Something rattling around in my 870?

[bensdad]

Hi guys. Feel the love!!

I just checked both of my 870s. The hammer flops back and forth when it has been released - WHEN THE TRIGGER MECHANISM IS OUT OF THE GUN!!! If the gun is assembled, the hammer is held tight against the back of the firing pin. That hammer should not rattle when the gun is put together.

 

[Pete409]

Bensdad wrote:

I just checked both of my 870s. The hammer flops back and forth when it has been released - WHEN THE TRIGGER MECHANISM IS OUT OF THE GUN!!! If the gun is assembled, the hammer is held tight against the back of the firing pin. That hammer should not rattle when the gun is put together.

Thanks for the info. I was hoping that some others would join in and tell us about their 870 and whether the hammer had any "play" in it when in the uncocked position. By any chance do you know what year your 870's were manufactured?

One other thing puzzles me about this issue. Remington makes both the 870 and the 1100. The trigger assemblies and bolt assemblies are VERY similar for these two guns. I can look into the side of my 1100 (which was made in 2000) and clearly see that the hammer "flops" back and forth about 3/8" when in the uncocked position. Why would Remington make the 870 with the hammer resting tightly against the back of the firing pin when in the uncocked postition and make the 1100 with the hammer free to flop back and forth? Could the difference be due to manufacturing tolerances and that it really doesn't matter? I've never had a bit of trouble with either my 870 or the 1100 and now I'm starting to wonder if other 870's and 1100's are made like mine?

 

[bensdad]

By any chance do you know what year your 870's were manufactured?

No. One was purchased in the late 70s (gift from my grandfather). It's a Wingmaster. The other was purchased in 2000. It's an Express. I can't find any discernable difference between the two trigger mechanisms.

I've never seen the inside of an 1100. I know they're gas-operated, but that's the full extent of my knowledge.

 

[dfariswheel]

I'm somewhat familiar with the 1100 and the 1187, but to be sure, I called an old client who's DEEP into clay bird shooting.
He has one of the largest collections of shotguns around and has a least a dozen 870's, 8 1100's, and 5 11-87's.
These range in age from a 1951 870 to an 11-87 bought for his son for Christmas this year.

I called and asked him to look over his guns and check the hammers to see if any have any movement with the hammer down on the bolt.

He says none of his guns have a loose hammer, or firing pin.
All firing pins show plenty of spring tension holding them to the rear, and all hammers are tightly against the rear of the bolts.

For those of you with loose firing pins OR loose hammers, I suggest you see a gunsmith.
Something is not right in the guns.