Help: 870 shell stops pop out

[romulus]

I was detail cleaning my trusty 870 express...I drifted out the pins that hold the trigger group, removed the trigger group, and the two flat springs that are normally staked in just dropped out along with the TG. I checked the stake marks and they seem to be normal. I could always "slide " the shell stops back and forth, but they seemed secure in their receiver ways. Is restaking these a doable task for a non-smith? Or should this go to a smith?

Thanks in advance for your replies

PS: how many times can you re-stake these things?

 

[HSMITH]

You can easily stake them back in yourself. I have done it on a couple. Just go easy, you are only holding them in for disassembly and reassembly not to make sure they never come out. Stake in a new location, not over the old marks.

There is a tool made specifically for this, but I have not used one. I used a small sharp chisel. You can stake them until you run out of reciever material to stake on, but really should only need to do it a max of a couple times in the life of the shotgun.

 

[jrhines]

Romulus- Now you know why my 870's have a blued 4-40 flat head screw in each side of the receiver. I got tied of staking them back in, so I annealed a spot on the springs, drilled and tapped a hole in each, and drilled and countersank a hole in each side of the recvr. Now they only come out when I want 'em to!

J Rhines
Seneca, MD

 

[romulus]

jrhines,

Before reading your post I was driving home from work thinking about that kind of retrofit. My Ithaca has those screws and little lock screws to boot. I'm glad to hear there's precedent for this.

Great idea, thanks...

 

[romulus]

BTW, any problems with the screws turning out?

 

[jrhines]

No, not as yet, and I've put several hundred rounds through it. I have a 20 ga. Just a tip that I use to keep screws in that I don't want to come out except when I want them to, I put a drop of white shellac (use the point of a toothpick) on the threads and then spin them in before it dries. To remove, put a drop of wood alcohol on the screw and let it sit for awhile. Learned this doing camera repair. It would be spiffy to put in the little lock screws!

J Rhines
Seneca, MD

 

[romulus]

jrhines,

I have a buddy with a top end mill, drill press, etc...willing to help me with this. How do you line up the shell stops with the new holes in the receiver? Do you keep them in place with the pin and then drill away?

Thanks...