870 differences

old hawk · May 28, 2000, 01:18 PM

after going over my new 870 express mag i noticed some differences, 1st is the carrier is now slotted in a squared u shape and longer than the older ones were. on my old 870 it was short carrier and a homecut slot to push in the shell if it double fed.does the longer carrier and the slot on the new ones mean that old problem is cured finally?
the other thing i didnt like was the black matte stuff in the bore, and inner reciever that was making the action stiff as all get out so i cleaned that up and smoothed rails and flash thru-out removing the matte where needed carefully ,now its much smoother feeling almost like my older one but im sure shell get better with age as it were after some shooting.also on the bolt slide i didnt like the finish on the guides outer edges compared to the older ones as they were really rough edged and not finished proper,upon further inspection i also found a missing detent spring for the retaining pin on the trigger assembly.last off has anyone got any info at all on forcing cone lengthining? i can shoot 2 3\4 and 3 inch out of this but just wondering is this cone job really neccesary to do and why? this will be my main duck/deer/pheasant/turkey gun .about all i have to do now is shorten the stock an inch or so , but am wondering about that as its nylon and i havent pulled the pad yet,it was only on the shelf 2 days when i got it and couldnt get a choice in pull lengths.other than that i like it after the mods performed.

Dave McC · May 28, 2000, 07:20 PM

OK, from the top....

The new shell carrier is the Flexitab version, which seems to eliminate the double feeding possible with older 870s and bad loading techniques.

To smooth up that action, place ONE drop of CLP on each action bar with the action locked closed. Then, watch TV while cycling the action over and over. When tired,switch arms and do it some more. After all that, dissassemble, lube with moly grease, remove most of the grease by wiping off with clean paper towels, and put back together. Bet a sixpack it's a lot smoother now...

I recommend the forcing cone mod, it's not expensive and has several advantages, and no downside.

First, pellets leave the bore rounder and less distorted, staying in the pattern. The pattern is no tighter, but it is denser.

Second, the pressure spike is shorter in height and longer in time, lowering the recoil a bit.The difference may not be all that noticeable unless you fire off a lot of rounds, and then note you're not as tired and sore as before.

Most smiths can do the work, and the cost should not be much more than $50.

As for the stock, I recommend getting a qualified smith to do the shortening, there's other things to keep in mind besides length, like pitch,drop and tow-in.

May 28, 2000, 01:18 PM	#1
old hawk Senior Member Join Date: May 27, 2000 Location: somewhere,maine. Posts: 175	after going over my new 870 express mag i noticed some differences, 1st is the carrier is now slotted in a squared u shape and longer than the older ones were. on my old 870 it was short carrier and a homecut slot to push in the shell if it double fed.does the longer carrier and the slot on the new ones mean that old problem is cured finally? the other thing i didnt like was the black matte stuff in the bore, and inner reciever that was making the action stiff as all get out so i cleaned that up and smoothed rails and flash thru-out removing the matte where needed carefully ,now its much smoother feeling almost like my older one but im sure shell get better with age as it were after some shooting.also on the bolt slide i didnt like the finish on the guides outer edges compared to the older ones as they were really rough edged and not finished proper,upon further inspection i also found a missing detent spring for the retaining pin on the trigger assembly.last off has anyone got any info at all on forcing cone lengthining? i can shoot 2 3\4 and 3 inch out of this but just wondering is this cone job really neccesary to do and why? this will be my main duck/deer/pheasant/turkey gun .about all i have to do now is shorten the stock an inch or so , but am wondering about that as its nylon and i havent pulled the pad yet,it was only on the shelf 2 days when i got it and couldnt get a choice in pull lengths.other than that i like it after the mods performed.

May 28, 2000, 07:20 PM	#2
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	OK, from the top.... The new shell carrier is the Flexitab version, which seems to eliminate the double feeding possible with older 870s and bad loading techniques. To smooth up that action, place ONE drop of CLP on each action bar with the action locked closed. Then, watch TV while cycling the action over and over. When tired,switch arms and do it some more. After all that, dissassemble, lube with moly grease, remove most of the grease by wiping off with clean paper towels, and put back together. Bet a sixpack it's a lot smoother now... I recommend the forcing cone mod, it's not expensive and has several advantages, and no downside. First, pellets leave the bore rounder and less distorted, staying in the pattern. The pattern is no tighter, but it is denser. Second, the pressure spike is shorter in height and longer in time, lowering the recoil a bit.The difference may not be all that noticeable unless you fire off a lot of rounds, and then note you're not as tired and sore as before. Most smiths can do the work, and the cost should not be much more than $50. As for the stock, I recommend getting a qualified smith to do the shortening, there's other things to keep in mind besides length, like pitch,drop and tow-in.