Flextab carrier on an older 870

[Leadhead]

I was watching the AGI 870 armourer's course with Rob Dunlap recently and he was saying that if you put a flextab carrier in an older 870 it would do the job and there was no reason to change to the newer bolt with the relief cuts or whatever is different.....

Any one try this?

 

[GRIZ22]

All the older 870s where I used to work had the only flex tab carrier installed and seemed to work okay after that.

 

[Leadhead]

Good to here Griz...I think Rob knows his stuff but it's good to hear from others as well!

Cheers.

 

[Black_Talon]

The relief cut in the underside of the bolt is designed to let the rim of the shell clear the bolt. Seems like Remington engineered it to be there when using the Flexitab carrier, as the Flextab carrier and bolt are sold as a set. My 2 cents.

 

[Leadhead]

Thanks for posting BT,
I'd rather not replace the bolt if I don't have to and it seems like that is the case....I'm sure with the new style bolt and flextab it would cycle easier but as long as it clears with just the flextab I will be happy!

 

[Badger Arms]

Are we talking about the bolt or the bolt carrier? I believe it's the bolt carrier. At any rate, I recontoured the bolt carrier I have without changing the flexitab then I induced the malfunction. Cleared just fine. That wasn't the case prior to my trimming so, um, I don't see the need in spending the $80 to fix nothing now.

BTW, does anybody have comparison photos of the old bolt carrier and the new bolt carrier? I'm not talking about the shell lifter, I'm talking about the the flat plate that sits below the bolt.

 

[Leadhead]

Badger does your gun have the flextab or are you running the old style carrier with a modified slide assembly?

 

[Badger Arms]

Badger does your gun have the flextab or are you running the old style carrier with a modified slide assembly?

Old shell lifter, modified bolt carrier. I watched an AGI video that detailed how to bevel the back of the bolt carrier to allow the rim to slide under the carrier. You only really have to do a 'tapered ramp' at the back bottom of the carrier. The center only as the rim of the cartridge doesn't even touch the outside. I used a dremmel sanding drum, CrayTek rubber drum, and then followed up with a polishing bob. Real simple. I just couldn't see spending $80 on a gun that I'd only paid $200 for.

 

[Leadhead]

Thanks Badger I'll give that a try!

 

[Black_Talon]

Are we talking about the bolt or the bolt carrier?

The bolt itself.

Here's a pic of both types:

 

[Badger Arms]

Huh...

Well, that just confused me even more. AFAIK, that shouldn't have anything to do with the feed problems as this part of the bolt is hidden by the bolt carrier. Huh... Wonder why they changed it?

 

[Virginian]

Badger, I thought I knew what they were talking about until I saw that, too. The shell is never going to see the bottom of that bolt. There's got to be something different in the slide assembly doesn't it? Maybe you have to have that bolt with the different slide assembly ?

 

[Badger Arms]

Okay, I realized that I have one 'modified' bolt carrier with old style lifter and bolt as well as a full flexitab gun. Luckilly, the flexitab gun is a wingmaster so the pictures turned out cool. Not going to post them now, but I will say that the original poster should hold off on any modifications. I think the AGI gunsmith was incorrect! Beveling the back of the bolt carrier does not appear to help. So, why did it help on mine? Don't know yet. Need more research money!

 

[Leadhead]

Interesting....in the video he demonstrates the function of the flex tab and compares it with a non flex tabbed 870.....funny thing is half the time the non flex tabbed 870 clears the jam with a bit of force...(not slamming the butt on the ground)

 

[Rshooter]

I have several old Remingtons, I like to collect them, and have yet to have an issue. Correct me if I am wrong but is not the issue corrected by the flexitab caused by short-stroking?

 

[Badger Arms]

No, the problem is caused by improper manipulation of the shells as you load them. I have pictures and I'm going to post a tutorial when I get time. Probably tonight. We'll see.

 

[Virginian]

Rshooter, I hear you. I have 5 1100s and an 870 dating from 1963, and I was unaware of this "cure" before reading about it. I have never had the problem happen to me, but I have seen other people experience it. I always used a pocket knife to push the shell back into the magazine, but I wasn't pushing 8 rounds or an extra stiff spring.

 

[Leadhead]

It's easy to remove the cap and spring as well to help take the pressure off ...but the idea of the flex tab was to help if during a stressful situation you screw up while loading a shell and don't have the luxury of time to clear the jam.

I've never had a shell slip past the catch while loading (but I've never had to load under stress) and I usually have the time to clear the shell if it ever happened...
I think the flex tab is one of those things that you might not ever need but if you ever did need it you would be glad to have it...

 

[Black_Talon]

Huh...

Well, that just confused me even more. AFAIK, that shouldn't have anything to do with the feed problems as this part of the bolt is hidden by the bolt carrier.

Not when the pump slide is all the way to the rear, as it will be when you're trying to clear one of these type of jams.