I bought this gun in April of 2005 because my friend had one and they are one of the greatest guns of all time. Well out of the 4 years I’ve had the gun it sat for the 1st 2 years but the past 2 yrs I’ve put it through my own hell test with poor results. Duck hunting this year was bad. I’ve had the shells get stuck in the magazine tube. Right at the end of the season it started something new, with the plug in you could shoot once but when you went to shoot the 2nd time it wasn’t chambering. After that second rack then it would finish the last 2 shells. Then last week my friend was using it and a shell got stuck in the chamber and the action wouldn’t open. I shot 100 rounds through it last week and between the 3 of us I bet it messed up at least a couple of time on each of us. And since I didn’t return it to Remington like I should have while it was under warrenty I’m just going to put it in the back of the closet and forget about it. I am very disappointed this is my only shotgun. It seems like it could be something in the trigger assembly. I’ve taken it to the gun smith and he didn’t do anything to help it. I don’t think I’d have the hart to sell this big of a piece of crap. In all I think I put anywhere from 500 to a 1000 rounds through it and I thought I was just getting started.
Should have went with the Mossberg 500
Problems with 870 ever since I bought it
Re: Problems with 870 ever since I bought it
No, you said it yourself, when you first had a problem, you should have contacted Remington. So, get off your butt and contact them now. Be courteous and explain your problem, and I bet they can help you out.
What could have happened... did.
Re: Problems with 870 ever since I bought it
Did you ever clean and oil it? Sounds to me like it's full of rust and crud. Hangups in the magazine tube would indicate something hanging up.....like the magazine follower. Shells sticking in the chamber sounds like a dirty chamber, swollen shells or crud in the action.DJM1972 wrote:I bought this gun in April of 2005 because my friend had one and they are one of the greatest guns of all time. Well out of the 4 years I’ve had the gun it sat for the 1st 2 years but the past 2 yrs I’ve put it through my own hell test with poor results. Duck hunting this year was bad. I’ve had the shells get stuck in the magazine tube. Right at the end of the season it started something new, with the plug in you could shoot once but when you went to shoot the 2nd time it wasn’t chambering. After that second rack then it would finish the last 2 shells. Then last week my friend was using it and a shell got stuck in the chamber and the action wouldn’t open. I shot 100 rounds through it last week and between the 3 of us I bet it messed up at least a couple of time on each of us. And since I didn’t return it to Remington like I should have while it was under warrenty I’m just going to put it in the back of the closet and forget about it. I am very disappointed this is my only shotgun. It seems like it could be something in the trigger assembly. I’ve taken it to the gun smith and he didn’t do anything to help it. I don’t think I’d have the hart to sell this big of a piece of crap. In all I think I put anywhere from 500 to a 1000 rounds through it and I thought I was just getting started.
Should have went with the Mossberg 500
These things DO take a certain amount of maintenance to keep them functioning well. I'm sure it didn't leave the factory with those problems.
Den
Be careful about getting attached to your gun
I got attached to my gun before it was proven. This was my 3rd gun but my 1st shotgun. I’m slowly figuring out what I should do on my own. 1st I’m going to find the closest authorized Remington gun smith instead of taking it to where I took it a year ago. I’m almost sure he wasn’t an authorized Remington gun smith. It does say he is a gun smith on the business card. At first I started to notice a burr on my spent shells. My first guess was it might be the shell latch. But after closer observation I figured out they were leaving the magazine tub and flying back and hitting the bolt. I took a permanent marker and put a mark on some spent shells and cycled them through. Noting where the burr was to my mark. Then I had the trigger assembly out and noticed some wear on the carrier. There is what looks like an ear sticking up off of the carrier. This is where I found considerable wear and a burr. But the burr on the shells was on the other side from this ear on the carrier. Those shells are flying out of the magazine tub so fast that maybe they are spinning giving me the impression that they are hitting the bolt when they aren’t. I didn’t notice wear on the bolt. It seemed to jam the most when it was cold obviously. But there has to be some kind of logical reason why its jamming so much. Maybe I was to soft with it. I keep it plenty clean and oiled. Now if I was using a black powder gun then every time some told me to clean it or oil it I’d say you might be right but its not a black powder gun. I guess it could be the shell latch. I had it apart and was trying to put it back together and some how managed to get the slide rail from the fore end under the wrong side of the shell latch. The pins in the trigger assembly go through the receiver and the shell latches.
Re: Problems with 870 ever since I bought it
I found something I was doing wrong
I was putting the plug in backwards. This might be why the shells were getting stuck in the magazine tube. I got to looking over the manual and noticed that you put the small end into the magazine tube. I’m sure I was doing this all of last years hunting season. I guess I should look over the manual once in a while. I’m still not sure about this though because I didn’t have the plug in at all and remember it messing up. After this entire ordeal I think I’m am finally getting to know my gun down to a science. Witch I would have preferred to have done long ago.
