I've had just about enough of my 870

Wallabing · February 7, 2012, 01:54 AM

My Remington 870 cant eject spent shells reliably, and in most cases it only drizzles off the side of the ejection port, or stovepipes when another shells pops onto the elevator.

I go to the shotgun range and I'm shooting shells, pumping the action as damn hard as I can only to see the spent shells only barely drizzle from the side of the ejecton port.

I look to the left side where I see a teenage boy with another 870 tactical. He just barely pumps the slide like a baby, and the shells fly a damn 25 feet into the air.

I went back home, and now I'm in the process of finding a gunsmith. I understand that replacing the ejecor and spring is hard because it has to take new rivets.

Does my ejector spring look alright?

I would like to add that a buddy took some shots with it aswell and the very first pump, the shell stovepiped.

Dave McC · February 7, 2012, 02:47 PM

The ejector spring looks OK to me.

A couple queries....

Did you Read The Fine Manual and follow the procedures for cleaning off all the preservatives?

Does the problem occur with all ammo or just one or two brands?

Take the barrel off and use a fingertip to check the smoothness of the chamber. Is it well polished?

Chances are it's fixable by doing the above and maybe some polishing.

TheKlawMan · February 7, 2012, 03:18 PM

If this is a newe 870 Express, the rough chamber issue that Dave speaks of is common and it is easioly remedied. One way is to put up with it until a few hundred rounds have been put throught it. Somtimes the initial problems are only found with inexpensive promotion shells from WalMart. Still, you may wish to polich your chamber following the procedure found at http://www.aiptactical.com/Page_2.html under cleaning new barrels.

Dfariswheel · February 7, 2012, 08:44 PM

One cause of weak ejection I've found in the past is a fouled or even rusty extractor spring tunnel in the bolt.

If the tunnel or the extractor spring and plunger is fouled or corroded you get weak ejection no matter how hard you pump it.
I once found a brand new 870 Police gun with a fouled bolt tunnel and an impacted extractor spring and plunger sticking.

Disassembly of the extractor assembly and using a small tube brush to clean the bolt tunnel fixed the issue.

Also as above, new 870's really need to be properly cleaned, the factory preservative removed, and a fresh coat of lubricant applied.
This includes the extractor assembly in the bolt, and especially the chamber.

Last, some of the cheaper shells are notorious for causing poor extraction and ejection. Try some better ammo.

ScottRiqui · February 7, 2012, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dfariswheel

One cause of weak ejection I've found in the past is a fouled or even rusty extractor spring tunnel in the bolt.

This was exactly the problem with my new 870. To check, pull the slide back halfway so that you can get at the extractor. Pull the extractor claw away from the body with your finger and release it. It should snap back with authority. If it's sluggish, or doesn't snap back at all, it needs a cleaning.

Wallabing · February 8, 2012, 02:43 PM

Hello everybody. A gunsmith bent the ejector spring for me. He only charged 15 diagnosis. My 870 now chucks birdshot shells 5 feet, which is an improvement.

the rifleer · February 11, 2012, 12:12 PM

Was it as simple as just pulling it and bending it a little bit?

TheKlawMan · February 11, 2012, 01:53 PM

Rifleer. Before you go pulling and bending your ejectpr spring, consider that if you mess it up it is a relatively expensive repair and your sping looks pretty good to me in that photo. Have you checked the extracor tunnel in th bolt as others suggest?

the rifleer · February 11, 2012, 02:34 PM

I don't have that issue, I'm just curious what he did to fix it.

Runngun · February 12, 2012, 03:08 PM

I had an older 870 special purpose that dribbled the hulls out of the port, sometimes the empties wouldn't even make it out of the gun, jamming it. I took it to the Remington authorized repair center, and because the hulls would eject for them (barely), they said the gun was fine. I knew it wasn't because I also had an 870 express that threw the empties 5 or 6 feet out of the gun. I experimented a little, and switched extractors between the 2 guns. The problem 870 started ejecting perfectly with the other extractor in it. The express, which was perfect from day one, had the same extremely lazy ejection that the special purpose had. Problem solved. I installed a new extractor for an 870 express in the special purpose. The extractors are a little different. The express extractor looks cast...looked different from the problematic extractor.

TheKlawMan · February 12, 2012, 07:54 PM

Runngun, The extractor on an 870 Express is manufactured by Metal Injection Molding ("MIM") wheras the police model and perhaps your older 870 has a forged extractor. Some chose to replace their MIM extractor with a forged extractor.

