870 problem.

[V4Vendetta]

I bought an 870 Express Magnum used a while back & just today got to do some plinking with it.

It was very enjoyable & even though it was a 12 gauge, it didn't kick as much as I thought it would. There was a problem though.

After I fired a few shells, the slide wouldn't come back. It was if it was stuck.:confused: After a few moments it would return to normal but then it did it again.

What should I do? I was using Winchester & Estate #8 loads if that matters.

Thanks for the help.

[Dfariswheel]

These failures to extract are becoming quite common these days.

The two main causes are:

1. Failing to clean a new gun to remove the factory lube, or failing to clean the chamber on an older gun.
Remington puts a rust preventive lube on the gun and inside the barrel. If not cleaned out as recommended in the owner's manual before using, the lube can mix with fouling and turn into a sticky mess that will cause failures to extract.
Older guns likely NEVER had the chamber cleaned.

The "Fix": Clean the gun, especially inside the chamber, and re-lubricate with fresh lube.
Many shotgunners buy a special chamber cleaning brush just to keep the chamber clean of carbon and plastic fouling.

2. Cheap ammo.
Not all guns "like" all ammo, and todays cheap ammo is getting a reputation for causing failures to extract.
The "fix": Try a better brand of ammo.

So, clean and lube the gun, scrub out the chamber THOROUGHLY, and try some better grade ammo.

[ActivShootr]

Everyone I know with an 870 has had this problem. :(

[lil_bro]

My brother's 870 super mag had the same problem, he had to hone the chamber out with sand-paper and steel-wool before it would work.



Michael.

[V4Vendetta]

Everyone I know with an 870 has had this problem.

I asked on here whether I should have gotten the 870 or the M500 before I bought it. Nobody mentioned that.:(

Not all guns "like" all ammo, and todays cheap ammo is getting a reputation for causing failures to extract.
The "fix": Try a better brand of ammo

I thought failure to extract meant that you pulled back the slide & the shell didn't pop out automaticly.:confused:

In my case, the shell would fire but the slide would not come back for a few moments.

[mikejonestkd]

Generalizations can be a bit inaccurate...or even misleading...

+++Everyone I know with an 870 has had this problem. +++

Not everyone...:)

Just clean the chamber and it'll be fine.

[Dfariswheel]

"Generalizations can be a bit inaccurate...or even misleading..."

Quite right. You hear a FEW cases of this, but you don't hear the MANY who have no problems.

A lot of the trouble is being caused by the cheap ammo people are using.
There's a reason some ammo costs a lot less than the good stuff, and it's because it can cause problems.

A failure to extract means just that...A failure of the case to extract from the chamber.
Failure to EJECT is a failure of the case to be thrown clear of the gun.

[V4Vendetta]

I always thought it was just AR's that were picky with ammunition.:o

I was using the 100-round bulk packs of Winchester & Estate #8 12 gauge 2 & 3/4 shells.

Guess next time I'll have to try something else. Is there any brand in particular that's good for 870's but is also not too pricey?

[rem870hunter]

i have 2 wingmasters 1 is a magnum and an express magnum too . i never had trouble with the slide on either of them . i have shot winchester, remington and the estate ammo. for clays. usually #8 but have used #7.5 too. i prefer the remington gunclub and the game loads in #8. i fired around 75 2 and 3/4 inch 1 oz. slugs . and 30 2 and 3/4 inch sabots through the express and not 1 single jam. i have'nt used 3 inch buckshot yet. but its gonna hurt im sure. i clean the barrels really good after. and give a light swab of oil inside.

[GoGo]

I have 2 870's . an older CHP parkerized Wingmaster 18", well worn in and a new 870 Express 18" home defense model. Both function perfectly and have never failed. You have to be smooth and consistant with the pump. You have to handle it like you are its master. 870's are the best pump ever made.

[Neanderthal]

I have shot my Wingmaster for 33 years without ANY problem. Overhot reloads (when I was younger and dumber), and all kinds of factory ammo, BUT, I KEEP THE BARREL CLEAN! A shotgun is not a rock. It needs at least some basic care.

[Mainah]

The slide on my 870 was just a little tricky at first. I found that after the first fifty or so shells it was smooth as silk.

Clean it, shoot it, and enjoy. You made a great shotgun choice.

