I know I asked some questions about the 11-48 a few months back when I was shopping for my first shotgun, but ended up finding an 870 for a good price and got that instead. However, a guy at my local range is now selling his model 48 for a really good price, but the one caveat being that it doesn't eject. I haven't shot the gun myself so I don't know the exact nature of the problem, nor do I know enough about shotguns in general to make such a diagnosis. So, all that I know is what he has told me thus far...that it only periodically ejects. Sometimes it will, and sometimes the bolt needs to be manually cocked back in order to eject the empties and load the next one...I think. He described it as not having enough "oomph" to cycle the action. It seems like the recoil spring MAY BE shot???, but the extractor seems to be grabbing the shells if they can be manually ejected, correct? I am assuming he cleaned the gun before shooting it, but I could be mistaken. Does anyone have any advice/input as to what could be wrong? If it is the recoil spring, the only place I've been able to find one is Numruch gun parts, and they are out of stock. Any and all help is appreciated. Thanks.
Remington 11-48 problem
- Thread starter kyoung05
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Fred Fuller
Moderator Emeritus
Seems to me that if the recoil spring was weak or worn the gun would be cycling TOO vigorously and battering itself. The ejector is at the back of the barrel extension inside the receiver- it can be seen thru the ejection port against the back (left) side. It may be the ejector is worn, chipped or broken. It could also be the extractor is worn or the extractor spring is weak.
Any of the above, or other things, could be mechanically wrong with the gun- but it could be a good cleaning (especially the chamber) and proper lubrication may be all it needs. I'd check that first before looking for broken or worn parts. Could also be the gun disagrees with whatever ammo he's been feeding it lately, I'd try different brands/loads too.
Good luck, hth-
lpl/nc
Any of the above, or other things, could be mechanically wrong with the gun- but it could be a good cleaning (especially the chamber) and proper lubrication may be all it needs. I'd check that first before looking for broken or worn parts. Could also be the gun disagrees with whatever ammo he's been feeding it lately, I'd try different brands/loads too.
Good luck, hth-
lpl/nc
Fred Fuller
Moderator Emeritus
Let him know you're interested, _if_ the gun is working properly. Ask him if he will let you shoot it, and meet him at the range whenever it's convenient for both of you. First, settle on a price, assuming you buy the gun. Make the purchase contingent on the gun working- no workee, no buyee.
Bring a few different brands/loads of ammo in the proper guage/size- field/trap loads, 2 3/4 inches. Bring your cleaning gear, INCLUDING a new 10/12 ga. bronze brush and some 4/0 (0000) steel wool. Bring your favorite gun oil too. Bring an old towel, rug or mat to lay out parts on while working on the gun, there will be no really tiny parts but you want to keep everything clean.
Ask him to show you the process to field strip the gun, if you don't know how. Alternately, if you are familiar with the gun, and know how to fieldstrip it, ask to use it at the range by yourself. Inspect the ejector after you remove the barrel, look for wear, chips or breakage. The ejector on my 1970s Mohawk 48 only protrudes from the barrel extension about 1/16 of an inch or so, it is square shouldered at the top and along the front and bevelled at the bottom.
When the gun is field stripped, clean the chamber using one section of cleaning rod, with the new bore brush wrapped in some 4/0 steel wool and dampened with whatever bore cleaner/solvent you use. The bore should not be an issue, you can inspect it when you inspect the chamber but you want to concentrate on cleaning the chamber. Run the steel wool wrapped brush back and forth several times in the chamber, clean it out with a rag and inspect. If it still looks rough, do it some more.
Also clean the outside of the magazine tube with solvent and a rag. If there is surface rust (unlikely, but I have seen it) the 4/0 steel wool, dampened with oil or solvent, will remove it without damaging the underlying metal. Make sure you get 0000 grade steel wool, tho. Lubricate the outside of the magazine tube lightly. 'Turn' the recoil spring through your rag to clean it also.
Make sure all the recoil parts are in the proper position when putting the gun back together and that the friction piece is not chipped or gouged so that it exerts too much pressure. After the gun is reassembled, lubricate the area behind the extractor where it is contacted by the extractor plunger. You want to get some oil back to the extractor spring and free up any binding in these parts caused by congealed lubricant/dust etc. Don't let the bolt slam closed on a long recoil action gun that is not chambering a shell, especially when the barrel is removed- that can damage parts.
