Remington 870 locked up solid

[Newton]

While I know my way around a pistol, pump action shotguns are new to me, and this was only my second outing with a new 870 home defence with an extended (6 + 1) factory fitted mag tube.

I have maybe 50 rounds total through the gun with not so much as a hiccup, and was literally emtying out the last tube of el cheapo Winchester Walmart specials (low brass 8 shot).

I fired the chambered round, and went to pump the action only to find it was locked solid. Locked in the same way that it is when a fresh round is chambered, absolutely no movement whatsoever.

I take it to a local gunshop and one of the assistants takes the end off the magazine tube to empty out the 2 unfired rounds, then he removes the barrel and takes out the spent round - on reassembly everything is fine, he had no idea what the issue was and the gun works perfectly. The fired hull is completely normal in appearence, and the inside of the chamber smooth and undamaged, as is the extractor.

Anyone any ideas what the issue could have been?

 

[ArmedBear]

Anyone any ideas what the issue could have been?

el cheapo Winchester Walmart specials

Damn near everyone who has ever shot those things through an 870 has had the same problem (myself included).

Get Federals or Remingtons, or Winchester Super-X or higher grade shells. Those Wal-Mart Winchester shells are crap. I have a shell gauge because I reload, and from what I could tell, the things are not sized consistently.

Your gun is fine.

 

[AcceptableUserName]

it's probably a rough chamber. the "gun shop assistant" needs a new job. the chamber can be polished easily using a drill, cleaning rod and bore swab/patches. That's my method and it's cleared up an issue just like yours I had on my old 870. it may LOOK smooth, but it can always be smoother, trust me. The cheap ammo doesnt help, but use and chamber polishing should nullify that.

 

[ArmedBear]

Sure, you can grind out your chamber so it works fine with these particular out-of-spec shells. I know that's what the cool kids tell you to do.

But why?

 

[Newton]

Thanks - but it was the way it locked up, not like it was sticking, it felt like I was working against a solid metal slide stop.

I am hoping it was just the cheap ammo I was using though, I'll switch brands in any case.

 

[zhyla]

This happened to my buddy's fairly 870 at the range. The RSO came out and banged the butt on the ground and it opened. I don't really know why it happened, but I assume the 870 chambers are a wee bit tight and need some breaking in.

Not to start a war, but my previously unfired 590 fed the same ammo without issue. I don't think it's the ammo.

 

[ArmedBear]

870s do have tighter chambers than some other shotguns. However, ammo that's in-spec doesn't cause any trouble.

I've experimented further with this, using ammo that I made and sized myself to various diameters. Anything properly sized has fed without any trouble whatsoever. Of the thousands of rounds my 870 has had through it, the Winchester Universals, and my oversized handloads, are the ONLY ones that had any trouble.

It is the ammo. Some guns are more tolerant than 870s. If you want to screw with your 870 to make it more tolerant of oversized shell bases, go ahead. However, there's nothing wrong with your 870 as-is.

 

[GUNDOC454]

870 lock up

Well I seriously don't think that it was the ammo. If it were the ammo sticking in the chamber because of excessive pressure than it would have been evident when you took off the barrel and you would have to had the case pounded out. Sounds more like the bolt release lever got jammed behind the action bar or the shell latch. But without seeing it when it was jammed it would only be a experienced guess. I don't think that you damaged your gun but keep an eye out for it happening again.

 

[ArmedBear]

If it were the ammo sticking in the chamber because of excessive pressure

You're making an assumption when you say that. That's not why it happens.

Search for Winchester Universal and 870 on this forum...

 

[sargenv]

I have a question. In some cases, I've fed a shell into the magtube and did not hear the positive "click" of the shell retainer only to now have the shell on the follower. When I go to cycle the action, the gun is completely jammed and could feel like the OP describes above. I had to either take the gun apart and remove the mag tube to get it unjammed. I think the first time I was in the field and could not afford to lose any parts so I used the blade of a knife to move the shell into the mag tube to positively seat it there before the gun would open. It was a bit annoying to say the least.

 

[GUNDOC454]

870 locked up

That was used as an example of one reason that cartridges stick in chambers. I didn't feel it was necessary to detail all the others since I feel that it wasn't a sticking problem.

 

[MCgunner]

el cheapo Winchester Walmart specials

Damn, you beat me to it. LOL Winchester sux. The dove loads work in my auto, the 2 3/4" Expert steel stuff works in my Mossberg, but the 3" stuff hangs up and I have to either take the barrel off and use my leatherman to get the shell out or take along a cleaning rod. I've heard 870 guys complain about other winchester loads doing the same thing. I'm happy shooting the 2 3/4" Xpert but I won't touch the 3" stuff now.

I haven't tried the dove loads, bulk pack stuff, in my Mossberg, my only pump. It works fine in my auto, though. But, I've heard complaints about this stuff doing the same thing the 3" Xpert does in my 500.

 

[ArmedBear]

GUNDOC454- I wasn't there, so I can't tell you what exactly happened, either. However, when 100 people have the same problem with the same gun and the same ammo, and I've done work to test it, that's where I'd look first.

The 870 Express is sensitive to shell base sizing. Ordinarily, this isn't a problem with factory rounds, but it surfaces when someone uses, say, a Mec 600 Jr to reload for the gun. I bought a friend a shell sizer for his birthday, and it solved all the trouble he was having with his Wingmaster.

Winchester Universals, however, have the same problem as poorly-sized handloads do.

Maybe you don't think he's describing a stuck shell, but I've seen it a lot, and so have many other here. The symptoms are consistent with that problem.