Runngun · February 13, 2012, 01:21 AM

That's what I figured. I would tend to think that the forged extractor is better, but I tried replacing the forged one with another forged one with the same results. Only when I got that cheap mim extractor from the express guns did it run properly. Weird.

meatgrinder42 · February 16, 2012, 10:09 AM

I've been hearing more and more of this with the 870E's. I've never had an issue with my 870 WM and it's almost 14 years old now (assuming it wasn't sitting on the shelf for too long before I got it, and it was new in box). Is the crappy extractor issue on the 870E?

TheKlawMan · February 17, 2012, 01:57 AM

Its on the 870-Express. Not the police and I doubt if it is on the WM; even the newer Wings.

Wallabing · February 24, 2012, 10:23 PM

I got some bad new, I took my 870 out for a round of skeet and the same problem happens. The empty shells just wouldnt make it out of the ejection port

and stovepipes half the time.

I had to borrow my buddys Stoeger Condor for the rest of the day just because of this problem.

I'm sending this gun back to Remington, and if they dont fix it properly, I'm getting rid of this 870 express.

TheKlawMan · February 25, 2012, 01:59 AM

Do you have to send it back to Remington or will they authorize you to take to a local warranty repair facility. All I can think is that you have a very tight chamber that needs to be reemed out as opposed to being polished. For that matter, have you tried polishing it with steel wool, a dowel, and a drill and how many shells have you put through it?

How old is this gun? I don't believe you mentioned the ammo that you are using. Ammo can aggravate a problem like this, but I don't know if it would cause as bad a problem as you are experiencing.

Wallabing · February 25, 2012, 03:36 PM

I'm now going to make a 2 hour trip to visit J&G inc Granite bay, my closest Remington authorized repair center for warranty inspection.

TheKlawMan · February 26, 2012, 04:34 PM

Before you drive 2 hours back and forth, did you use steel wool on the chamber and try different ammunition as suggested? Moi, I have to drive 2 hours just to get the gun case that I want unless I have it shipped and I want to first make sure of a tight fit.

February 7, 2012, 01:54 AM	#1
Wallabing Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2009 Posts: 113	I've had just about enough of my 870 My Remington 870 cant eject spent shells reliably, and in most cases it only drizzles off the side of the ejection port, or stovepipes when another shells pops onto the elevator. I go to the shotgun range and I'm shooting shells, pumping the action as damn hard as I can only to see the spent shells only barely drizzle from the side of the ejecton port. I look to the left side where I see a teenage boy with another 870 tactical. He just barely pumps the slide like a baby, and the shells fly a damn 25 feet into the air. I went back home, and now I'm in the process of finding a gunsmith. I understand that replacing the ejecor and spring is hard because it has to take new rivets. Does my ejector spring look alright? I would like to add that a buddy took some shots with it aswell and the very first pump, the shell stovepiped. Last edited by Wallabing; February 7, 2012 at 02:01 AM.

February 11, 2012, 12:12 PM	#7
the rifleer Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 2008 Location: Sunny California Posts: 1,281	Was it as simple as just pulling it and bending it a little bit? __________________ There is no such thing as a stupid question, only stupid people.

February 11, 2012, 02:34 PM	#9
the rifleer Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 2008 Location: Sunny California Posts: 1,281	I don't have that issue, I'm just curious what he did to fix it. __________________ There is no such thing as a stupid question, only stupid people.

February 16, 2012, 10:09 AM	#13
meatgrinder42 Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2011 Location: Good Ol' Wisconsin Posts: 327	I've been hearing more and more of this with the 870E's. I've never had an issue with my 870 WM and it's almost 14 years old now (assuming it wasn't sitting on the shelf for too long before I got it, and it was new in box). Is the crappy extractor issue on the 870E? __________________ When I die better bury me deep, two .45s layin' at my feet, An M16 across my chest, tell Chesty Puller I did my best

February 7, 2012, 02:47 PM	#2
Dave McC Staff In Memoriam Join Date: October 13, 1999 Location: Columbia, Md, USA Posts: 8,811	The ejector spring looks OK to me. A couple queries.... Did you Read The Fine Manual and follow the procedures for cleaning off all the preservatives? Does the problem occur with all ammo or just one or two brands? Take the barrel off and use a fingertip to check the smoothness of the chamber. Is it well polished? Chances are it's fixable by doing the above and maybe some polishing.

February 7, 2012, 03:18 PM	#3
TheKlawMan Junior member Join Date: June 23, 2009 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 2,149	If this is a newe 870 Express, the rough chamber issue that Dave speaks of is common and it is easioly remedied. One way is to put up with it until a few hundred rounds have been put throught it. Somtimes the initial problems are only found with inexpensive promotion shells from WalMart. Still, you may wish to polich your chamber following the procedure found at http://www.aiptactical.com/Page_2.html under cleaning new barrels.