[Jato]

I bought an 870 Express Magnum used

Check the barrel, does it say 3" or 2 3/4" chamber? IIRC the "magnum" guns will mount an old style 2.75" barrel. Since you bought it used it's worth checking.

[Doyle]

Are you saying that the slide will not come back immediately after the shot, but after waiting a few minutes it will come back using the same amount of effort? If that is the case, what you have is a hot shell that has expanded and is sticking in the chamber. After it cools and contracts, it slides out. First, clean the chamber REALLY well and relube lightly with a good oil. If that doesn't work, then it has come from the factory too tight. Either hone it yourself, or send it back to Remington for honing. After honing, clean again and relube.

[greyeyezz]

Rack the slide hard. People new to 870's tend to baby the slide back and that won't work. A few hundred rounds and it will loosen up.

[GoGo]

Yep, especially if it hasn't been used much.
Rack that slide like you mean it!

My newer 870 express magnum requires much more "manhandling" than my older CHP 870 Wingmaster.

[V4Vendetta]

Check the barrel, does it say 3" or 2 3/4" chamber? IIRC the "magnum" guns will mount an old style 2.75" barrel. Since you bought it used it's worth checking.


The reciever says "Remington Express Magnum". The barrell says that with magnum recievers, it will use both 3" & 2 3/4" shells.

Rack the slide hard. People new to 870's tend to baby the slide back and that won't work.

I thought about pulling it harder but thought that if it didn't slide back gently, forcing it would be a bad idea.:eek:

Are you saying that the slide will not come back immediately after the shot, but after waiting a few minutes it will come back using the same amount of effort?

That is exactly what I'm saying.

A few hundred rounds and it will loosen up.

I'll give you all a report after my next range trip.

[DPris]

Not everbody I know has an extraction problem with their 870s, including the three I have that have never given me a single problem. One was an old Highway Patrol trade-in, the other two were acquired new.
I did not have to clean anything out of the two new ones. :)
But- I use known quality shells through all three.
Clean it up thoroughly, and then swap around with different brands & loads.
If it does the same with everything, it's the gun. If only with certain loads it could be a combination of gun & load, but most likely an ammo problem.
Denis

[Jseime]

My 500 mossy gobbles up any of the cheapest shells i throw at it. I can blow through mags and mags of the cheapest junk ammo i can get my hands on during a good pigeon hunt and then put the plug in and step up to 3 inch mags and shoot till the barrel is too hot to touch in the goose field and it never has a hiccup.

Sorry you didnt get shooter right off the bat but im sure it will work out Remmy has a solid reputation.

[T-Ray]

i had a similar problem and after the first day i lubed it up and it's smooth as butter now

[b.thomas]

Seems to be a problem mostly with the express version of the 870, never heard of a Wingmaster doing it? Just shows that cutting corners just to save a buck isn't always a good thing! :rolleyes:

[Nytelyte]

Mine did that at first. Took home, cleaned it *didn't from the factory :shame: it was my first firearm and i was excited, went straight from store to range* and never had the problem again. It'll shoot anything I feed it as long as my shoulder will take it, and rally for more.

Clean it, if you're in the mood, run a bit of emery cloth along the internals to get rid of any burrs, and shoot the puppy.

[dead-eye-ked]

I often suggest people look at Benelli's the Supernova. It is a great shotgun in my opinion. I have a buddy that has an 870. I have seen him ruin the stock, and have problems cycling rounds. I have seen it jam, and I realize this can happen with any shotgun, and I am sure even Benelli have had a lemon in their time, I just never seen it. I have never had mine fail, and their customer service is the best. I called with a question once, and after I mentioned I was left handed they offerd out of the blue to do a free left handed conversion for me. I was so impressed If I ever need a new shotgun, althought I don't see that happening it would be a Benelli without question.