It could be there are problems with the trigger plate assembly that will affect how the gun runs, and it could be the bolt return spring/plunger/tube that extends out the back of the receiver and into the stock has problems. Sometimes one of the arms from the back of the bolt to this plunger will break too. That can be seen if the trigger plate is removed from the gun and the bolt closed slowly, that will give you a chance to put a drop of oil back into the plunger tube also. While the trigger plate assembly is out, inspect it for proper function also. Do not release the safety and pull the trigger when the trigger plate assembly is out of the gun- it can spontaneously disassemble itself or break parts. Make sure nothing in the trigger plate assembly is interfering unduly with the bolt- it is of course the bolt that re-cocks the hammer when the gun cycles, so there is contact.
With the gun properly cleaned and lubricated and assembled with all parts in the proper relationship it will fire and function properly if there are no mechanical problems. If you know someone who is familiar with the design you might wish to consult them during or before this process. If the gun still fails to eject after a good cleaning and after using a variety of ammo, you will likely want to call off the sale. Long recoil operated guns run with a number of counterbalancing forces and spring pressures and a lot of things can interfere with their proper functioning.
Most often these things are lack of cleaning/maintenance, improper assembly for the loads being used and 'wrong' ammo. But any mechanical device can fail due to broken or worn parts, and it can sometimes be expensive to get them running again.
But if you can get this one running with a simple cleaning and/or substitution of different ammo, you'll have a good gun- the weight-forward aspect of the design makes it swing really well.
hth,
lpl/nc
Bring a few different brands/loads of ammo in the proper guage/size- field/trap loads, 2 3/4 inches. Bring your cleaning gear, INCLUDING a new 10/12 ga. bronze brush and some 4/0 (0000) steel wool. Bring your favorite gun oil too. Bring an old towel, rug or mat to lay out parts on while working on the gun, there will be no really tiny parts but you want to keep everything clean.
Ask him to show you the process to field strip the gun, if you don't know how. Alternately, if you are familiar with the gun, and know how to fieldstrip it, ask to use it at the range by yourself. Inspect the ejector after you remove the barrel, look for wear, chips or breakage. The ejector on my 1970s Mohawk 48 only protrudes from the barrel extension about 1/16 of an inch or so, it is square shouldered at the top and along the front and bevelled at the bottom.
When the gun is field stripped, clean the chamber using one section of cleaning rod, with the new bore brush wrapped in some 4/0 steel wool and dampened with whatever bore cleaner/solvent you use. The bore should not be an issue, you can inspect it when you inspect the chamber but you want to concentrate on cleaning the chamber. Run the steel wool wrapped brush back and forth several times in the chamber, clean it out with a rag and inspect. If it still looks rough, do it some more.
Also clean the outside of the magazine tube with solvent and a rag. If there is surface rust (unlikely, but I have seen it) the 4/0 steel wool, dampened with oil or solvent, will remove it without damaging the underlying metal. Make sure you get 0000 grade steel wool, tho. Lubricate the outside of the magazine tube lightly. 'Turn' the recoil spring through your rag to clean it also.
Make sure all the recoil parts are in the proper position when putting the gun back together and that the friction piece is not chipped or gouged so that it exerts too much pressure. After the gun is reassembled, lubricate the area behind the extractor where it is contacted by the extractor plunger. You want to get some oil back to the extractor spring and free up any binding in these parts caused by congealed lubricant/dust etc. Don't let the bolt slam closed on a long recoil action gun that is not chambering a shell, especially when the barrel is removed- that can damage parts.
It could be there are problems with the trigger plate assembly that will affect how the gun runs, and it could be the bolt return spring/plunger/tube that extends out the back of the receiver and into the stock has problems. Sometimes one of the arms from the back of the bolt to this plunger will break too. That can be seen if the trigger plate is removed from the gun and the bolt closed slowly, that will give you a chance to put a drop of oil back into the plunger tube also. While the trigger plate assembly is out, inspect it for proper function also. Do not release the safety and pull the trigger when the trigger plate assembly is out of the gun- it can spontaneously disassemble itself or break parts. Make sure nothing in the trigger plate assembly is interfering unduly with the bolt- it is of course the bolt that re-cocks the hammer when the gun cycles, so there is contact.