February 7, 2012, 08:44 PM	#4
Dfariswheel Senior Member Join Date: May 4, 2001 Posts: 7,478	One cause of weak ejection I've found in the past is a fouled or even rusty extractor spring tunnel in the bolt. If the tunnel or the extractor spring and plunger is fouled or corroded you get weak ejection no matter how hard you pump it. I once found a brand new 870 Police gun with a fouled bolt tunnel and an impacted extractor spring and plunger sticking. Disassembly of the extractor assembly and using a small tube brush to clean the bolt tunnel fixed the issue. Also as above, new 870's really need to be properly cleaned, the factory preservative removed, and a fresh coat of lubricant applied. This includes the extractor assembly in the bolt, and especially the chamber. Last, some of the cheaper shells are notorious for causing poor extraction and ejection. Try some better ammo.

February 8, 2012, 02:43 PM	#6
Wallabing Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2009 Posts: 113	Hello everybody. A gunsmith bent the ejector spring for me. He only charged 15 diagnosis. My 870 now chucks birdshot shells 5 feet, which is an improvement.

February 11, 2012, 01:53 PM	#8
TheKlawMan Junior member Join Date: June 23, 2009 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 2,149	Rifleer. Before you go pulling and bending your ejectpr spring, consider that if you mess it up it is a relatively expensive repair and your sping looks pretty good to me in that photo. Have you checked the extracor tunnel in th bolt as others suggest?

February 12, 2012, 03:08 PM	#10
Runngun Member Join Date: May 27, 2004 Location: Las Vegas, NV. Posts: 41	I had an older 870 special purpose that dribbled the hulls out of the port, sometimes the empties wouldn't even make it out of the gun, jamming it. I took it to the Remington authorized repair center, and because the hulls would eject for them (barely), they said the gun was fine. I knew it wasn't because I also had an 870 express that threw the empties 5 or 6 feet out of the gun. I experimented a little, and switched extractors between the 2 guns. The problem 870 started ejecting perfectly with the other extractor in it. The express, which was perfect from day one, had the same extremely lazy ejection that the special purpose had. Problem solved. I installed a new extractor for an 870 express in the special purpose. The extractors are a little different. The express extractor looks cast...looked different from the problematic extractor.

February 12, 2012, 07:54 PM	#11
TheKlawMan Junior member Join Date: June 23, 2009 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 2,149	Runngun, The extractor on an 870 Express is manufactured by Metal Injection Molding ("MIM") wheras the police model and perhaps your older 870 has a forged extractor. Some chose to replace their MIM extractor with a forged extractor.

February 13, 2012, 01:21 AM	#12
Runngun Member Join Date: May 27, 2004 Location: Las Vegas, NV. Posts: 41	That's what I figured. I would tend to think that the forged extractor is better, but I tried replacing the forged one with another forged one with the same results. Only when I got that cheap mim extractor from the express guns did it run properly. Weird.

February 17, 2012, 01:57 AM	#14
TheKlawMan Junior member Join Date: June 23, 2009 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 2,149	Its on the 870-Express. Not the police and I doubt if it is on the WM; even the newer Wings.

February 24, 2012, 10:23 PM	#15
Wallabing Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2009 Posts: 113	I got some bad new, I took my 870 out for a round of skeet and the same problem happens. The empty shells just wouldnt make it out of the ejection port and stovepipes half the time. I had to borrow my buddys Stoeger Condor for the rest of the day just because of this problem. I'm sending this gun back to Remington, and if they dont fix it properly, I'm getting rid of this 870 express.

February 25, 2012, 01:59 AM	#16
TheKlawMan Junior member Join Date: June 23, 2009 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 2,149	Do you have to send it back to Remington or will they authorize you to take to a local warranty repair facility. All I can think is that you have a very tight chamber that needs to be reemed out as opposed to being polished. For that matter, have you tried polishing it with steel wool, a dowel, and a drill and how many shells have you put through it? How old is this gun? I don't believe you mentioned the ammo that you are using. Ammo can aggravate a problem like this, but I don't know if it would cause as bad a problem as you are experiencing.

February 25, 2012, 03:36 PM	#17
Wallabing Senior Member Join Date: January 6, 2009 Posts: 113	I'm now going to make a 2 hour trip to visit J&G inc Granite bay, my closest Remington authorized repair center for warranty inspection.

February 26, 2012, 04:34 PM	#18
TheKlawMan Junior member Join Date: June 23, 2009 Location: Orange County, CA Posts: 2,149	Before you drive 2 hours back and forth, did you use steel wool on the chamber and try different ammunition as suggested? Moi, I have to drive 2 hours just to get the gun case that I want unless I have it shipped and I want to first make sure of a tight fit.