Why are my empties sticking?

[Sebastian the Ibis]

I purchased a new 870 in about November. The last two times I took it to the range the empty shells stuck, and the extractor ripped the rim off.
Pictures of the first range incident a month ago are attached. That time I could feel it tightening up and significant extra effort was needed to work the slide for about 3 shots before it froze up completely. I had been doing a tactical course and had put about a box of shells through it in rapid succession so I let the gun cool for an hour. Afterwards, I banged the stock into the dirt a few times, the extractor ripped the metal head from the rest of the shell, and the shell came out.

I chalked it up to a dirty gun, and went home to thoroughly clean the gun and scrub the chamber. Incidentally, based upon how hard it was to get the brush in and out, the chamber on this 870 is significantly looser than the chamber on my Mossberg 500 field barrel which I cleaned at the same time.

The following weekend I shot three flights of trap using the same Bass Pro Remington field loads with a Beretta semi-auto and had zero incidents.

This past weekend, I tried the 870 again (with a squeaky clean chamber), and after about three shots, it jammed again. I again waited 20 minutes and banged the stock in the dirt. This time the extractor ripped clean through the rim, and it would no longer catch the rim. I waited another 20 minutes to see if anyone would show up with a cleaning rod. When nobody did, I dropped a live 30-06 round down the barrel and it came out with the shell. I tried a half dozen Federal Field loads for comparison, and they worked fine, but that is all I had.

I figure this has to be some combination of gun+ammo+heat/humidity, but I can’t figure it out.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[cat_IT_guy]

We should call this 870-itis. Seems to mostly occur on cheap, low brass shells. Some will suggest polishing out the chamber to smooth it and this very well may work, but I dont have 1st hand experience. I had an 870 with the same problem. My gunsmith apparently quit doing Remington warranty work, but offered to fix it for like $25. I dont know what he did, though I suspect he probably just reamed out the chamber a little bit, but it worked like a champ after that.

Good luck whichever route you choose to take.

 

[Hunterdad]

Get the chamber reemed out. I bet there is a burr or 2 in there.

 

[oneounceload]

If this the 870 Express, you need to get a wood dowel, wrap it with 0000 steel wool, use some oil and a cordless drill and slowly polish the chamber - that will clear it up. This issue does not happen with the 870 Wingmaster

 

[Sebastian the Ibis]

It's an Express

 

[hogbody74]

empties sticking

Like oneounceload said, but if you have access to brass wool I like to use it instead of steel wool. Good luck. hogbody74

 

[rcmodel]

but if you have access to brass wool I like to use it instead of steel wool.

Brass wool won't work.
IMO: For much of anything.

The microscopic chamber burs & roughness are harder then it is.

A flap of 400 black emery paper & oil on a split dowel rod in a drill works much better anyway.

rc

 

[throdgrain]

If you carry on shooting the gun for another 500 - 1000 rounds I would bet money the problem will have gone on it's own mate.

 

[Virginian]

On guns that experience this problem, I prefer an automotive drum brake wheel cylinder hone. About $8 at most auto parts stores. The straight stones polish the chamber AND remove any ridges. Just make sure you don't pull the spinning hone more than halfway out the chamber; otherwise TRAIN WRECK. With the steel shell bases on today's cheap shells, I have seen Mossbergs, Novas, and even a BPS being beat on the ground, so it isn't just an Express issue any more. No one polishes chambers like they used to it appears. All my old guns cycle the cheap shells even if they rip the bases doing so.

 

[mxjunky78]

I had the same problem with my 870 until I polished the chamber. I did it a little bit the first time and checked function. It improved greatly so I figured I would go a little more and now the guns action is smooth as butter. I used 2 different grades of steel wool. The coarse grade at first and finished it up with the finer grade. Just spin the drill at a low speed going in and out. When the barrel is too hot to handle that's when you know to stop and give it a rest. Hope this helps! The 870 is a great gun that just needs a lil lovin.

 

[nofishbob]

Another thing that you might want to check in addition to the finish of the actual chamber is the possibility of the RIM of the shell getting jammed against the rough surface of the barrel hood. This was part of the extraction problem on my 870 Express.

Good luck!

Bob

 

[Steve C]

I would blame the majority of the problem on the nickle plated steel shell base and a chamber that's perhaps a bit rough. With a brass base the metal is more ductile than steel so it shrinks back a bit more and doesn't grab in the chamber like the steel bases do.

Polishing the chamber as others have recommended will likely cure the problem.

 

[tactikel]

You can easily polish a chamber (and barrel) using a green scotch brite pad trimmed to wrap around a 20ga brass brush, chuck the rod into a drill, soak it in wd-40 and spin it for 100 or so passes. Takes about an hour. Hard core Turkey hunters routinely polish their barrels-and get some outstanding results. If you want to polish the entire barrel make a chamber guide using a 20ga shell case inserted into a 12ga case, drill out the primer holes to fit your cleaning rod, insert the whole shebang into you chamber and run for a few hundred passes, changing the pad and applying wd40 as needed. Your bore will shine like a mirror. Do not polish a chrome lined barrel.

 

[dprice3844444]

get one them flex hones they use on brake cylinders.the berry kind