870 won't feed....

[bussttwo]

Just got an 870 on gunbroker... I know. .. I know.. never buy a gun you can;t inspect personally... but hey, how could there be something wrong with an 870... right? There was no rust!

Anyways.... What I got here is a mag tube that will NOT let me load a shell. That orange thing wont budge, in the pic. Am I a moron, and that is a plug I just don't have the strength to get out? Or is my mag tube broken, and I was sold a lemon?

 

[rcmodel]

It is a highly visable "Safety Orange" plastic mag spring follower.

Push it in harder!
It's probably just stuck in some dried out grease.

rc

 

[bussttwo]

lol trust me, I've pushed as hard as I can....

 

[rcmodel]

Well, heat the area with a blow dryer and pop it with a dowel rod punch and a hammer!!

Or, drip a little powder solvent in there and let it soak for a bit, and then pop it.

I think it is just stuck with dried oil, but they have been known to deform from constant spring pressure.
Plastic does that. That's why it is called plastic.

There are much better ones available.

http://www.rem870.com/2010/03/10/shotgun-followers-overview-remington-870/

But regardless of all that, you got to get it loose to use it, or replace it if it needs replacing.
So do what ya gotta do to get it moving.

rc

 

[rbernie]

Have you pulled the mag cap off and pulled out the spring to make sure that nothing is obstructing the follower?

 

[41]

Have you pulled the mag cap off and pulled out the spring to make sure that nothing is obstructing the follower?

That would be my advise also. You could get a better idea of what is happening if you take everything out of the mag tube.

 

[bussttwo]

I have taken off the mag cap and spring... nothing there. this thing must just be seriously, seriously stuck.

 

[bussttwo]

I also noticed this.... What the hell are those things?! Is that weld marks? Or Jb weld or epoxy? Is that normal?

 

[dfariswheel]

Those are where the action bars are brazed onto the tube.

To free the magazine follower, remove the magazine spring retainer and magazine spring.
Remove the trigger group.
Use a wood dowel to push the follower forward.
If it refuses to move, gently tap the dowel with a small hammer.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Is that weld marks?

I'd suspect excess silver solder, but I don't know. I just checked the closest Express here, and it has thin lines of material the same color, but not that much. The action bars are attached to the fore-end tube by soldering them on. And the action bar assembly is replaceable pretty easily if necessary, I keep a couple of spares in the parts box just in case.

As to what appears to be a stuck follower, some of the things people use in cleaning can dissolve some plastics, and that might be the case here. There may be some roughness or corrosion inside the magazine tube that it's binding up on as well. I'd pull the magazine cap, magazine spring retainer and magazine spring and put a few drops of some good penetrative oil down the magazine tube. I use Ballistol or Kroil a lot for this kind of job.

After letting it soak for a few hours, heat the area with a hair dryer and try gently tapping the follower back up into the magazine tube.

After getting it out, I'd replace it with http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=21623/Product/REM-870-XP-MAGAZINE-SPRING-FOLLOWER ...

hth,

lpl

 

[bussttwo]

Yes, that was definitely it. After what feels like an eternity of tapping with a hammer, I finally got it out.. the dimples, wow that made it tough

Apparently you were right Lee, some chemical ate that plastic to bits, it was deformed to the hole, and was bent ALL out of shape. Just waiting on a new one of those. Everything else seems good! Thanks guys

 

[bussttwo]

stupid question... what makes a follower a "good" follower, other than keeping its shape? Isn't it just a cap that is on the end of the spring?

 

[Virginian]

stupid question... what makes a follower a "good" follower, other than keeping its shape? Isn't it just a cap that is on the end of the spring?

You got it - keeping its shape, no matter what. Get an old Remington steel one or an aluminum one would be my advice. But, the dimples would be an issue with the steel. The new aluminum ones have scollops for the dimples.

 

[Fred Fuller]

Glad you got it out OK.

As well as the replacement spring and follower I mentioned above, you might want to get Brownells to send you one of these - http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=1247/Product/SHOTGUN-MAGAZINE-TUBE-BRUSH .

 

[bussttwo]

Thanks again fellas