I wouldn't do anything to the gun, or pay anyone to fix it, without further testing with various ammo.

 

[GUNDOC454]

mag tube problem

The first thing that you need to do when loading is make sure that your cartridges get pushed all the way into the mag tube so they pass the secondary shell stop. That way you wont have that problem again....

 

[MCgunner]

Oh, BTW, I went along for 15 or 16 years with no problems on my 500 when it started all of a sudden choking on 3" Xpert hi speed when they came out, or at least when I started using 'em. I never ever have a problem with Federal or any other brand. Yes, it CAN be the ammo. I simply switched to the 2 3/4" stuff I use in my auto and works fine with that. I like the high speed stuff and as much waterfowling as I do, the Xpert saves me money. It's half the price of that black cloud stuff and knocks 'em down fine. I don't know for sure why the 3" does it and the 2 3/4" don't, but I just know for a fact that's the case.

Like I say, I don't shoot dove loads in the Mossy, it's my dedicated duck gun. Bargain rack Winchester seems to work fine in my Winchester auto. This season, I've sterted shooting Federals, though, anyway. I do know that some bargain rack Winchester ammo causes problems in otherwise flawless weapons, though.

 

[dfariswheel]

I have a question. In some cases, I've fed a shell into the magtube and did not hear the positive "click" of the shell retainer only to now have the shell on the follower. When I go to cycle the action, the gun is completely jammed and could feel like the OP describes above. I had to either take the gun apart and remove the mag tube to get it unjammed. I think the first time I was in the field and could not afford to lose any parts so I used the blade of a knife to move the shell into the mag tube to positively seat it there before the gun would open. It was a bit annoying to say the least.

This is the classic failure to fully insert the shell into the magazine.
That's why Remington started installing the "Flex-Tab" system in their guns.
This allows the action to be opened by just pulling harder on the forearm.
You can ID a Flex-Tab equipped Remington by looking for a long "U" shaped cut in the bottom of the shell lifter.

Since this is really an operator error, the best fix is to practice until you don't fail to push the shells ALL the way in.
If you suspect the gun is defective, field strip it and clean the shell stops by blasting them out on the under side with a spray "gun scrubber" type cleaner, then dry and spray in a gun lubricant like Rem-Oil or CLP Breakfree.

DO NOT remove the shell stops. These have to be staked in place, and that requires a special tool.

 

[GUNDOC454]

870 locked up

I agree that he doesn't need anything to be done to the gun as a repair but with the description of how it felt to him and that the fired case didn't need to be pulled out of the chamber with any force I wouldn't look at the ammo first. And as an opinion the Remington 870 is one of the most reliable shooters with all types of ammo and the opinion that it is "ammo sensitive" well it sounds like your talking about the 1100 not the 870.

 

[MCgunner]

Some 870s do NOT like Winchester Xpert hi speed steel, I can tell ya that. It sticks in the chamber of TWO people's 870s I know of. The stuff is acquiring a reputation for that and not just in 870s. No, it's not the gun, but bad sized "brass" is bad sized "brass". I wish the brassless Actives were still around. Those hulls were awesome, didn't even need to be sized. I don't know that this is the case here, but I'm telling you that yes, 870s are not infallible. Ammo does need to be in spec and that's not a flaw in the gun if an ammo company can't control their QC any better than that.

I've had the 870s I hunted with do the jam thing when it didn't catch in the magazine. It's tough when it's 30 degrees, your thumb wet and is numb, and you're in a hurry to get reloaded. That damned shell elevator pinches and HURTS! That's one of the reasons I went Mossberg 30 years ago when I had to get a new shotgun, anyway, due to steel shot laws. Seems like he's know if that was the problem. I mean, it jumps back under the shell elevator and it's an awe **** moment. LOL! You can dig the round back out and shove into the mag with a thin, long screwdriver blade on a Leatherman. I didn't have a leatherman in 1968 back when I was hunting with that Wingmaster, so I used a pocket knife. Still miffs ya off when it happens, probably not as bad as when that Xpert jams in your chamber, though.

 

[Newton]

If a shell does stick in the chamber, due to expanded brass let's say, what is the approved method of removal?

Just in case this happens again.

Thanks

 

[Weedy]

Tight 870 chamber?

FWIW...when I shoot Brenneke KO's in my 870 I have a hard time extracting the cases. It's never completely locked up as described by the OP but it is a pain in the butt, the extraction just feels sticky. It has only done this with KO's.

 

[MCgunner]

I would pull the barrel off and use the punch blade on my leatherman supertool to whack the shell loose. I got to taking a cleaning rod along cause I new it was going to happen 3 or 4 rounds out of a box. Then, I figured out what the problem was. I was about ready to flame Mossberg on a gun board. ROFL! The Mossberg has double extractors, but they'd both slip the rim of the stuck shell and try to feed another. That's when I knew I had the problem.

 

[GUNDOC454]

870 ammo

You know I wonder if those guns that were having the sticking problems still had the old forcing cone in them? This would definitely cause extraction problems with the hulls sticking in the short forcing cone.

 

[MCgunner]

One of the 870s I know about that was stickin' Xpert 3" hi speed was a fairly new express super magnum.

 

[GUNDOC454]

stuck cases

A lot of my shooting buddies as well myself carry a lead weight that we form from the inside of a shell to drop down the barrel of our doubles when we have that problem. Just about any weight will work if it is the right shape.

 

[MCgunner]

Ha! I'd thought about that, too, but never did it cause I figured out the problem before I did it. But, your're right, it woulda worked because two years ago I found that I didn't need to assemble that cleaning rod, just drop a piece of it down the barrel and the weight would knock the round loose. LOL