[RoadkingLarry]

I've neverhad a problem with my 870 Express 12 gauge from day 1 (1995). I've shot every thing from 8s to 00, steel, bismuth and slugs. Keep it clean and operate it like you mean it,

[Nytelyte]

***** For the record, I did not mean shoot a puppy. ******

:eek:

[hogdogs]

While I will not knock any weapon I have no personal experience with, I will say that I do not see how cheap ammo affects a pump shotgun...
I personally have fired well over 5,000 rounds thru my Mossberg 500 and the landslide vast majority were the "cheap" low brass junk ammo. I am also not able to say I have been any where near vigilant with cleaning... Usually if I had it out in the rain or every few months, I just tear a paper towel in half spray it with WD-40 and push it down the barrel followed by the dry other half. Spray the action both open and closed... Rack it a few times and put it away!
I have tortured my gun including cutting down pine trees with 70 rounds back to back... I have tried to find the breaking point in the gun and never made her whine nor hiccup! Never a fail to fire, extract, eject etc.! If someone offered me $5,000 dollars for it I would pass! I will never sell a Mossberg!
Brent

[madcratebuilder]

The 870 is the most produced pump shotgun in the world. Percentage wish it has no more problems that any other pump gun. Mine has never had a problem, although I have seen some that did. All they needed has a good cleaning. I love my Mossy too.:)

[John B.]

I bought an 870 Express Magnum about a month ago and I seem to have the same exact problem as outlined by Doyle (message #14) above. I have shot mostly Federal 12-gauge, 2 3/4" 00 tatical low recoil buckshot as well as some #7 lead shot (also Federal 2 3/4). After it cools down a bit I can finally extract the shell. It doesn't happen with every round, only say 1 out of every 10 or so. I have also shot some Fiocchi 2 3/4 00 tatical low recoil buckshot and that ammo has never presented this problem. I mentioned this to one of the guys at the indoor range that I go to and he said that it was due to the brass wall of the shell being too thin on the Federal loads which therefore expand more than other brands thus causing the sticking problem until the cool and contract. Note: I keep my 870 really clean so I can say that, in my case, it's not due to a dirty chamber. Nice to know that others have seen this same problem and it's not just my 870. Perhaps a little honing might help. As I'm a bit reluctant to do this, I would appreciate any guidance on just how to do this. All-in-all I still love my 870!:D

[V4Vendetta]

Problem is, this 870 is one of my HD guns. I need to have absolute trust that if I need it to work, it will.

I don't have that anymore.:( I've cleaned it but I haven't been able to get back to the range yet. Maybe it'll be better this time.

[Dfariswheel]

As an added note, no one seems to have had this problem when using a Wingmaster or Police gun.

The problem seems to be limited to the "Budget" Express model.

[John B.]

Further to my above post #28, I did some testing this past weekend and tried four different types of ammo to see if the reported problem was the ammo or my shotgun. Here's the details (Note: All 12 guarge, 2 3/4):

Federal "Game-Shok" Lead - 1 1/4 oz., #4 shot, MV=1,330 FPS

Initially shot 6 rounds then shot some other brands and came back and shot another 6 rounds. And, 2 out of every 3 rounds FTE until the gun cooled.

Hornady 00 Buck/TAP FPD #86278, MV=1,370 FPS

Shot 5 rounds. All fired and ejected without any problems.

Fiocchi LE 00 Buck Shot, 12LE00BK, MV=1,150 FPS

Shot 4 rounds. All fired and ejected without any problems.

Federal Premium LE/Tatical 00 Buck Shot, LE133 00, MV=1,145 FPS

Shot 6 rounds. All fired and ejected without any problems.

I also spoke to my local Remington authorized service center and was told that they had indeed seen this extraction problem before and that it mostly occurs with Federal ammo. So, I've purchased some Winchester and Remington ammo to continue my testing a bit further. I'll post the results accordingly. We shall see!:D

[John B.]

Today I tested two additional types of ammo plus some additional rounds of previously tested ammo. Again, all 12 gauge, 2 3/4. Here's the details:

Remington Nitro 27

#8 MV= 1,235 FPS Shot 10 rounds - All shot fine without any problems.

Winchester AA

#8 MV= 1,300 FPS Shot 10 rounds - All shot fine without any problems.

Federal Premium LE Tactical (LE133 00) Same ammo as in my earlier post above.

Shot 5 more rounds (10 total) - All shot fine without any problems.

So, after doing all this testing my conclusion is that the my 870 Express is just fine and that the Federal "GAME-SHOK (H126 4)" noted in my previous post #31 is the real problem as others have reported too. I suspect it's the thickness or quality of the brass that expands more than the others. It's interesting to note that the Federal Premium LE from the same company isn't a problem. As they say "You get what you pay for" with ammo as well.