With the gun properly cleaned and lubricated and assembled with all parts in the proper relationship it will fire and function properly if there are no mechanical problems. If you know someone who is familiar with the design you might wish to consult them during or before this process. If the gun still fails to eject after a good cleaning and after using a variety of ammo, you will likely want to call off the sale. Long recoil operated guns run with a number of counterbalancing forces and spring pressures and a lot of things can interfere with their proper functioning.
Most often these things are lack of cleaning/maintenance, improper assembly for the loads being used and 'wrong' ammo. But any mechanical device can fail due to broken or worn parts, and it can sometimes be expensive to get them running again.
But if you can get this one running with a simple cleaning and/or substitution of different ammo, you'll have a good gun- the weight-forward aspect of the design makes it swing really well.
hth,
lpl/nc
Lee, thanks so much. The guy actually works at the range so me being able to shoot it is no problem. I have a box of Federal ammo I can bring, but will pick up some winchester also. Any other brands I should look at? The chamber is the very front of the barrel, correct? Any reason why just the 12ga bore brush wouldn't be enough? Is it not thick enough to really get in there? Thanks again!
Fred Fuller
Moderator Emeritus
The chamber is at the receiver end of the barrel, if that's what you are thinking of as the front, reasonable since it is 'the beginning of the barrel.' It's where the round is fed, fired and extracted. With the use of plastic hulls these days chambers get grunged up sometimes. Used to be that with waxed paper hulls some of the wax would get deposited on the chamber walls when the shell was fired and that helped protect the chamber from rust etc. Wax never seemed to build up so much that it caused a problem, but sometimes deposits from plastic hulls do. I can't guarantee that's the issue with this gun but it is a possibility if extraction/ejection is a problem.
I'd find a box of Remington trap or field loads too, just to cover the bases. If the gun fails to function with more than one brand of ammo, it is most likely not an ammo issue and you will need to look elsewhere to locate the problem.
Most new 12 ga. brushes I've bought lately are marked "10/12 ga." which is why I put it that way. If you can actually find a 10 ga. brush it would be a better fit for the chamber but it shouldn't hurt if you can't- the chamber is a bit bigger in diameter than the bore. I'd still use the steel wool, even with a 10 ga. brush, because it cleans better- and it won't hurt anything on the inside of the chamber, as long as you use 0000 grade steel wool. But the steel wool helps fill in the gap between the brush bristles and the chamber walls (not much of a gap with a new brush, granted) and will get any deposits loose faster. I have used 4/0 steel wool for years to remove surface rust on blued finishes, used carefully it won't hurt at all.
I hope it all works out well for you, keeping fingers crossed-
lpl/nc
I'd find a box of Remington trap or field loads too, just to cover the bases. If the gun fails to function with more than one brand of ammo, it is most likely not an ammo issue and you will need to look elsewhere to locate the problem.
Most new 12 ga. brushes I've bought lately are marked "10/12 ga." which is why I put it that way. If you can actually find a 10 ga. brush it would be a better fit for the chamber but it shouldn't hurt if you can't- the chamber is a bit bigger in diameter than the bore. I'd still use the steel wool, even with a 10 ga. brush, because it cleans better- and it won't hurt anything on the inside of the chamber, as long as you use 0000 grade steel wool. But the steel wool helps fill in the gap between the brush bristles and the chamber walls (not much of a gap with a new brush, granted) and will get any deposits loose faster. I have used 4/0 steel wool for years to remove surface rust on blued finishes, used carefully it won't hurt at all.
I hope it all works out well for you, keeping fingers crossed-
lpl/nc
All good advise . I will add this comment ,
Many times the recoil operated shotguns fail to extract because of the magazine tube being gummed up and or dry. The brass friction ring bears on the outside of the magazine tube and the friction caused between these two parts is what keeps the gun from slamming during operation. If there is not enough friction the gun will be violent (slam). If there is too much friction it will not eject the empty round because it will not have enough momentum to do so.
