Spring detent ball missing!

Bosshoff · October 29, 2005, 11:58 AM

I just realized that my 870 barrel has lost the "spring detent ball?" There is only an open hole and the mag tube band.

Has this happened to anyone else? Where do I find the parts to remedy this? I will call Remington on Monday, and I would guess Brownells would have them, I just hate to order $0.02 worth of parts. Why did this happen? BTW, the gun was broken down into two pieces in the green Remington plastic case.

Lee Lapin · October 29, 2005, 12:15 PM

If your 870 is an Express model, the spring and detent may have never been installed.

Does your gun have magazine tube dimples and the plastic push-turn magazine spring detent? If so the parts may well have never been there. For a while on Express guns Remington drilled the holes in the barrel rings but did not install the parts, as they served no purpose on guns with the plastic magazine cap/recoil spring detents. Now they no longer bother with the holes on current production Express guns, IIRC.

If the parts were originally installed and have come out, it is because the staking on the barrel ring to retain the detent failed. Brownells will likely have the parts, so should Remington, but I doubt you can get them for $.02... . Brownells should have the circular staking tool necessary for the installation also.

hth,

lpl/nc

Bosshoff · October 30, 2005, 12:58 PM

Thanks for the information Lee. That makes much more sense. My Express did NOT have the spring detent and ball installed. It was the plastic spring cap which made the clicking noise when I twisted on the magazine cap to tighten the barrel. I just "dremeled" out the magazine tube dimples, so now that plastic spring cap just floats around. I will see if I can locate the parts, and have my barrel modified with the spring ball and detent. I just never noticed the open hole in the barrel band before.

Lee Lapin · October 31, 2005, 06:06 AM

Might not be a bad idea to get the old style magazine cap while you're at it. That one has dimples around the outside rim for the detent ball to engage...

lpl/nc

October 29, 2005, 11:58 AM	#1
Bosshoff Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2004 Posts: 173	Spring detent ball missing! I just realized that my 870 barrel has lost the "spring detent ball?" There is only an open hole and the mag tube band. Has this happened to anyone else? Where do I find the parts to remedy this? I will call Remington on Monday, and I would guess Brownells would have them, I just hate to order $0.02 worth of parts. Why did this happen? BTW, the gun was broken down into two pieces in the green Remington plastic case. __________________ Chop Chop!

October 30, 2005, 12:58 PM	#3
Bosshoff Senior Member Join Date: May 20, 2004 Posts: 173	Thanks for the information Lee. That makes much more sense. My Express did NOT have the spring detent and ball installed. It was the plastic spring cap which made the clicking noise when I twisted on the magazine cap to tighten the barrel. I just "dremeled" out the magazine tube dimples, so now that plastic spring cap just floats around. I will see if I can locate the parts, and have my barrel modified with the spring ball and detent. I just never noticed the open hole in the barrel band before. __________________ Chop Chop!

October 29, 2005, 12:15 PM	#2
Lee Lapin Senior Member Join Date: September 7, 2004 Location: SE NC Posts: 1,239	If your 870 is an Express model, the spring and detent may have never been installed. Does your gun have magazine tube dimples and the plastic push-turn magazine spring detent? If so the parts may well have never been there. For a while on Express guns Remington drilled the holes in the barrel rings but did not install the parts, as they served no purpose on guns with the plastic magazine cap/recoil spring detents. Now they no longer bother with the holes on current production Express guns, IIRC. If the parts were originally installed and have come out, it is because the staking on the barrel ring to retain the detent failed. Brownells will likely have the parts, so should Remington, but I doubt you can get them for $.02... . Brownells should have the circular staking tool necessary for the installation also. hth, lpl/nc

October 31, 2005, 06:06 AM	#4
Lee Lapin Senior Member Join Date: September 7, 2004 Location: SE NC Posts: 1,239	Might not be a bad idea to get the old style magazine cap while you're at it. That one has dimples around the outside rim for the detent ball to engage... lpl/nc