I hope other readers will find this info useful. Enjoy! :D

[rem870hunter]

the LE ammo has a full brass head not a plated one. according to the website listing. this is to help with extraction if i recall right. i fired 3 of the tactical 9 pellet 00buck this morning. muzzle velocity was 1325 fps. did'nt kick too bad. although i think this may have been the round for use in semi auto shotguns.

[GunnNutt]

I had read this post with a grain of salt originally, having shot thousands of rounds of cheap ammo through my 1981 Wiingmaster over the years with zero issues. Just recently, I've gotten heavy into trap shooting and have gone through several thousand rounds of modern cheap ammo. I use tons of Wolf (only 'cause I have a cheap source), and both the Federal and Winchester 100-packs from Wally World- the so-called promotional loads. Thought I was crazy- switched ammo several times, cleaned and polished my chamber, etc. It's the Winchester stuff. Most of it causes hard extraction, with the easier-if-you-wait-a minute business too. I'm wondering about the "stickiness" of the heated, expanded hulls after firing, or maybe the length is a tad long after firing. There's no sign of a pressure problem. The Federal, and their cheaper brand, Estate, is just fine.

[GuateShooter]

I have a 870 (+8,000 shells) and never had that problem when the shotgun its clean, once I have this problem when the 870 was wet.

[Gwyndon]

Never had a problem or misfire with mine.....

[GunnNutt]

Out to trap again last night, and saving my hotter Wolf loads for coming Sporting Clays outings. Ran some Federal promos and more of the same batch of Winchesters I mentioned earlier. At least half of the Winchester WalMart promo red-hulls needed to cool off a moment before they would extract. I just got in the habit of arbitrarily waiting to eject and reload. By eyeball, cases look the same length before and after firing. This happens even with just-cleaned, slightly oily chamber or at 200 rds+. My gun is a very nice older Wingmaster, with the heavily polished chamber and barrel. Careful inspection reveals nothing but smooth.

Looks like you (may) get what you pay for. $8/box AA's are always smooth as silk. What's also interesting is I've had no extraction issues with my new 25077 riot gun, which has far rougher features than the WM, and is fed far fiercer loads.

[gobblerkid25]

i have 2 870 12 gauges and an 870 16 gauge but i only use one on a consistant basis, an 870 express magnum ive had for about 7 years, and i have no complaints. it may not be the flashiet gun and it may not have the tightest fitting forend AND it mite hiccup while ejecting a shell occasionally but these things are bulletproof. mine gets absolutely tortured from camo duck taping it for turkey season to carrying it upland for pheasants to firing 3" magnums through it for ducks and geese. its always being thrown in the mud or getting rained on but a a little remoil and shes like new.

as for the shell ejection problme ive found it to be the same reason as others have already stated: dont baby it when ejecting the shell. show the gun whos boss. if you dont slam it all the way back the youve got the spent cartridge just hanging there and it can be quite annoying, believe me i was baffled by mine when i first got it because i thought there was something wrong with it, only to find out that i needed to make it my little b*&^^ :D

[Sgt.Fathead]

The Remington 870 was the first shotgun I ever fired, in the marine Corps, and I own four different 12 gauge models right now, one of which I have had for thirteen years and never had any problems with. I will also say that I own Mossberg pump guns and a few older side by sides, too. Wait! I have a couple New England Firearms single shots, too. Safe is getting full. :)

Back to the 870s. I strip the suckers down after a good round of heavy shooting and give them a very thorough cleaning with.....WD40. I remove the barrel and disassemble the action, hose everything down with that wonderful fish oil spray and leave it all to soak on my workbench, which I cover with a rubber mat first. Go get a cup of tea, come back, move the parts around, hose them again, go have a sit at the computer, etc. Time to let it all soak well, followed by a good scrubbing and a wipe and then a reassembly and a final wipedown with a WD sprayed rag. I also use the method described here to clean the barrels well:

http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu9.htm

I think that a regimen of proper cleaning and lubrication makes all the difference in the world! That old 870 I've had for years belonged to my great uncle and he bought it at a hardware store in northern Maine in 1969. It has eaten and spit out thousands of rounds of paper sleeved bird shot, 00 buck, a few slugs and even rock salt. No problems, still going strong, a little worn but a great gun. I plan on passing it to my nephew if he ever learns to wear his hat straight and pull his pants up.

Good Luck, Good Shooting.