
I'd try polishing the chamber or have a shop do it though as this is a very common problem with these guns apparently. I don't think Remington has very good quality control. If they did these things would not leave the factory like this. IMO it's crazy to have to have a brand new gun worked on even if it's something as small as having the chamber polished.
I know a lot of guys love these guns but these are what made me not like Remington very much.
hometheaterman
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http://refugeforums.com/refuge/showthread.php?s=&threadid=175266
There you go a link to polishing it if you want to try it yourself. If it's new you may want to have the shop do it though just incase something goes wrong.
There you go a link to polishing it if you want to try it yourself. If it's new you may want to have the shop do it though just incase something goes wrong.
Virginian
Member
QUOTE:
"You need to keep in mind that the 870 Express, along with guns such as the Mossberg 500/590, are "budget" weapons vs the likes of the Remington 870 Police models or 590 A1 models. Hence, QC will probably be somewhat lacking and unfortunately, make the buyer responsible for dealing with any missing and/or lack of details."
Here's to a man that understands reality in 2009. If you want to get the absolute least expensive gun you can find, be prepared for the very real possibility you may have to do without it while you send it back to the factory for them to address any issues, or spend $15 on materials and an hour more and do it yourself.
What kills me is, I run across people on forums complaining (not this - this is a new gun), and at the range, who have had a problem for a while, and all they want to do is bit*h about it, like that is going to solve anything.
I am not faulting anyone for wanting to get the least expensive gun. Don't feel bad, because based on what I see and hear you have tons of company. And the gun companies have figured out that if they can shave here or there to cut the retail price to get a hair lower than the competition, they will sell a boatload more guns. And I have no numbers, but the bet is that they never hear a peep about 99.99% of all of them, whether they have a problem or not. I wonder how many guns bought for "home defense" ever even get fired to make sure they work.
Accountants and lawyers are running the world. I am not saying I like the way it is; I am only saying that is the way it is.
P.S. - And as long as Winchester can make shotgun shells cheaper, and sell them for a profit, even though they have tinfoil heads that rip when you shoot them in an autoloader, and stick in any chamber that isn't very smooth, people are going to keep buying them by the bucketload. And you can count me in this bunch too, because all my guns apparently have chambers better than the minimum required. Man that LT20 almost decapitates those shells, but it do get them out of the gun.
"You need to keep in mind that the 870 Express, along with guns such as the Mossberg 500/590, are "budget" weapons vs the likes of the Remington 870 Police models or 590 A1 models. Hence, QC will probably be somewhat lacking and unfortunately, make the buyer responsible for dealing with any missing and/or lack of details."
Here's to a man that understands reality in 2009. If you want to get the absolute least expensive gun you can find, be prepared for the very real possibility you may have to do without it while you send it back to the factory for them to address any issues, or spend $15 on materials and an hour more and do it yourself.
What kills me is, I run across people on forums complaining (not this - this is a new gun), and at the range, who have had a problem for a while, and all they want to do is bit*h about it, like that is going to solve anything.
I am not faulting anyone for wanting to get the least expensive gun. Don't feel bad, because based on what I see and hear you have tons of company. And the gun companies have figured out that if they can shave here or there to cut the retail price to get a hair lower than the competition, they will sell a boatload more guns. And I have no numbers, but the bet is that they never hear a peep about 99.99% of all of them, whether they have a problem or not. I wonder how many guns bought for "home defense" ever even get fired to make sure they work.
Accountants and lawyers are running the world. I am not saying I like the way it is; I am only saying that is the way it is.
P.S. - And as long as Winchester can make shotgun shells cheaper, and sell them for a profit, even though they have tinfoil heads that rip when you shoot them in an autoloader, and stick in any chamber that isn't very smooth, people are going to keep buying them by the bucketload. And you can count me in this bunch too, because all my guns apparently have chambers better than the minimum required. Man that LT20 almost decapitates those shells, but it do get them out of the gun.
Deadheadted37
Member
Walmart bulk ammo?
My 870 only has problems with Winchester bulk stuff from Walmart, 1 out ever 20-30 rounds. Otherwise I have shot 3500+ rounds of various brands and types of ammo through mine and have not had any problems except for the bulk Winchesters from Walmart.
My 870 only has problems with Winchester bulk stuff from Walmart, 1 out ever 20-30 rounds. Otherwise I have shot 3500+ rounds of various brands and types of ammo through mine and have not had any problems except for the bulk Winchesters from Walmart.
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