I think I completely understand the 870 now except the actuator for the carrier. The carrier works fine when the gun is assembled. But when I take the trigger assembly out I can’t get the actuator for the carrier to work.
One more thing is it ok to take the trigger guard out without disassembling anything else. In the book it tell you to take the barrel off and remove the for arm and bolt.
I was putting the plug in backwards. This might be why the shells were getting stuck in the magazine tube. I got to looking over the manual and noticed that you put the small end into the magazine tube. I’m sure I was doing this all of last years hunting season. I guess I should look over the manual once in a while. I’m still not sure about this though because I didn’t have the plug in at all and remember it messing up. After this entire ordeal I think I’m am finally getting to know my gun down to a science. Witch I would have preferred to have done long ago.
I think I completely understand the 870 now except the actuator for the carrier. The carrier works fine when the gun is assembled. But when I take the trigger assembly out I can’t get the actuator for the carrier to work.
One more thing is it ok to take the trigger guard out without disassembling anything else. In the book it tell you to take the barrel off and remove the for arm and bolt.
Re: Problems with 870 ever since I bought it
Carrier "Actuator"? I'm not entirely sure what you mean by this considering the 870's carrier system is not equipped with an actuator.
The carrier itself is very basic in operation. As the forend is retracted and the bolt travels to the rear of the receiver, it pivots the carrier dog (which is pinned to the carrier itself) against spring tension. The carrier dog is now in a position where it offers a mechanical advantage over the carrier and any shell being loaded into battery. As the bolt travels forward, the carrier dog (which has been pivoted rearward) is now "pushed down" as the bolt slide travels over it, thus causing the carrier to lift. This simple concept is not only used in the 870, but also in the 1148, 1100, 1187, etc.
Despite the fact that any problems with the carrier and its corresponding components should be relatively obvious (broken/bent parts), you can "bench test" the system by simply pivoting the dog to the rear of the trigger assembly and push down...the carrier should move up. If it doesn't work, try to not fully retract the carrier dog (allow roughly 1/16-1/8th inch between the carrier dog and the trigger group itself). Sometimes there is a tell-tale mark (wear marks or debris accumulation) on the carrier dog follower (which, in conjunction with a spring, causes the tension on the carrier dog) by which you can judge how far the carrier dog needs to pivot in order to cause carrier movement.
As FYI only (I'm not going to tell you to deviate from what your owner's manual instructs) and in answer to your question; yes, it is possible to remove the trigger guard (aka trigger plate assembly) without having to remove the barrel, forend, etc. Make sure the action is closed while removing and inserting the trigger assembly. In the event the hammer is released while the trigger assembly is removed, it should be returned manually to its cocked position before reassembling the gun. Sometimes this is an easier method to clear out a shell that manages to get itself above the shell carrier while the action is closed (although newer Remington carriers have a u-shape "flex tab" that facilitates clearing a jammed round without disassembly).
As always, use your best judgment when working on a firearm, and if you don't feel confident with it or something is beyond the scope of your repair (especially something that deals with the firing mechanism); its time for a professional to take a look at it.
The carrier itself is very basic in operation. As the forend is retracted and the bolt travels to the rear of the receiver, it pivots the carrier dog (which is pinned to the carrier itself) against spring tension. The carrier dog is now in a position where it offers a mechanical advantage over the carrier and any shell being loaded into battery. As the bolt travels forward, the carrier dog (which has been pivoted rearward) is now "pushed down" as the bolt slide travels over it, thus causing the carrier to lift. This simple concept is not only used in the 870, but also in the 1148, 1100, 1187, etc.
Despite the fact that any problems with the carrier and its corresponding components should be relatively obvious (broken/bent parts), you can "bench test" the system by simply pivoting the dog to the rear of the trigger assembly and push down...the carrier should move up. If it doesn't work, try to not fully retract the carrier dog (allow roughly 1/16-1/8th inch between the carrier dog and the trigger group itself). Sometimes there is a tell-tale mark (wear marks or debris accumulation) on the carrier dog follower (which, in conjunction with a spring, causes the tension on the carrier dog) by which you can judge how far the carrier dog needs to pivot in order to cause carrier movement.
As FYI only (I'm not going to tell you to deviate from what your owner's manual instructs) and in answer to your question; yes, it is possible to remove the trigger guard (aka trigger plate assembly) without having to remove the barrel, forend, etc. Make sure the action is closed while removing and inserting the trigger assembly. In the event the hammer is released while the trigger assembly is removed, it should be returned manually to its cocked position before reassembling the gun. Sometimes this is an easier method to clear out a shell that manages to get itself above the shell carrier while the action is closed (although newer Remington carriers have a u-shape "flex tab" that facilitates clearing a jammed round without disassembly).
As always, use your best judgment when working on a firearm, and if you don't feel confident with it or something is beyond the scope of your repair (especially something that deals with the firing mechanism); its time for a professional to take a look at it.