Many times a wipe down of the outside of the magazine tupe and a drop or two of oil spread onto the tube with allow the friction ring to do its job , but still have enough resistance to slow the action so that it is not slamming when fires.
And of course remember that the power level of the shells will effect this also.
Many times the recoil operated shotguns fail to extract because of the magazine tube being gummed up and or dry. The brass friction ring bears on the outside of the magazine tube and the friction caused between these two parts is what keeps the gun from slamming during operation. If there is not enough friction the gun will be violent (slam). If there is too much friction it will not eject the empty round because it will not have enough momentum to do so.
Many times a wipe down of the outside of the magazine tupe and a drop or two of oil spread onto the tube with allow the friction ring to do its job , but still have enough resistance to slow the action so that it is not slamming when fires.
And of course remember that the power level of the shells will effect this also.
Thanks for the great advice. These are all things I would never have thought of on my own...hehe...in fact I thought it might have been a recoil spring issue 
when of course Lee mentioned that a recoil spring failure would cause to slam violently instead of the "not enough oomph"...which is so obvious...now. I will take my brass 12ga brush and see if I can get some steel wool at the hardware store. I'll also bring my solvent and oil. Is the field stripping of the 11-48 any more difficult/complicated than an 870? Also, when you say wipe down the outside of the magazine tube, do you mean literally the "outside" as in the exterior/visible with no disassembly? He only wants $30 for the gun, so it would end up being $60 out the door with the transfer fees, so I really want it to be servicable/operational. If it needs a small part like an extractor, fine, but hopefully all it will need is a good cleaning. Thanks again!
when of course Lee mentioned that a recoil spring failure would cause to slam violently instead of the "not enough oomph"...which is so obvious...now. I will take my brass 12ga brush and see if I can get some steel wool at the hardware store. I'll also bring my solvent and oil. Is the field stripping of the 11-48 any more difficult/complicated than an 870? Also, when you say wipe down the outside of the magazine tube, do you mean literally the "outside" as in the exterior/visible with no disassembly? He only wants $30 for the gun, so it would end up being $60 out the door with the transfer fees, so I really want it to be servicable/operational. If it needs a small part like an extractor, fine, but hopefully all it will need is a good cleaning. Thanks again!The wipe down of the exterior of the magazine tube requires that you remove the forearm wood , barrel, friction ring, and recoil spring.
This is not hard to do at all. Lock the action to the rear and you can just unscrew the takedown nut from the front of the magazine tube & forearm ,and then the forearm will slide right off. Then remove the barrel foreward .
Sometimes the friction ring set-up (brass sleeve with a steel collar over it )will stay in the barrel extension and sometimes it will remain on the magazine tube. You can slide the recoil spring off the magazine tube and that will allow you to expose the full length of the magazine tube for cleaning.
You now also have the barrel off so that you may clean the chamber.
If you want to remove the trigger assy, etc. you need to hold onto the bolt handle and then release the lock and bring the bolt forward under your control.
The trigger guard mechanizim comes out simular to the 870 by driving out cross pins. The shell stop is held in by the front cross pin rather than being staked into the reciever like the 870 but it is not all that difficult to position it during re-assy.
By removing the bolt handle you can slide the bolt with its attached struts forward out of the reciever.
This is not hard to do at all. Lock the action to the rear and you can just unscrew the takedown nut from the front of the magazine tube & forearm ,and then the forearm will slide right off. Then remove the barrel foreward .
Sometimes the friction ring set-up (brass sleeve with a steel collar over it )will stay in the barrel extension and sometimes it will remain on the magazine tube. You can slide the recoil spring off the magazine tube and that will allow you to expose the full length of the magazine tube for cleaning.
You now also have the barrel off so that you may clean the chamber.
If you want to remove the trigger assy, etc. you need to hold onto the bolt handle and then release the lock and bring the bolt forward under your control.
The trigger guard mechanizim comes out simular to the 870 by driving out cross pins. The shell stop is held in by the front cross pin rather than being staked into the reciever like the 870 but it is not all that difficult to position it during re-assy.
By removing the bolt handle you can slide the bolt with its attached struts forward out of the reciever.
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