Same Prob...2 870 Magnums

[target1911]

I have two 870 magnums. I got both used.

Sometimes when i shoot them ...... I pull trigger....try to pump another shell but the slides wont slide. It is like they are locked up or as if they have an empty chamber as if the acton is locked. I took one back to shop i bought it from, they sent it to the smith, he replaced the extractor. It did help, but didnt solve the problem. Just doesn't do it as often.

Anyone else have this problem with 870???
What fixed it ???

 

[Robert Hairless]

I look into my crystal ball ... I see dimly what looks to be a red tube with an exceptionally small strip of silver colored metal at the end ... it is sticking in the chamber ... I wipe the dust off the crystal ball so I can look more closely at the red tube ... it says "Winchester" on it ... now it begins to speak to me ... I hear it say "He bought me at Wal-Mart because I was cheap."

Based on that information, my advice is to either stop buying cheap Winchester birdshot at Wal-Mart or don't put it in an 870.

 

[Kelem]

You could try this, i have had 2 870's that have done the same they don't now.

http://refugeforums.com/refuge/showthread.php?s=&threadid=175266

 

[Fred Fuller]

1) Clean the chamber, thoroughly. Take off the barrel. Get a NEW 12 ga BRONZE (not plastic) bore brush, wrap it with some wisps of 4/0 steel wool, and get some solvent that will remove plastic fouling (Shooter's Choice MC#7 Bore Cleaner and Conditioner, chlorinated brake cleaner etc) and scrub out your chamber. Then wipe down and lubricate properly. Chances are there is plastic fouling built up that is causing fired shells to stick.

2) Buy different ammo. Some guns just refuse to work with some ammo- one of my 870s hates Fiocchi, for example. So I don't try to shoot Fiocchi in that gun- problem solved.

hth,

lpl/nc

 

[wildfowl]

Get a NEW bronze bore brush, put some polishing compound on it and put in an electric drill set to a slow speed. Use this to polish the chamber. Nothing wrong with the guns you have, but the chambers aren't a smooth as they might need to be to use the cheap ammo I'm guessing you were using.

 

[ArmedBear]

I look into my crystal ball ... I see dimly what looks to be a red tube with an exceptionally small strip of silver colored metal at the end ... it is sticking in the chamber ... I wipe the dust off the crystal ball so I can look more closely at the red tube ... it says "Winchester" on it ... now it begins to speak to me ... I hear it say "He bought me at Wal-Mart because I was cheap."

You beat me to it.

I'll second that.

Buy the cheap Remingtons and Federals at Wal-Mart, not the cheap Winchesters.

With a break-action, you can shove the shells in, but with a pump, they actually have to fit the chamber.

 

[Robert Hairless]

You must have the same crystal ball.

 

[target1911]

Thank you everyone. I will try the polishing method givin in the above link.

FYI...... I have been using the cheap Remingtons in both guns...not the Winchesters, maybe i should try them too.....LOL

 

[Robert Hairless]

You might find that combining cheap Remingtons with cheap Winchesters produces a really cheap mixed jam.

(ArmedBear made me say that. It's not my fault.)

 

[rino451]

What make is the barrel on them? I have a Mossy barrel on my 870 that has a sleeve insert. After it heats up it'll hang onto the shell so bad I can rip the extractor through the rim. Let it cool for a minute or two and the shell will drop right out. This happens with win, Rem, Federal, and and two others that I tried. I tried polishing the first 1" of chamber to see whether it'll help.

 

[bryanZ06]

Mine used to do the same thing no matter what I shot in it from cheap 2 3/4" to 3 1/2" steel loads. I took it to a local gunsmith who polished the chamber under warranty and it's been fine since.

 

[WinchesterAA]

can't go wrong with Winchester AA...

Used it in dozens of different shotguns, even some with issues such as my dad's cheapy cheap remington autoloader (unsure of model)

and never had a problem.

 

[9mmMike]

How do you "unlock" them after they are in the "slides wont slide" condition?

I am asking because you can induce this problem (you said it happens in two different guns) by applying rearward pressure on the slide handle while shooting.

I can do this on purpose during dry-fire on several of my less well-used 870's.

Mike

 

[target1911]

I just have to give MORE pressure to slide them. They will hang up when i try to slide it the first time, so i try harder and usually they will slide. It doesnt only happen after several shots. Some times it does it in the first 4 or 5 shots.

 

[9mmMike]

Then I'd say it sounds like cheap/bad ammo or rough chambers. Odd that you'd see bad chambers in two used guns though. I do recall that I had a couple Express barrels that would misbehave after they got warmed up. Spent some time polishing the chambers and they were fine.
IMHO, an 870 should be able to run on any ammo, even that crappy Winchester value-pak stuff.

 

[rino451]

Managed to get out to the range on Saturday to wring out the 870 again. Looks like it's "fixed" for now. My solution was to take a brush, wrap it in steelwool and then add jeweler's rouge and go to town on the rearmost 1" or so of the chamber with it chucked in a hand drill. To be honest I could not really tell the difference by eye and I'd be lying if I said that I could feel any difference in the chamber. Anyway, I ran 870 on the cheap Winchester Walmart stuff until the barrel was way beyond too hot to touch and never had a bind of any sort. BTW just so I could rule out anything else, I didn't clean clean it since the last time I had issues with it.

 

[9mmMike]

Excellent news. I did this on two of my Express barrels as well and it did make a difference.
Way to stay after it.
Mike

 

[target1911]

I have polished one and will do the other. I wont get to shoot them for a cpl more wks but I will update as soon as i do.