A few weeks back I sold the only shotgun I ever owned, a Remington 870 Wingmaster w/2 3/4" chamber in excellent condition. I did this because I thought it was too pretty to shoot, and I knew I was going to drag my first shotgun through hell and back
So on Saturday I went out and bought my first new Remington 870, and Express version with a 7-round capacity, 18" bbl, bead sight, plain Jane. I got some snap caps to practice cycling it, and got a box each of Federal and Winchester 2 3/4" 00 buckshot to chew through at the range today.
So I didn't have any problems cycling it last night while practicing with the snap caps, and was ready to go this morning with only unpleasant expectation being recoil.
Imagine my surprise when after the first shot (which wasn't as much recoil as I expected) I couldn't cycle the action. There were holes in the target, including one the size of the shot cup, but short of smacking the buttstock on the ground I couldn't get it to eject the spent shell. The action bar lock also acted like something was blocking it; I couldn't depress it. I don't know if that's normal after firing live rounds? The same thing happens when I drop the hammer on an empty chamber. After having damaged another gun (a bolt action) by forcing the action open, I was hesitant to do it with this one. I didn't want to just put it away, either, so I unscrewed and disassembled the magazine tube, got the other rounds out, pulled the barrel off. I couldn't pull the shell out with my fingers, so I stuck a cleaning rod down there and jabbed it out. I was so put off by that whole experience (gun, dead on first shot), I shot other guns and put the 870 away until I could get home to take a better look at it.
The one fired shell did not look bulged or damaged, and had what I and three other people took to be a normal primer hit. The buckshot was right about where you'd expect to find it at 15 yards, and the barrel looked fine inside and out. The gun went back together OK and now cycles snap caps again without any problems.
Any ideas? Was I just too nice to the gun and instead I should have smacked the buttsock and forced it open? I know the owner's manual says something of the sort for certain rounds. Honestly, I feel better having not done that, because today I'm certain I could take it back in to the store and have them look at it without worrying about them saying I busted anything.
Any comments or advice are appreciated. I won't be able to get it to the range again until next weekend, but I might be able to run up to the hill and blow through some rounds after work this week.
jm
So on Saturday I went out and bought my first new Remington 870, and Express version with a 7-round capacity, 18" bbl, bead sight, plain Jane. I got some snap caps to practice cycling it, and got a box each of Federal and Winchester 2 3/4" 00 buckshot to chew through at the range today.
So I didn't have any problems cycling it last night while practicing with the snap caps, and was ready to go this morning with only unpleasant expectation being recoil.
Imagine my surprise when after the first shot (which wasn't as much recoil as I expected) I couldn't cycle the action. There were holes in the target, including one the size of the shot cup, but short of smacking the buttstock on the ground I couldn't get it to eject the spent shell. The action bar lock also acted like something was blocking it; I couldn't depress it. I don't know if that's normal after firing live rounds? The same thing happens when I drop the hammer on an empty chamber. After having damaged another gun (a bolt action) by forcing the action open, I was hesitant to do it with this one. I didn't want to just put it away, either, so I unscrewed and disassembled the magazine tube, got the other rounds out, pulled the barrel off. I couldn't pull the shell out with my fingers, so I stuck a cleaning rod down there and jabbed it out. I was so put off by that whole experience (gun, dead on first shot), I shot other guns and put the 870 away until I could get home to take a better look at it.
The one fired shell did not look bulged or damaged, and had what I and three other people took to be a normal primer hit. The buckshot was right about where you'd expect to find it at 15 yards, and the barrel looked fine inside and out. The gun went back together OK and now cycles snap caps again without any problems.
Any ideas? Was I just too nice to the gun and instead I should have smacked the buttsock and forced it open? I know the owner's manual says something of the sort for certain rounds. Honestly, I feel better having not done that, because today I'm certain I could take it back in to the store and have them look at it without worrying about them saying I busted anything.
Any comments or advice are appreciated. I won't be able to get it to the range again until next weekend, but I might be able to run up to the hill and blow through some rounds after work this week.
jm